Under the leadership of Erik ten Hag, Manchester United is experiencing a mediocre campaign, which has sparked rumors regarding the possible departure of the coach and his replacement.

British media organizations have identified an additional unanticipated replacement for ten Hag. According to MailSport, England national team head coach Gareth Southgate is one of the potential successors for Manchester United’s manager.

Brighton manager Roberto de Zebri and Brentford’s Thomas Frank are two additional candidates.

Since 2016, Southgate, 53 years old, has been in charge of the England national team. Europe 2020’s final was attained by the Three Lions under his leadership; however, they were defeated by Italy. The coach’s present agreement with the national team is set to terminate in December; however, the outcome of the Football Association’s proposition to extend the contract until 2026 is not yet known.

A statement previously issued by Manchester United’s leadership regarding transfers may have elicited disapproval from the club’s supporters.

ESPN sources have learned that Roberto De Zerbi, Thomas Frank, and Gareth Southgate are being evaluated as potential successors to Erik ten Hag at Manchester United should the Dutch manager resign this summer.

According to ESPN sources, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos group, which acquired a 27.7% stake in United last month and now controls football operations, has not yet decided on Ten Hag’s future. However, alternatives are being evaluated to determine the qualifications and availability of potential replacements.

Coaches that Ineos is considering include Brighton head coach De Zerbi, Brentford head coach Frank, and England manager Southgate, although other managers and coaches are also being considered, according to sources.

While Manchester United awaits the return of incoming chief executive Omar Berrada from gardening leave at Old Trafford and negotiations continue with Newcastle regarding the transfer of sporting director Dan Ashworth to United, Ineos director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford is overseeing an audit of United’s player recruitment over the past few months and is now in charge of the club’s behind-the-scenes structural review.

Ineos is determined to avoid being unprepared in a summer when Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona are already in the process of identifying and recruiting a new manager by developing a contingency plan for the potential departure of Ten Hag.

Ten Hag was recruited from Ajax in June 2022 for a three-year contract with United, with an additional 12-month option. However, he is under pressure to maintain employment due to the statement made last month by Ratcliffe, the club’s new minority owner, which emphasises the significance of United qualifying for the Champions League in order to adhere to profit and sustainability regulations and ensure “financial fair play.”

Following Ratcliffe’s remarks subsequent to the completion of his minority purchаse from the club’s proprietors, the Glazer family, United have suffered consecutive Premier League defeats at the hands of Manchester City and Fulham, and are currently 11 points behind fourth-place Aston Villa.

In the event that England’s UEFA coefficient transforms fifth place into a Champions League berth, Manchester United would need to narrow a six-point deficit on Tottenham, who have completed one fewer game, in order to reclaim the top five.

According to ESPN sources, despite Manchester United’s lackluster start to the season, the club is cognizant of Ten Hag’s continued renown in Europe and the interest in the Dutch manager from Germany. This is consistent with the situation at Bayer Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart, who may join Bayern in offering an enticing managerial vacancy at the conclusion of the current campaign, should highly regarded coaches Xabi Alonso and Sebastian Hoeness be enticed by new employment opportunities elsewhere.

Although De Zerbi is being observed by several clubs, including United (one source told ESPN that “everyone is looking at De Zerbi”), Old Trafford has been impressed by Frank’s ability to assemble a high-energy squad at Brentford while embracing the club’s data-driven recruitment strategy.

According to sources, United would not consider Southgate as a candidate for the manager position, as the 53-year-old remаins uncertain about his future with England after Euro 2024 and has not participated in a club game since being dismissed by Middlesbrough in 2009.

However, Southgate and Ashworth have a long-standing association, as Ashworth was Ashworth’s director of elite development at the Football Association (FA) for six years. During that time, the two coaches worked closely together. Additionally, he has collaborated closely with Brailsford in the past.

By leading the team to a successful finish to the season, Ten Hag could yet dispel the uncertainty surrounding his position, according to sources. Furthermore, his willingness to support young players like Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho, and Rasmus Højlund demonstrates his capacity to leverage United’s longstanding commitment to youth development.

United may still find it unfeasible to compensate Ten Hag with the remaining year of his contract and then pay a release fee for a new manager. However, in light of the uncertainty that currently surrounds many aspects of the club, every effort is being made to prepare for any eventuality.

United declined to comment in response to ESPN’s inquiry.