Will the former Real Madrid coach lead Manchester United? He turned down a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia, could replace Erik ten Hag

Manchester United, a respected big club a few years ago, is now the target of criticism and ridicule. Even club legends are taking a swipe at it, and it’s little wonder. The money spent on reinforcements is virtually nowhere to be seen. So it is no surprise that there is speculation about who will replace coach Erik ten Hag. Will his successor be a former Real Madrid coach?

The Red Devils have a coat of shame. They were officially knocked out of the Champions League on Tuesday. And they’ve set two negative records. Firstly, they were the first English club to concede 15 goals in the group stage and secondly, they are the only English team to finish last twice in the group stage.

In November, it seemed that better times were beginning to dawn as results were relatively good, with Erik ten Hag becoming the best coach in the Premier League and Harry Maguire the best player for a change. However, as soon as December started, everything started to fall apart again.

One can mention the relatively large squad, but considering that the team has not been doing very well all season and that Manchester United again squandered a lot of money on transfers before the start of the season, that is simply not an adequate excuse.

So Erik ten Hag is once again under fire from critics and once again finds himself under a lot of pressure. After the performance against Bayern, club legend Rio Ferdinand, for example, has leaned on his team. There is already speculation in the foreign media about who will replace the Dutch coach.

Will the former Real Madrid coach lead Manchester United?

Spanish newspaper Relevo came up with an interesting speculation on Wednesday afternoon. If Erik ten Hag is sacked, Manchester United could consider engaging the former Real Madrid, Spanish national team, Sevilla or Wolves coach.

Julen Lopetegui is said to have a very decent chance of becoming the Red Devils’ next coach. It’s worth noting that he has been linked with a stint in Saudi Arabia, however, he turned down a generous offer of £15.5 million a year.

The reason was simple. He wanted to continue in England after his stint at Wolves and was waiting for the right offer. In fact, he had settled in the Isles and was still living in the UK. He has been out of contract since August.

Lopetegui did a decent job at Wolverhampton, and that’s what he’s regarded for at Old Trafford. However, he left the club after he and the management agreed that they had differences of opinion on some things and the best solution would be to part ways.

Manchester United take on Premier League leaders Liverpool in the North-West derby on Sunday. Another defeat could again have a big impact on deciding whether the Hag still has something to give the team.

Source: Relevo, Transfermarkt