Sir Jim Ratcliffe is ready to replace Erik ten Hag with Gareth Southgate - but is it the right decision?
Manchester United's new co-owner is already beginning to stamp his authority on the Premier League giants, having overseen a reshuffle behind the scenes including the exit of Richard Arnold - and the imminent arrivals of Omar Berrada and Dan Ashworth to help oversee his overhaul at Old Trafford.
This summer could see the biggest change, however, with news emerging this week that England manager Southgate is Ratcliffe's first-choice to replace Ten Hag in the Old Trafford dugout. It is understood that the new Red Devils chief is not convinced that the Dutchman is the right man to take the club forward and, after consulting Old Trafford legends, Southgate received glowing praise.
So, what would Southgate bring to the table? Is he even the right man to return the club to their heyday? And how will he deal with the transition from country to club after struggling during his spell as Middlesbrough boss? The Mirror Football team offer their verdicts...
Andy Dunn
If Gareth Southgate is lucky enough to be offered the Manchester United manager’s job, he should snap off Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s hand.
If Southgate wants to return to club management - after one short, undistinguished spell a decade-and-a-half ago - he will get no better offer. He will not get one that is even close. Showing himself suited to international management over the past seven and a half years hardly seems like the ideal qualification to take over at Old Trafford.
But you can see reasons why Ratcliffe would consider Southgate a good fit. He has worked closely with Dan Ashworth, has developed a reputation as being a good motivator, and has made England a force over the last three major tournaments.
But, considering United fans seem to be less than impressed with the idea, it would still be a leap of faith if Sir Jim turns to Southgate, especially if England underwhelm at the Euros. But if Ratcliffe does come calling, Southgate should jump at the chance of multiplying his dough.
And he would have nothing to lose - everyone has found it tough at Old Trafford since Fergie retired and if Southgate flopped, no harm done. After all, you suspect there’s always a job at the FA for good old Gareth.
David McDonnell
Southgate will be faced with a huge dilemma if he is offered the chance to take over at Manchester United this summer.
If Southgate can lead England to Euro 2024 glory, the 53-year-old could walk away from the national job having achieved his ambition of winning a major tournament. That would appear to be the perfect way to end his eight years in charge of the Three Lions and move from international to club management with United if, as expected, Ten Hag leaves Old Trafford.
But if Southgate and England are triumphant this summer, surely he would be tempted to stay on for another two years and see if he can end the country's 60-year wait to win the World Cup again? This is the conundrum facing Southgate, who has emerged as one of the leading contenders to take United forward into a new era under Ratcliffe and his INEOS team.
The England and United roles are two of the most coveted in world football and Southgate may be forced to choose between them this summer, if Ratcliffe and his team decide he is the man they want.
Success at the Euros would make it easier for Southgate to walk away and hand over a winning squad to a new England manager, and take on the challenge of trying to restore United as the country's dominant football force.
Yet if United do come calling, Southgate is likely to have to make his decision before the Euros get under way, and very few coaches can afford to turn down the chance to manage the world's biggest club. If approached by United, Southgate has to say yes.
Simon Mullock
Manchester United have been a basket case of a club for the last decade. If Ratcliffe wants to bring a touch of sanity back to Old Trafford, then Southgate would be a good fit.
Southgate has served England as a coach for the last 11 years - eight of them in the top job - and it's clear that he eventually wants another crack at club management after being sacked by Middlesbrough following their relegation.
He would walk away from the final few months of his contract after the Euros with the good will of the FA and, hopefully, the gratitude of the nation depending on how the Three Lions perform in Germany.
The stars appear to be aligning for Southgate in Manchester given the close relationship he forged at St George's Park with Ashworth, the man Ratcliffe has identified as his new director of football.
Southgate would go in alongside Ashworth and new chief executive Berrada with a fresh canvas. He would be Ratcliffe's man, recruited to work as part of the INEOS team rather than someone who would be left exposed by a couple of defeats.
The new set-up at Old Trafford should guarantee him the kind of patience and joined-up thinking that was denied to David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
I still feel that Ten Hag was the right man for United when he arrived from Ajax in the summer of 2023. But timing is everything in football and the Dutchman's weakness is that he wasn't a Ratcliffe appointment.
