Manchester United are set to appoint a new permanent manager in the summer to succeed interim incumbent Ralf Rangnick, with a number of candidates being considered.
MEN Sport understands that the two leading candidates for the United job are Mauricio Pochettino and Erik ten Hag, with the former having been in the frame since before Jose Mourinho's tenure and the latter having come to prevalence more recently due to his Champions League exploits with Ajax.
There have been rumours of unrest between Pochettino and his current side Paris Saint-Germain and given the club's track record with managers who fail to meet their owners' high and exacting standards, it could spell the end of the Argentinian's time in the French capital if he is unable to deliver them an elusive Champions League crown this season.
This would open the door for United to secure him without compensation but there might yet be a twist in the tale.
According to Spanish publication Sport, Real Madrid may themselves look to make a change in the dugout this summer by replacing Carlo Ancelotti and if they do, Pochettino is their top target for the job. The report also states that the feeling may be mutual for the Argentinian, who would reportedly be willing to turn down the possibility of a move to United to secure a move to the Spanish giants.
If this was to happen, the quandary United find themselves facing over their two preferred managerial targets would be taken out of their hands. It would pave a clear path to Ten Hag, even if Ajax would be reluctant to lose the 52-year-old. The Dutchman appears to be the favourite with United supporters and while Pochettino's admirers at United date back over six years, there is no doubting hiring Ten Hag would appease an increasingly disgruntled fanbase.
Pochettino clearly has his merits as a manager but his time in charge of Paris Saint-Germain has not been quite as the club envisaged after missing out on the Ligue 1 title last season to Lille as well as floundering in the Champions League once more. Even if they, as expected, romp their way to the league title this season, it will count for little in the grand scheme of things if they continue to be starved of European success.
United need a manager who can begin, build and complete a project and Ten Hag would - with the requisite support of the club - be the kind of manager capable of instilling a discernible identity, something United have continued to desperately lack.
He has created two great and tactically different teams while at Ajax, with the first reaching the Champions League semi-final while the second went unbeaten in the Champions League group stage.
They are by no means the only two who will have attracted admiring glances from Old Trafford. Luis Enrique, Julian Lopetegui and Ruben Amorim have all recently gained plaudits for their achievements and style of play at their respective clubs or nations.
Pochettino is a credible candidate for the United job but at a time when the club look in need of an injection of fresh ideas and impetus, Ten Hag looks to tick just about every box. And Real Madrid's own prospective hunt for a new manager could yet lead United directly into his path.
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