Why Thomas Tuchel talks with Man Utd broke down as interest 'reignited'

Manchester United is, just months after he allegedly held confidential discussions with co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Tuchel was a prime target for over the summer when it appeared Erik ten Hag might be leaving, but Ratcliffe and his team ultimately decided to stick with the Dutchman.

However, following United's worst ever start to a Premier League season, Ten Hag's position is once again under scrutiny, with Tuchel being lined up as a potential replacement, according to

Despite other candidates being admired by the club, Tuchel's current availability makes him an appealing choice, having left Bayern Munich at the end of last season despite a last-minute effort from the club to keep him.

It's unclear who else might be considered if United decide to part ways with Ten Hag, but it's known that Tuchel and the club were in touch as recently as this past summer. During these discussions, it's believed Tuchel outlined his plans for the club, including strategies to revitalise players like Mason Mount and Jadon Sancho.

However, no agreement was reached, with reporting that Tuchel chose not to pursue further talks due to disagreements over the club's transfer policy.

Ratcliffe, accompanied by top officials including CEO Omar Berrada and the newly appointed sporting director Dan Ashworth, witnessed a disappointing 0-0 result at Aston Villa on Sunday. The stalemate leaves United with a paltry two victories from the first seven league games, settling them uncomfortably at 14th in the Premier League table.

When the BBC prodded Ratcliffe for his confidence levels in Ten Hag last Friday, he dodged the query, stating, "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 call, it's the management team that's running Manchester United that have to decide how we best run the team in many different respects.

"But that team that's running Manchester United has only been together since June or July. They weren't there in January, February, March or April [CEO] Omar [Berrada], [Sporting Director] Dan Ashworth - they only arrived in July.

"They've only been there...you can count it in weeks almost - they've not been there a long time so they need to take stock and make some sensible decisions. Our objective is very clear - we want to take Manchester United back to where it should be, and it's not there yet, obviously - that's very clear."