Manchester United have reportedly come to a decision on whether they will pursue Gareth Southgate if things go awry under Erik ten Hag at the start of next season.
The former England head coach is officially on the managerial market after ending an eight-year spell as Three Lions head coach, where he led the nation to two Euros finals and a World Cup semi-final.
However, Southgate failed in his mission to win England's first trophy in senior men's football since the 1966 World Cup, suffering Euros heartbreak to Italy in 2020 and Spain earlier this month.
Just two days after England suffered a 2-1 loss to Spain in Berlin, Southgate announced that he was ceding control of the England reins, triggering a media frenzy over who could succeed him.
While Southgate was in the final months of his England tenure, speculation raged that he could potentially replace Ten Hag at Man United when it appeared that the Dutchman would be given the boot this summer.
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Man United 'highly unlikely' to pursue Southgate
Ten Hag led Man United to their worst-ever Premier League finish last season and also oversaw a disastrous Champions League campaign, where the Red Devils finished bottom of their group.
However, the 20-time English champions upset Manchester City 2-1 to win the FA Cup, and following talks with Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS team, Ten Hag was ultimately given a contract extension.
As a result, the Daily Mail claims that Man United are 'highly unlikely' to make a move for Southgate as their new head coach, even if they endure a horrendous start to the 2024-25 campaign.
The powers-that-be at Old Trafford are supposedly throwing all their weight behind the ex-Ajax boss, whom they have supported in the transfer market with the captures of Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee.
Furthermore, even if Ratcliffe did decide to bite the bullet and fire Ten Hag, Southgate is supposedly not even the primary candidate to succeed him; that honour belongs to Thomas Tuchel.
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Tuchel - who left Bayern Munich this summer - spoke with the Man United hierarchy earlier this year, but he came to the conclusion that he needed a complete break from management for a while.
Who could replace Southgate as England boss?
While it is far from clear where Southgate could end up after ending his England career, the FA are not short of candidates to replace him, as they stressed when posting the head coach vacancy on their official website.
Former Chelsea managers Mauricio Pochettino and Graham Potter are said to be two of the top contenders, as is Newcastle United's Eddie Howe, but the Magpies have no intention of parting ways with him.
Under-21s boss Lee Carsley could also earn promotion to the senior role and therefore follow the same path as Southgate, and it has also been suggested that the FA could wait for Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola to become available.
The ex-Barcelona coach is expected to leave the Premier League champions when his deal runs out in 2025, and the governing body may choose to appoint an interim boss - potentially Carsley - for the next year before pursuing Guardiola.
Ben Knapton