How Southgate's appointment would be received by United's fans is another question, entirely. They are desperate for a manager with the charisma of Jurgen Klopp and the genius of Pep Guardiola. Whether a manager who made waistcoats fashionable again will get bums off seats in the Stretford End is for Ratcliffe to decide.
Neil Moxley
I hate to say this because Southgate is a first-rate bloke but what qualities does he possess to be given the chance to re-boot Manchester United?
Yes, he has worked with big players. Yes, he got a tune out of those players. Yes, he can cope with pressure, albeit every few months when tournament football arrives.
But these players are playing for their countries. The minimum you would expect is effort. And they are a very good crop anyway with a world-class striker, regardless of who manages them.
Bottom line is: What’s he won? There’s no track record of success. So, should he be on a shortlist? Why not? Should he be a shoo-in? Probably not.
Neil McLeman
Don't do it Gareth! Just remember what happened to Spain boss Julen Lopetegui in 2018. The future Wolves coach led his country to Russia as one of the favourites after winning nine and drawing one qualifier. Then news leaked out that he was joining Real Madrid after the tournament and he was sacked the next day and Spain bombed in the World Cup.
Southgate cannot jeopardise England’s chance of finally lifting silverware in his last tournament by first lining up his next job. If he did take the Manchester United job before Germany, there would be so many conflicts of interest over whether to pick - or bomb out - Harry Maguire, Kobbie Mainoo or Marcus Rashford. It could even make Liverpool fans support England less.
Much better to concentrate on making history and take a year off. The Old Trafford job will no doubt be available again next summer.
Mike Walters
The next manager of Manchester United must preach audacious, attacking football in the club's best traditions of Busby and Fergie. And above all, he must be a winner.
At face value, based on his England reign, Southgate falls short on both those key aspects. The criticism levelled at him most frequently is that England play too often with the handbrake on, leaving a golden generation of talents conforming to shapes, formations and drills which sell them short.
And in the last three major tournaments on his watch, Southgate has presided over a World Cup semi-final defeat from 1-0 up, the Euro 2020 final shoot-out defeat after being 1-0 up and a World Cup quarter-final defeat where England found a way to lose when playing well.
On the other hand, Southgate is a good company man. His first boss at Crystal Palace, Alan Smith, once said that if his prodigy hadn't made the grade as a football manager, he would probably have ended up as chief executive of a major multinational company listed on the Stock Exchange.
Southgate would bring authority and respect to the United blazer - but would he deliver results on the pitch? The jury is out.
Ratcliffe would be wise to treat this summer's Euros as a live audition for the United job. If Southgate comes up short again with Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane in his squad, perhaps the biggest job in club football might not be for him.
Alex Richards
Should Southgate leave England for United? Simply put, yes. If he wants to.
After Euro 2024, Southgate will have overseen four major tournaments with the Three Lions, done a really excellent job - if we remember back to where he picked them up from - and who knows, perhaps will have a trophy in his back pocket. For him, after so long in the role, it's the ideal time.
There's a section of the England support who wants someone new in the role and for whom, whoever he picks, whatever team he selects, there's always an issue. He'll never change that. So give them what they crave and let them moan about the next guy.
And then he can walk into arguably the biggest job in English football. If he doesn't take over at Old Trafford now, the high likelihood is that his next job won't be as big.
International and club management are vastly different. Southgate has only managed one Premier League club, and it didn't exactly go well. Yes it was a long time ago, but there are too many questions and too few guarantees over what United would be getting. The likes of Liverpool and Manchester City wouldn't be so naive.
Alan Smith
Gareth Southgate’s FA contract runs until December but it makes so much sense for him to leave after the Euros - whether England win or fall short.
If the former, he can go out on an almighty high, his status secured regardless of what happens in his career afterwards. Should England fail to end the long, long wait for a trophy he will be under severe pressure to depart anyway. But that does not mean he would be wise to accept any potential offer from Manchester United.
Ratcliffe says he thinks the club can compete again in three years but there are still so many issues - from squad composition to structural problems that are beginning to change - that makes the head coach role unappealing.
It is also 16 years since Southgate worked in a club environment and if he does want to return to the Premier League perhaps there will be better, more stable jobs on offer.
Scott Trotter
After a difficult decade following the departure of Ferguson, the club is now returning to a period of optimism where there is an opportunity to become a legend in a new era at Old Trafford.
