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Manchester United are unbeaten so far in the New Year but their record could be in danger following another spate of injuries.
Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw are both sidelined for the foreseeable future and their absence will be a huge blow for Erik ten Hag.
That was not all as news broke of in-form Rasmus Hojlund suffering a muscle injury that will keep him out for a couple of weeks and fans are fearing the team will lose its momentum enroute to Champions League qualification.
The Red Devils, who are currently sixth, are three points behind Aston Villa and five behind Tottenham Hotspur and new minority stakeholders INEOS are desperate to see the side finish in the top four.
EtH’s position at risk
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has expressed his confidence in the Dutchman for now but if results do not go the club’s way and the aims are not achieved, there is a good chance a new manager might be brought in.
Links have emerged with the likes of Graham Potter, Julen Lopetegui, Roberto de Zerbi and Francesco Farioli while Thomas Tuchel has also expressed his interest in the job.
Sports Zone have now claimed Julian Nagelsmann is relishing the prospect of replacing Ten Hag with INEOS big fans of the German’s managerial acumen.
“Julian Nagelsmann has been relishing the idea of coaching Manchester United since last summer.
“The German coach is also one of INEOS’ priority targets for the renewal of the Mancunian project,” they wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
⚡️FLASH ZONE ⚽️
Julian Nagelsmann apprécie l’idée d’entraîner Manchester United depuis l’été dernier. 🇩🇪✨
▫️Le sélectionneur allemand est également l’une des cibles prioritaires d’INEOS pour le renouveau du projet Mancunien. 🔴🔱 https://t.co/c8MTIDctel pic.twitter.com/tdY1M88HGa
— SPORTS ZONE (@SportsZone__) February 23, 2024
The 36-year-old was regarded as one of the brightest young coaches in Europe when he was at the helm of RB Leipzig with the club playing some of the most entertaining football on the continent.
Nagelsmann wants United job
He was soon snapped up by Bayern Munich for a world-record managerial fee and he won the Bundesliga and two DFL-Supercups but was sacked the following season with his team only a point behind Borussia Dortmund.
Now he is managing the German national team and has been described as a “mastermind” by Sky Sports. He is expected to lead them in the upcoming Euros and after that, a move to Old Trafford could be on the horizon.
Fans would love to see Ten Hag continue at Old Trafford but the manager’s tactical choices have been a major let-down with the team conceding control of the midfield time and again.
INEOS have a huge call to take in the summer and a lot will depend on how the team ends the current campaign.