Manchester United have reportedly identified a former Premier League manager as a potential replacement for Erik ten Hag, according to reports.

Ten Hag’s position at United remains in doubt following the club’s worst ever start to a Premier League campaign.

It is claimed that United have already contacted one of their top candidates to succeed Ten Hag, should they choose to part ways with him.

The manager is said to be 'definitely' ready to take over at Old Trafford should the opportunity arise.

United's senior executives, including minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, held a meeting this week, with Ten Hag’s future believed to be among the topics discussed.

As reported by Christian Falk, United are considering appointing Thomas Tuchel if they decide to dispense with Ten Hag.

Tuchel has been out of a job since leaving Bayern Munich at the end of last season, and he would be open to taking on the role at United after a period of rest.

During his tenure at Bayern, Tuchel led the team to a Bundesliga title in the 2022-23 season, although the German giants missed out on further silverware in the last campaign.

Before managing Bayern Munich, Tuchel was in charge at Chelsea from January 2021 to September 2022, where he secured the Champions League title in 2021, defeating Manchester City in the final.

Earlier in his career, Tuchel also had stints managing Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain.

Ten Hag is expected to remain in charge for United’s next fixture at home to Brentford on 19 October, but he can ill afford further slip-ups.

More than two years into his reign, United continue to struggle with consistency and lack a clear identity on the pitch.

According to The Telegraph, Ten Hag would receive approximately £14 million in compensation if he were to be dismissed by United.

The club reportedly considered replacing Ten Hag at the end of last season but opted to back him following their FA Cup triumph, extending his contract until the summer of 2026.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, when asked last week whether he still has confidence in Ten Hag, declined to offer public support.

Ratcliffe told the BBC: ‘I don’t want to answer that question. I like Erik. I think he’s a very good coach, but at the end of the day, it’s not my decision. The management team at Manchester United are responsible for deciding how best to run the club in various respects.’