Thomas Tuchel might already have the ideal quartet in his mind that he would want to bring to Manchester United if he is hired.
Erik ten Hag is battling to save his job after a disappointing start to the season that has left them 14th in the Premier League with eight points from seven games.
It is the worst ever start to a Premier League season for the Red Devils, despite the fact they heavily backed Ten Hag over the summer after giving him a contract extension.
Nearly £200million was spent on signings including Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui but the team appear to have gone backwards.
Thomas Tuchel is currently unemployed and could join immediately
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United executives are meeting on Tuesday to discuss Ten Hag’s future and the decision could be made to sack him over the international break and give them time to bring in a replacement before the next round of Premier League fixtures commencing next week.
And one top name that has been looked at is former Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain boss Tuchel.
Tuchel has been out of a job since the summer after being axed by Bayern Munich last season as they missed out on the Bundesliga title.
Nevertheless, the German’s tactical acumen is still highly respected in England after leading Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2021 after replacing Frank Lampard.
The Blues beat Atletico Madrid, Porto and Real Madrid en route to the final before an excellent display downed Manchester City 1-0 at the Estadio do Dragao.
Hiring such a big-name coach might require some movement in the squad, however, to get the players that Tuchel would want.
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Ten Hag’s tactics are slightly similar to Tuchel’s, though lacking that killer instinct in front of goal – a problem that would need to be allayed should the German arrive at Old Trafford.
Big money has been spent on Rasmus Hojlund and Zirkzee, nearly £100m in fact, but neither are clinical goalscorers.
Both are young players and should be allowed to develop and Tuchel might opt for a tad more experience up top and Erik-Maxim Choupo-Moting is currently a free agent.
Once scorned as nothing more than a bit-part player at Stoke, the 35-year-old went on to become a valuable squad member at Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.
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Christian Pulisic has already been linked with United
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Zirkzee also works a lot better alongside a striker of Choupo-Moting’s ilk, playing off a player as a second option rather than trying to operate as the main man in isolation.
Another position United have struggled in is making chances from the flanks – Marcus Rashford is not a creator while Alejandro Garnacho might not be ready for a full season of first-team football.
AC Milan star Christian Pulisic has already been linked with United this year while Tuchel knows the player well from his time at Dortmund and Chelsea.
Signing a midfielder might be somewhat surprising after the arrival of Ugarte but more creativity is needed, despite Kobbie Mainoo’s impressive rise.
There is no doubting Bruno Fernandes is one of the most impressive playmakers in the Premier League but he needs a hand and Eberechi Eze is one player that United should be looking at.
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Eberechi Eze has been fantastic for Crystal Palace
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They missed out on Michael Olise at Crystal Palace, they cannot afford to miss out on another.
And finally, another player that Tuchel could look at is Jeremie Frimpong – who was also linked with the Red Devils over the summer.
The Dutchman opted to stay at Bayer Leverkusen but the interest in him has not faded and with United needing more attacking impetus from wide positions, Frimpong could be the ideal option.