Former Chelsea manager Graham Potter is “in the running” to replace Erik ten Hag at Manchester United, according to The Sun.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is said to be considering ten Hag’s future if he takes over the footballing operations at Old Trafford following his purchase of a 25% stake.
The British billionaire’s right-hand man is Sir Dave Brailsford; the mastermind behind the UK’s rise to dominance in professional cycling over the past two decades.
Brailsford is currently the Director of Sport at INEOS, meaning he oversees the company’s sporting investments, including French club Nice.
The Sun report that he is a big “fan” of Potter, having recommended him as a candidate to become Nice head coach pretty recently and, if Ratcliffe decides to dispense with the services of ten Hag, his name could crop up once again.
Potter’s record at Chelsea was very poor
During his time at Stamford Bridge, Potter won just 12 of his 31 matches in charge (a 38.7% win percentage), which subsequently led to the Blues sacking him only 8 months after he was appointed.
There were some mitigating circumstances, including a huge turnover in the playing squad instigated by the club’s new owners, but it’s hard to see him succeeding at Manchester United, considering the Red Devils are not the most well-run club either.
Is ten Hag’s job at United under threat?
Speculation about the Dutchman’s future has increased over the past week or so. Before the talk about Potter, there were reports in Spain suggesting that Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti had also been contacted about the United job.
As things stand, there is no certainty that Ratcliffe will look to replace ten Hag but it is something that can’t ruled out if the billionaire buys into the club.
