Sir Jim Ratcliffe has reportedly made Gareth Southgate his number one target to replace Erik ten Hag in the summer.
Ten Hag's position at Old Trafford is far from secure, despite their memorable 4-3 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup on Sunday.
That sealed a place in the semi-finals for the Red Devils, and the FA Cup remains the last piece of silverware available to the club this season.
Nevertheless, regardless of Man United's results from now until the end of the season, the Daily Star claim that Ratcliffe is keen to part company with Ten Hag in the summer, and go in a different direction.
The England manager is under contract with the Football Association until December, and has stated that he will not decide his future until after the upcoming European Championships.
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Despite that, the report states that Ratcliffe is increasingly confident that he can lure Southgate away from his role as England boss to join Man United as the Dutchman's replacement.
Incoming Director of Football Dan Ashworth is also said to be a big supporter, as he and Southgate have worked together at the FA in the past.
The stumbling block is that Ratcliffe would like a decision to be made before the Euros in the summer, to give the club time to plan for next season in advance, but that appears unlikely at this stage.
Ratcliffe is said to be unconvinced by Ten Hag, and will try to replace him even if United win the FA Cup and qualify for the Champions League this season.
It would be a costly sacking for the club though, as Ten Hag is set to claim £10m in compensation if he is sacked this summer.
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Man United currently find themselves sixth in the Premier League, and are relying on England being given five spots for the Champions League next season if they are to return to make amends for their group stage exit earlier in the campaign.
Southgate entered the England job in 2016 when the Three Lions were in a similar state to Man United now, with morale low, players moving on, and results not up to scratch.
England had just been dumped out of Euro 2016 by Iceland, two years after a group-stage exit from the World Cup in Brazil, and Sam Allardyce had been fired after being embroiled in corruption allegations.
Southgate has been able to galvanise the current crop of England players, taking them to the semi-finals of a World Cup and the final of Euro 2020, but falling short has been a lingering issue for the 53-year-old.
Regardless of their shortcomings though, England remain joint-favourites to win Euro 2024 this summer, alongside World Cup finalists France.
Andrew Delaney