For Southgate, there would be a lot to consider if he was to receive the offer. While there are plenty who criticise the England boss, there is little doubting he has shown a deft ability to manage the media, the FA hierarchy and to get to the latter stages of international tournaments. A lot of his talents would translate to club management, but even with the intensity of the Three Lions hot-seat, the day to day grind of the domestic calendar at one of the biggest clubs in the world is a different matter entirely.
After so long in international football, there's little to suggest the move would benefit either party. I thought Southgate was unfortunate to lose his job at Middlesbrough but that was 15 years ago and the 53-year-old has had no chance to prove he merits or is suited to a job at the top of the Premier League. Frankly it'd be baffling to see.
Nathan Ridley
They say timing is everything in football and that's my main grip with this move.
Logistically, I think it'd be a nightmare for all parties. Either Southgate would have to announce his decision before the European Championship - which would open a whole new can of worms - or United would have to hold off until July and deal with weeks of intense speculation and a potentially chaotic start to pre-season after sacking Ten Hag.
On Ten Hag, I think giving him the boot would be harsh - at least as things stand. The Dutchman deserves a chance to prove himself under a new (and likely better) regime. Southgate, though, is the kind of stable character that United need during a transitional period under Ratcliffe.
The 53-year-old has already proven that he can be a calming figurehead under the most intense pressure, and considering how difficult the United dressing room seems to be to harness, his ability to keep the vast majority of England's players happy during his eight-year reign shouldn't be overlooked. Yes, he hasn't won a trophy yet but I genuinely believe the time will come this summer and he'd subsequently stay on until the World Cup, so I don't see him heading to Old Trafford in 2024 anyway.
The day-to-day intensity of managing at club level would also be challenging enough transition for Southgate. If he's going to take a job like United, a year or at least a few months off to prepare himself and his family would be ideal.
Ben Husband
I think the more pertinent question at this point is - who is right for Manchester United?
They've tried the 'Chosen One', the respected one, the 'Special One', the legendary ex-player and now, the long-term option. None of them have worked. The landscape may be different now Ratcliffe and his team of experts have arrived... but I won't hold my breath.
The question should perhaps be, is Man Utd right for Southgate? After all, he has a safe job with the FA and another crop of talented youngsters now making their way, albeit slowly, into the first-team picture. There is still credit in the bank for him at Wembley HQ, although that could start running out post-Euro 2024.
But if he has shown anything in English football's most scrutinised job, it has been his ability to manage off-field issues, something he would no doubt experience at Old Trafford. Southgate is unquestionably a different manager to the one who flattered to deceive at Boro, but there is also no question he would be an unpopular appointment from the off.
This feels like a relationship destined to failure. Although where United actually do go to replace Ten Hag remains a mystery.
Tommy Wathen
I can't see the England boss swapping the Three Lions for the Red Devils this summer.
Southgate's only club management experience was with Middlesborough replacing Steve McClaren - and his spell at the Riverside ended poorly. After two bottom-half Premier League finishes, Middlesborough were relegated to the Championship and, with his team sitting fourth, he was given the boot in October 2009.
Fast-forward over 14 years and Southgate's career has improved. Nobody can deny that achieving a 2018 World Cup semi-final and 2020 European Championship final wasn't impressive after years of England mediocracy.
However, with England expected to do well this summer at the Euros and Southgate building a solid Three Lions squad for the future, quitting to join Manchester United seems like far too much of a risk.
On a different note, I also question how United fans would react to Southgate becoming the new boss. Managing at Old Trafford is a huge task and being just a half-decent England boss doesn't fill you with the most faith.
Kieran King
Southgate is not going to get a better offer to return to club football, despite what he has achieved with England over the years.
Southgate has done an impressive job while in charge of the Three Lions, bringing the feel good factor back and making players want to represent their country. But having gone close to winning a major trophy, it feels like the Euros this summer is last chance saloon for him to win anything.
Regardless of whether England go all the way or not, Southgate should take the Manchester United job, even though his previous club job may not have gone to plan. After retiring from football, he spent three years as Middlesbrough boss between 2006 and 2009 and recorded less than a 30 per cent win rate.
There is no doubt it will be a risk for both Southgate and United, but there is no better chance for him to prove himself at arguably the biggest club in the world. He should snap Ratcliffe’s hands off and become United’s new manager if Erik ten Hag is dismissed.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.