'He's the one' – TNT Sports pundit puts forward 'big name' capable of taking Man Utd job

Michael Owen has named the one man who can take over from Erik ten Hag as Manchester United manager.

Ten Hag’s Old Trafford future remains unclear with just one league game and an FA Cup final left to play this season. The Dutchman’s second season has left a lot to be desired with United down in eighth place, though victory against rivals Manchester City on May 25 could aid his chances of new minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe allowing him to stay beyond the summer.

Several candidates have been reported as Ten Hag’s successor should he be sacked, including England manager Gareth Southgate, former Chelsea boss Graham Potter and three-time Champions League-winning manager Zinedine Zidane.

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Yet former Red Devils striker Owen, who made 52 appearances and won the league with United as a player, believes Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel is the best man for the job out of the realistic options.

‌Speaking to BoyleSports, who offer the latest EURO 2024 odds, the TNT Sports pundit said: “They are all very capable managers. There is a shortage of managers right now, though. Look at Zidane, he doesn't speak much English so I'm not sure Man Utd would be on his radar personally. I would be very surprised.

“Potter could be a candidate. I know Dan Ashworth is not officially working there at the moment, but he knows Potter and Southgate well so that's probably where those links are coming from.

“Tuchel would be an interesting one. He could be available and I think a lot of Chelsea fans regret parting with Tuchel. He is one big name capable of the job.”

In February, the German announced he was leaving Bayern at the end of the season after a poor run of form in the league, which allowed undefeated Bayer Leverkusen to run away with the league. Since then, however, Tuchel guided the German giants to a Champions League semi-final, where they were narrowly defeated by tournament favourites Real Madrid.

Tuchel, of course, already has Premier League experience, having been in charge of Chelsea between January 2021 and September 2022, where he won the Blues the Champions League. Despite reports of interest from United, Bayern are now believed to have made a U-turn and are keen to convince the 50-year-old to remain at the Allianz Arena.

Commenting on United’s other managerial options, Owen added: "The one out of them I'd be most surprised at would be Zidane. I think it's very possible it will be Southgate or Potter, they are very impressive guys.

“It was a difficult time when Potter took over, so you wouldn't want to scratch his name and say it was an awful job. I don't think Potter and Southgate are out of the question."