MU Approaches Xavi Amid Ten Hag's Uncertainty

Manchester United has reportedly made a surprising approach to Barcelona's former Barcelona coach, Xavi Hernandez, amid constant uncertainty over Erik ten Hag's future.

Despite successfully bringing Manchester United to a 2-1 win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final and winning a second trophy in two seasons at Old Trafford, Ten Hag's position is still far from safe.

Laporan sebelum final Piala FA menyatakan bahwa Sir Jim Ratcliffe berencana untuk memecat pelatih asal Belanda itu terlepas dari hasil di Wembley. Namun, hingga saat ini, Ten Hag masih menjabat.

Ten Hag, whose contract is one year remaining, has repeatedly confirmed that he is calm about the situation and suggested that INEOS plan a future with him as a coach.

However, after seeing Manchester United experience the worst season in the Premier League and being eliminated early from the Champions League, Ten Hag is allegedly not considered a long-term solution, and his consensus is that he will be sacked in the coming weeks.

As the Manchester United hierarchy sought a potential replacement, the US claimed that "very informal" contacts had been made with Xavi, who was sacked by Barcelona at the end of the 2023-24 season.

The La Liga winner initially revealed his plans to leave in January and insisted for months that he would not change his mind, just to then make a U-turn after speaking with president Joan Laporta.

A few weeks after Xavi's stay was confirmed, he angered Laporta with comments about the club's financial situation, leading to his dismissal and the appointment of Hansi Flick as his successor.

The report claims that Manchester United has contacted Xavi to inquire about its availability, although AC Milan and Ajax - who contacted in January following his resignation - are also interested.

In addition, the South Korean national team has reportedly offered Xavi the opportunity to lead the team at the 2026 World Cup, but their hopes and the three interested clubs are likely to be disappointed.

The report added that Xavi plans to follow Jurgen Klopp's strategy by taking a one-year leave before deciding on his next destination, thus closing Manchester United's chances of signing him as Ten Hag's direct replacement.

Chelsea are also linked with Xavi as a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino, but they are now close to recruiting Enzo Maresca from Leicester City.

Xavi was never considered a serious candidate for work at Manchester United, but this is different from Kieran McKenna of Ipswich Town, who has signed a new long-term contract with the Premier League promotion team.

On the other hand, England coach Gareth Southgate is believed to be at the top of Radcliffe's wish list, while speculation continues over the possibility of Thomas Tuchel taking over after his departure from Bayern Munich.

Contacts have reportedly been made with representatives Roberto De Zerbi, and Pochettino's name has also surfaced since the Argentine's surprise departure from Chelsea.