Ineos kept their options open when it came to replacing Erik ten Hag as the manager of Manchester United.
Speculation over Erik ten Hag’s job began in the build-up to the 2024 FA Cup final, which Manchester United went on to win over arch-rivals Manchester City.
Victory at Wembley meant that Ineos reversed their decision to sack Ten Hag, but that proved to be a mistake as the Dutchman was let go just a few months later.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his new footballing department had already begun interviewing candidates over the summer, and more options were added to the list once Ten Hag was given his marching orders.
The 7 managers contacted by Ineos about the Man United job before Ruben Amorim’s appointment
Roberto De Zerbi
Thomas Tuchel
Graham Potter
Thomas Frank
Xavi
Mauricio Pochettino
Marco Silva
Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe looks on before the trophy presentation after the Europa League final match between Tottenham and Manchester United at the Estadio de San Mames in 2025 in Bilbao, Spain.
Photo by Michael Regan – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
Ultimately, Ineos chose Ruben Amorim following his success in Portugal with Sporting Lisbon. Ratcliffe has voiced his support for Amorim despite a tricky first year in charge.
But while Amorim keeps his head above water at Old Trafford, United in Focus take a look at where his seven managerial competitors are now.
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Roberto De Zerbi
Roberto De Zerbi did a superb job at Brighton before announcing his shock exit at the end of the 2023/24 season.
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The Italian manager joined Marseille, but De Zerbi claims United offered him a contract before he made his move to the French side.
In Ligue 1, Roberto De Zerbi’s Marseille are chasing PSG in a title race. They are currently second, only two points off the Parisians.
He led them to a second-place finish last season, meaning they are also competing in the Champions League this season.
Thomas Tuchel
After Ten Hag’s poor start to the 2024/25 season, Thomas Tuchel was a leading candidate to replace him. The German manager was unemployed at the time.
However, Tuchel instead became England manager with reports suggesting that his appointment was fast-tracked amid United’s interest.
Instead of taking charge at Old Trafford, the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager is now preparing to take England to the 2026 World Cup after a flawless qualifying campaign with eight straight wins and no goals conceded.
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Graham Potter
Sporting director Dan Ashworth wanted Graham Potter to replace Ten Hag at United, with The Sun reporting that Ineos even held a secret meeting with the English manager.
However, Ashworth’s list of managers disappointed Ratcliffe, and he ended up being sacked just five months into his director role.
Since United snubbed Graham Potter, he joined West Ham and was sacked within 10 months.
In October, Potter was appointed Sweden manager, but they finished bottom of their 2026 World Cup qualifying group with only two points from six matches.
Thomas Frank
In his recently published book, Thomas Frank revealed he was interviewed in Ratcliffe’s garage for the United job. On the same day, he attended an interview for the Chelsea vacancy.
Thomas Frank’s success at Brentford in the Premier League made him an attractive option, and he was eventually snapped up by Tottenham this summer.
Frank was keen to join United, but Ineos went in a different direction. Frank’s Spurs currently sit level on points with Amorim’s United after 12 matches in 2025/26.
His defensive style of play has not gone down well with Tottenham fans, and like Amorim, he finds his job under pressure approaching the Christmas period.
Xavi
United fans were against hiring Xavi to replace Ten Hag despite him winning the 2022/23 La Liga title with Barcelona.
CEO Omar Berrada travelled to Spain to speak with Xavi in October 2024, just days before Ten Hag was sacked.
Xavi has been out of a job since leaving Barcelona in 2024, but Fabrizio Romano insists Xavi would accept the United job in a heartbeat since he has been “studying” the Premier League.
Mauricio Pochettino
After his Chelsea exit, Ineos held talks with Mauricio Pochettino, but ultimately cooled their interest.
Once United had decided to stick with Ten Hag for the start of the 2024/25 season, Mauricio Pochettino accepted the job as the head coach of the United States.
With the US one of the joint-hosts for the 2026 World Cup, Pochettino will lead the USMNT in the tournament next season.
A dominant 5-1 win over Uruguay in the latest international break is a sign of the progress made under the Argentine.
Marco Silva
Like Frank and De Zerbi, Marco Silva was viewed as a promising young coach who was enjoying success in the Premier League with Fulham.
During the negotiations with Amorim last year, United were heavily linked with Marco Silva as an alternative option.
The Portuguese manager stayed put at Fulham, but now Silva is under huge pressure himself following an underwhelming start to the 25/26 campaign.
Silva’s Fulham drew 1-1 with Amorim’s United in the second matchweek of the Premier League season.