SIR Jim Ratcliffe and Thomas Tuchel have held face-to-face meetings during which the manager's job at Manchester United was discussed, SunSport have learnt.
Current boss Erik ten Hag is still waiting to discover his fate after delivering a second trophy in as many seasons at Old Trafford.
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Man Utd are close to making an announcement on Ten Hag's future after a turbulent campaign for the Dutchman.
Execs at the club have been conducting a review of the season before making any public announcement on their manager.
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Ten Hag led Man Utd to FA Cup glory with a shock 2-1 victory over bitter rivals Man City under the iconic Wembley arch last month.
But the Red Devils' season was predominantly disappointing with the club finishing eighth in the Premier League and crashing out of the Champions League in the group stages.
There has been much speculation around potential replacements for Ten Hag in the dugout at the Theatre of Dreams.
Tuchel, who left Bayern Munich this summer, is one name that has been linked with the job.
United's minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has held meetings with Tuchel over recent weeks with the most recent taking place in Monaco last week.
SunSport understands that the manager's job at Man Utd was discussed during those meetings.
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Tuchel parted ways with Bayern after failing to win a trophy in Bavaria last term, opening the door for new boss Vincent Kompany.
But he had success during his time in charge of Chelsea, winning the Champions League in 2021
A number of other candidates have been considered in Manchester should Ten Hag be sacked.
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Former Chelsea and Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino is one name being banded about while Graham Potter has also been linked with the role.
Ipswich boss and former United coach Kieran McKenna was another strong contender, but the 38-year-old put pen to paper on a new four-year deal with the Tractor Boys last month.
Another option that Ratcliffe and his Ineos team have considered is Gareth Southgate.
However, any deal to bring Southgate back into club management would have to wait until after Euro 2024 with the 53-year-old firmly focused on England's efforts in Germany this summer.
Ten Hag's future remains hanging in the balance as he awaits an announcement on if he will continue on with the Manchester giants.
The former Ajax boss' contract runs until the end of next season.
