Manchester United are reportedly eyeing up a surprise move for Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna, following his success helping the Suffolk side seal back-to-back promotions to the Championship and to the Premier League.
It comes as Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his leadership group are set to make a decision on the future of under-fire manager Erik ten Hag later this summer. Mail Sport understands that United will not part ways with the Dutchman ahead of their FA Cup final clash with rivals Manchester City on May 25.
Speculation is mounting that amid Ten Hag’s recent woes at United, with the Red Devils disappointingly having won just one of their last eight Premier League matches, and could now miss out on European football next season.
Several big names including the likes of Gareth Southgate and Thomas Tuchel have been linked with a move to succeed the Dutchman at Old Trafford. But according to The Guardian, United have also turned their attention to thier former coach, McKenna, with the outlet claiming ‘initial contact is believed to have been made between United and McKenna’s representatives.’
Their sources claim that it is still ‘early days’, but it is also understood that McKenna is highly thought of by Man United’s leadership team – and is ‘under serious consideration for the position’ should it come available.
McKenna could be a good fit for United, too, with the 39-year-old having previously spent five years honing his craft at Old Trafford.
The former midfielder worked as a scout before progressing to work as the team’s U18 head coach. In 2018, he was promoted to working as an assistant coach with the first team under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
But United may have to pay top dollar to prise McKenna away from his current club, after Ipswich had tied him down to a new contract last season that will expire in 2027.
With Ipswich, the Northern Irish coach, Ipswich sealed automatic promotion back to the Premier League last week, with their 2-0 victory against Huddersfield ending a 22-year absence from the top-flight.
The Tractor Boys only lost six games on their route to the first division – the least of any side in the Championship this season and another credit to the 38-year-old’s managerial brilliance.
Several other top clubs, including Brighton and Crystal Palace, have previously shown a keen interest in the manager, per The Guardian, who claim that the Eagles had tabled an offer for McKenna to take over from Roy Hodgson at Selhurst Park earlier this season.
Ten Hag, meanwhile, faces an uncertain future at Man United, with his side having suffered back-to-back defeats vs Crystal Palace and Arsenal.
According to reports from The Telegraph, Ratcliffe will instruct his leadership team of interim executive Jean-Claude Blanc, incoming CEO Omar Berarda and technical director Jason Wilcox to assess Ten Hag’s suitability for the role over the coming weeks.
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