Manchester United
Premier League • England
Failed Man Utd approach for Bundesliga manager revealed amid Ten Hag replacement hunt
Man Utd have previously approached Stuttgart boss Sebastian Hoeness
Manchester United made an approach to Stuttgart manager Sebastian Hoeness over the summer as they searched for a replacement for Erik ten Hag, a report has revealed.
As we have previously reported, the Red Devils board would have sacked Ten Hag after the end of last season if they had agreed a deal with a replacement.
Sources close to the club have informed TEAMtalk that some behind the scenes were both ‘delighted and concerned’ when Man Utd won the FA Cup last term, as it made sacking Ten Hag much more problematic.
Talks with Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino and others were held but they were not convinced into taking the hot seat at Old Trafford at the time.
According to journalist Christian Falk, Hoeness was also courted by Man Utd but he instantly rejected their advances in favour of staying with Stuttgart.
His side enjoyed a fantastic 2023/24 campaign and finished second in the Bundesliga table, their highest league finish in Stuttgart’s entire history.
Stuttgart’s fantastic season came off the back of a 2022/23 campaign that almost saw them relegated, displaying Hoeness’ abilities as a coach.
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Tuchel is still Man Utd’s No 1 manager target
Ten Hag only just held onto his Man Utd job over the summer and now he’s under more pressure than ever. As we exclusively revealed on Friday, he has been informed he has just two games to prove he can turn the Red Devils’ season around.
Hoeness, meanwhile, remains fully focused on Stuttgart, who currently sit eighth in the Bundesliga and 25th in the Champions League standings.
We understand that former Bayern Munich and Chelsea boss Tuchel is Man Utd’s number one target to replace Ten Hag, while Graham Potter has also been discussed by the Red Devils’ hierarchy, among others.
Tuchel rejected Man Utd’s advances over the summer as he wanted to take a break after leaving Bayern, but he is now ready to return to management.
The German coach has been heavily linked with the England job in recent days but Man Utd haven’t given up hope of appointing him as their next boss.
Some sources have suggested that the admission of interest in the England role is a pressure play by Tuchel’s agents to make Man Utd move more quickly and offer him the job at Old Trafford.
Man Utd plot Eberechi Eze swoop
Meanwhile, Man Utd are doing their due diligence on potential transfer targets ahead of the January window and Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze is on their radar.
Fabrizio Romano claims that Man Utd will look to bring in a new winger in 2025 and have been scouting Eze for some time, but they will face competition for his signature.
Tottenham are also big admirers of the England international and they could also move for him next year, teeing up a potential transfer battle between the two Premier League giants.
Eze will be available for around £60m in January due to a release clause in his Crystal Palace contract. Romano also adds that the majority of his clause must be paid up front if a club chooses to trigger it, which means Man Utd will have to spend a ‘big amount’ to sign him.