Manchester United confirmed on Monday morning that they have sacked Erik ten Hag with immediate effect.
The 2-1 defeat to West Ham on Sunday afternoon was the Dutchman’s final game in charge, with the Red Devils languishing 14th in the Premier League table.
It is now up to INEOS and the board to find a suitable successor for ten Hag, who had only been given a contract extension in the summer.
However, Insight Media Sport Arena looks at the top five favourites to be the next permanent head coach of the Red Devils.
1. Ruud Van Nistelrooy
The Dutchman has already been put in temporary charge by the club following the sacking of ten Hag.
Van Nistelrooy will be in the dugout when United take on Leicester City in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening.
He does have experience in management, having guided PSV Eindhoven to the Dutch Super Cup and Dutch Cup during the 2022/23 season.
Van Nistelrooy will clearly be gunning for the position on a permanent basis, considering he has accepted the interim position.
2. Ruben Amorim
The Portuguese coach is among the frontrunners to succeed ten Hag, with his Sporting Lisbon side currently sitting top of the table.
Amorim has broken the duopoly of Porto and Benfica in recent years. Since taking charge at the beginning of 2020, he has won two Liga Portugal titles.
In addition, the 39-year-old has won three other domestic trophies with Sporting, including two Portuguese League Cups and the Portuguese Super Cup.
Amorim has considered moving to the Premier League before, having been interviewed for the West Ham job last summer
3. Gareth Southgate
The 54-year-old is out of work after resigning from his position as England head coach following the defeat to Spain in the final of Euro 2024.
However, Southgate has already spoken out to say that he intends to take a 12-month sabbatical away from management.
Whether the availability of the United job would tempt him back sooner than anticipated, we shall have to wait and see.
Sporting director Dan Ashworth does have a close relationship with Southgate which could prove to be influential.
4. Xavi Hernandez
Last week, it was reported that chief executive Omar Berrada was part of a United delegation that held talks with the former Barcelona manager.
Xavi is believed to have been contacted by the Red Devils on two separate occasions in recent months so it is not a surprise to see him as a leading contender to replace ten Hag.
The 44-year-old had a pretty successful two-and-a-half-year spell in charge of Barca, winning the La Liga title and the Spanish Super Cup in 2023.
The fact that Xavi has not managed in the Premier League before may go against him but he has proven he can manage a massive club already.
5. Thomas Frank
The Dane is known to have fans among the club’s hierarchy and there were claims leading up to Brentford’s defeat at Old Trafford a couple of weeks ago that he was under consideration for the United job.
Frank has a big personality and there is no doubt that he would be a breath of fresh air in the dressing room.
However, despite the 51-year-old having a lot of experience in English football, the fact that he has never managed at the highest level in the Champions League does count against him.
Frank may get an interview but you wouldn’t place him among the favourites to succeed ten Hag.
