Manchester United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has supposedly held direct talks with a two-time European finalist about taking over from Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford.
Amorim's future continues to be plunged into even greater uncertainty by the week, and he did his prospects of keeping his job no favours at all in Saturday's Premier League clash with Brentford.
The Portuguese oversaw a dampening 3-1 loss to the Beesat the Gtech Community Stadium, his 21st defeat from 49 games in charge of the Red Devils, with whom he has masterminded just 19 wins.
Amorim continues to be lambasted for a perceived stubbornness regarding his tactics, in particular using Bruno Fernandes in a deeper midfield role and refusing to shift from his favoured 3-4-2-1 formation.
The 40-year-old is still under contract at the Theatre of Dreams until 2027, so Man United would have to fork out millions in compensation to sack him, but they may have to bite the bullet if results do not improve.
Man United's Ratcliffe in 'contact' with ex-England boss Gareth Southgate
England manager Gareth Southgate pictured on June 30, 2024 [IMAGO]
As Man United step up their search for potential successors to Amorim, talkSPORTclaims that ex-England boss Gareth Southgate is still a genuine contender for the job.
The two-time European Championship runner-up and World Cup semi-finalist was linked with the Old Trafford vacancy last summer ahead of Erik ten Hag's sacking, but he had no desire to jump back into management so soon after leaving his England post.
Now, having been out of the game for over a year, Southgate could be tempted back to the dugout, and the report adds that there has been direct contact between Ratcliffe and the 55-year-old over the past few weeks,
Southgate previously took charge of 114 Premier League matches while in charge of Middlesbrough, but he only claimed 29 wins in that time, while also overseeing 33 draws and 52 losses with the Riverside club.
However, one of those victories was Middlesbrough's unforgettable 8-1 crushing of Manchester City in 2008, and unlike Amorim so far, Southgate achieved back-to-back wins in the Premier League.
Who else are Man United considering to replace Amorim?
Man United head coach Ruben Amorim on September 27, 2025
Man United are not believed to be putting all of their eggs in the Southgate basket, as it is not known for certain whether the 55-year-old is prepared to take on his next role just yet.
Alternatively, the Red Devils are said to be huge admirers of Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner, who has masterminded a magnificent 18-game unbeaten run for the Eagles in all competitions, equalling an all-time club record.
Glasner's Palace deservedly beat Premier League champions Liverpool 2-1 on Saturday, but the Austrian's contract expires at the end of the season, and there has been no talk of an extension following reported frustrations with his side's transfer activity.
Similarly, Andoni Iraola could walk away from Bournemouth at the end of the season and is on Man United's shortlist too, although the Cherries will likely do everything in their power to tie him down to an extension.
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