Four alternative picks for the Man Utd job

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ll be well aware that Man Utd continue to be hotly linked with both Mauricio Pochettino and Erik ten Hag, who at the time of writing remain the two favourites in the betting to become the next permanent manager of the Red Devils.

"We are now conducting a thorough process for the appointment of a new permanent manager who will take charge this summer, with the objective to get us back to challenging for those domestic and European titles," United’s Football director John Murtough revealed this week, only heightening speculation as to who the club will select in the summer.

Away from the Pochettinos and the Ten Hags, we bring you four alternative options in the betting market who United should consider as their next full-time manager…

Serie A enjoyed its own game of managerial-chairs last summer when six of the top-8 clubs changed face in the dugout, including champions Inter Milan.

Inter were unable to keep hold of Antonio Conte, but managed to lure over the coveted Simone Inzaghi who had been enjoying an upward trajectory over the course of five successful seasons at Lazio, a club he transformed the fortunes of.

He won three domestic cups, brought back Champions League football for the first time in over a decade, and accumulated the club’s best-ever Serie A points total (78), to name a few.

Inzaghi, 45, may then have taken over last season’s Scudetto winners, however his new side had been significantly hindered by the exit of key players Romelu Lukaku, Achraf Hakimi, and Christian Eriksen. However, he’s got Inter challenging for the league title once again - two points off top spot with a game in hand - while they are in the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia and knockout-stages of the Champions League.

Inzaghi knows how to get the best out of his players and create a strong collective team spirit, something which is evidently missing at Man Utd despite the talented cluster of individuals they have in their ranks.

The Premier League has proved to be a successful stomping ground for Italian managers - four have won the title since 2009 - and the ever-evolving Inzaghi would well prove to be an astute appointment at Old Trafford.

Last season, while Man City strolled to the Premier League title, across the channel in France a huge upset occurred as Christophe Galtier conjured up one of the best managerial achievements in recent times. 

The Frenchman masterminded Lille's stunning Ligue 1 title triumph at the expense of PSG, who were overseen by Thomas Tuchel and then Mauricio Pochettino throughout the season - so the Paris club weren't exactly in bad hands.

Say what you like about the French league, but beating PSG - and their outrageous money pot and player talent pool - to the title is a simply superb achievement. After all, this was a Lille side who had a 37-year-old Jose Fonte in defence and a 35-year-old Burak Yılmaz up-front: both were exceptional.

What makes it even more spectacular is the fact that Lille were fighting for their Ligue 1 survival down in 18th when Galtier was appointed mid-way through the 2017/18 season. He kept them in the league, then took them to 2nd and 4th, before that sensational title winning 2020/21 season; they also thrashed Milan 3-0 at the San Siro en route to the knockout stages of the Europa League.

Last summer Galtier was lured over to Nice, a side who had finished down in 9th last term, but are hugely ambitious and have cash to splash. In his second game he pummelled former employers Lille 4-0 away and currently has his new side 3rd in the table, one point off second; if they finish in the top-2 it will be the club's best standing since 1976.

Galtier also has a Coupe de France final to look forward to in May - he booted out Pochettino's PSG - which is Nice's first final appearance in 25 years. It's a competition he previously won with St Etienne in 2013 when he ended the club’s hunt for a first trophy in 32 years.

Galtier is tactically astute, meticulous, methodical, and a fine man-manager who has been successful everywhere he’s been and is surely destined to manage one of the continent's elite clubs in the near future, or even the France national team.

At 40/1 he certainly represents a very juicy outsider for United.

Southampton are enjoying a superb purple patch at the moment, which once again brings the excellent coaching credentials of Ralph Hasenhuttl into the spotlight.

The Austrian currently has the Saints 9th in the table following a run of one defeat in 10 games, while he's unbeaten in six matches against Man Utd, Man City, and Tottenham this season.

Everyone knows about the two infamous 9-0s, but there’s a reason Southampton stuck with Hasenhuttl through the difficult times. He’s a very good manager; a ball of passion and energy on the touchline who kicks every ball and even got his side top of the table last season.

Despite losing Danny Ings and half of his defence in the summer, on limited resources he’s moulded together a talented, young, cohesive side who at their peak are both brilliant and entertaining. 

The way he’s integrated young guns Tino Livramento and Armando Broja into the first team has been admirable, his patient approach has worked wonders with centre-back Mohammed Salisu, while he continues to squeeze the best out of consistent performers James Ward-Prowe, Stuart Armstrong, Kyle Walker-Peters, and Oriol Romeu.

He's ability to stamp an identity and distinct style play is surely attractive for a confused and directionless Man Utd, who have no idea what they are right now.

There are concerns over whether Hasenhuttl has an appetite for management after 2024 - given his comments in a recent interview - while switching Southampton for Man Utd is obviously a huge step up in terms of expectation, pressure, talent, and the management of egos.

However, the Premier League’s fifth longest-serving manager has more than proven himself in England’s top-flight, is frequently been tipped for a move to a top-6 club, and has experience of challenging for a major European league title before having managed RB Leipzig, where he worked with United's interim boss Ralf Rangnick who could well have a big say in the club's next manager hunt...

Staying in the Premier League, we bring you Brighton boss Graham Potter, a name we’ve all become accustomed to seeing linked with the top teams over the last year or so.

Potter has so far enjoyed a varied and unorthodox journey in management, one that’s shaped the Englishman into one of the most exciting prospects in the country. He’s not been gifted anything but grafted his way up through hard work, tactical nous, and self-belief.

Over in Sweden he memorably propelled Ostersunds to three promotions into the top-flight, lifted the cup, and enjoyed a voyage into Europe. He then spent a season at Swansea in the Championship, which caught the attention of Brighton, whom he’s evolved into a very watchable possession-based outfit, who are no longer battling to stay in the Premier League but striving for a top-10 finish.

It’s often easy to get carried away when a promising young English manager starts to receive widespread applaudits, but with Potter you get the sense that he could be on the cusp of greatness should he be given the right opportunity in his next step up the managerial ladder.

Scroll down for the full next Man Utd manager market...