Man United’s next manager: ‘Leading candidate’ revealed with Ruben Amorim sack close
Ruben Amorim remains under serious threat of the sack at Man United despite the board’s public statements of support in recent days.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe remains determined to back Amorim despite the poor start to the season and has dismissed suggestions he could be sacked.
Meanwhile, Football Insider revealed on 19 September that Man United are unlikely to sack Amorim imminently and insist he will be the man to turn around their fortunes.
However, in the wake of Man United’s 3-1 defeat to Brentford, which saw United fail to win for the 40th time in their last 57 Premier League games, calls for his head have renewed.
Man United are also believed to be considering a number of candidates for the role, with Oliver Glasner, Marco Silva and Gareth Southgate tipped as replacements for Amorim.
Man United eye Gareth Southgate to replace Ruben Amorim
Football Insider revealed in September 2024 that Southgate was high on Man United’s list of options to replace Erik ten Hag following his dismissal.
The former England boss remains on United’s shortlist should they opt to make a change and has strong admirers in key members of the hierarchy at Old Trafford.
That is according to former Man United chief scout Mick Brown, who worked at Old Trafford for over a decade during their most successful period, as he exclusively told Football Insider that Southgate is among the leading candidates.
“Southgate is definitely a possibility for Man United,” he told Football Insider.
“From what I’m told, he has admirers in the hierarchy at United who feel he would be a safe pair of hands to help steady the ship given the issues they’ve had.
“So he will definitely be a leading candidate if Amorim is sacked, but he’s not the only one on their list.
“I don’t know how tactically sound he is, because club football is a very different prospect to international football and he will know that as much as anybody.
“When he’s picking the England team, he’s picking from the best players the country has to offer.
“He can choose players who fit in better with what he wants to do, and that’s obviously not the case at United where he would have to work with what he’s got.
“So there are a few issues and challenges he’d have to overcome if he did take the job.
“Either way, he’s one they’re looking at as a potential option so there are people at United who obviously feel he would be able to make that step.”
Despite the board being keen, a number of alternatives candidates have also been linked with the United job and will provide competition to Southgate.
Southgate ready for Premier League return after England heroics
Since his departure from England following the European Championships in 2024, Southgate has been heavily linked with a return to Premier League football.
Southgate was linked with the Everton job, while Crystal Palace admire the former Middlesbrough boss who is well-liked at Selhurst Park after his playing days there.
However, United have been most heavily linked with the boss in two separate periods now, lending some credibility to suggestions he could be in line to take over.
Brown told Football Insider in October 2024 that Southgate was unwilling to take the Man United job after Ten Hag’s exit and ruled himself out of the running.
The former England boss, 54, ruled out a return to coaching for the next year, having stepped down as the national team manager following a defeat in the Euro 2024 final.
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