Wildcard to replace Erik ten Hag emerges as Manchester United weigh up new manager options

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag faces an uncertain future as Sir Jim Ratcliffe weighs up his options ahead of next season. The new co-owner at Old Trafford is already making his presence felt.

This campaign has been disappointing for the Reds after a promising first year under Ten Hag. Early exits in the Champions League and Carabao Cup followed by poor performances in the Premier League show worrying signs.

MEN Sport understands Ratcliffe is not completely sold on keeping Ten Hag beyond this season and all eyes are focused on how he does in the FA Cup and Premier League between now and May. Winning the domestic cup competition and finishing in the top four could be enough to save his job.

READ MORE: Ten Hag facing uncertain future at United

READ MORE: What De Zerbi has said about his Brighton future

However, should Ratcliffe choose to switch managers, MEN Sport has taken a look at four managers who could realistically replace Ten Hag.

MEN Sport understands De Zerbi is one of the managers of interest to the INEOS regime. His work since joining Brighton and Hove Albion has been impressive and has also caught the attention of Manchester City who could be on the lookout for a Pep Guardiola replacement soon.

The Italian is in no rush to leave the South Coast but he must be wondering about life outside of Brighton considering he was linked with replacing Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool last month. If the green light was given, De Zerbi would be a solid appointment by Ratcliffe.

It's the January transfer window once again, but despite United's indifferent start to the season, it remains to be seen whether they'll be able to bring any new players to Old Trafford this month. While the emphasis this January is on outgoings,