Manchester United have held secret talks with a number of managers over replacing Erik ten Hag as the Dutchman once again fights to save his job at Old Trafford.
Mail Sport revealed earlier this week that United spoke with Xavi Hernandez 10 days ago after a four-man delegation led by chief executive Omar Berrada flew to Barcelona, while Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim and former Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic are also on the list of potential targets.
It’s understood that Brentford’s Thomas Frank is once again under strong consideration having been linked with the United job in the summer.
The club’s co-owners interviewed many candidates then before deciding to keep Ten Hag and extend his contract by a year. But the fact United have resumed their search for a replacement behind the scenes has cast fresh doubt over the 54-year-old’s future. The club have declined to comment.
United are in the bottom half of the Premier League table going into Sunday’s game at West Ham, and have failed to win any of their first three Europa League ties following Thursday’s draw with Fenerbahce in Istanbul.
Man United have held secret talks with managers amid uncertainty over Erik ten Hag's future
The Red Devils' hierarchy are continuing to debate Ten Hag's future amid poor results
Man United have spoken to Xavi, left, while Brentford's Thomas Frank is under consideration
While it isn’t certain United will sack Ten Hag after two-and-a-half years in charge having given him another stay of execution in the last international break, he will be vulnerable when the Premier League pauses again next month if results do not improve.
The Dutchman has consistently said that he is on the same page as United’s leadership team after Berrada was appointed in the summer along with sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox.
But Ineos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe pointedly refused to give Ten Hag his public backing earlier this month, and United’s co-owners are weighing up their options again amid growing concern over the lack of progress following another £200million spend in the last transfer window.
United are said to have spoken to former Barca boss Xavi twice in recent months. The 44-year-old has been out of working since leaving the Nou Camp in the summer and is known to be reluctant to coach another club in Spain.
Amorim is one of the most highly-rated coaches in Europe, although he has been widely touted as Pep Guardiola’s replacement at Manchester City after they confirmed that Hugo Viana, his director of football at Sporting Lisbon, will succeed Txiki Begiristain at the Etihad at the end of the season.
Frank’s exciting brand of football has won him a lot of admirers at Old Trafford, even though Brentford were beaten by Ten Hag’s side there last weekend.
Ruben Amorim led Sporting Lisbon to two titles and has a perfect league record this season
Edin Terzic led Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League final before losing to Real Madrid
Ten Hag's side are 12th in the Premier League and remain winless in Europe this season
Despite Brentford's loss to Man United last weekend, Frank has a lot of admirers at Old Trafford
The Dane was among a number of candidates who spoke to United in the summer – including Thomas Tuchel, Kieran McKenna and Marco Silva – so it’s possible that other names will come into the frame again. Ten Hag’s assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy could step in at short notice, and Gareth Southgate and Graham Potter are still out of work.
Meanwhile, United had a warm-down session in Istanbul on Friday before flying directly to London for Sunday's game at West Ham where Julen Lopetegui is also under pressure.