Gareth Southgate identified by INEOS as potential replacement for Erik ten Hag

manager has been identified as a potential replacement for in the event the boss is sacked this season.

The pressure is mounting on the Dutchman’s position at Old Trafford, with United in sixth in the Premier League and out of the Champions League.

While INEOS are sympathetic to the injury crisis engulfing the club, Sunday’s 3-1 defeat to Manchester City underlined the gap between United and their local rivals.

Ten Hag has failed to establish a consistent style of play at Old Trafford and INEOS have made qualifying for the Champions League a necessity this season.

That would aid United’s Financial Fair Play pressures, and without it Ten Hag is likely to be sacked.

The club have looked at the likes of Thomas Frank and Roberto De Zerbi as successors, thanks to their work with Brentford and Brighton respectively.

But ESPN say Southgate is in the frame thanks to his body of work with England.

Southgate guided England to the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2018, while they lost in the final of the European Championships in 2021.

France, the then-holders and eventual runners-up, denied Southgate’s England at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

Southgate’s tactics have often been questioned but there’s no denying he’s instilled a feel-good factor with the Three Lions, after decades of ill-feeling between players and supporters.

United take on Everton at Old Trafford on Saturday, where they must win to keep their Champions League hopes alive.

Tottenham and Aston Villa, the other rivals for a top four spot, take on one another on Sunday.

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