Man Utd 'turned down' by Erik ten Hag replacement as embarrassing situation continues

Manchester United reportedly approached Stuttgart boss Sebastian Hoeness over the summer about potentially replacing Erik ten Hag.

Despite a turbulent 2023-24 season that concluded with an FA Cup victory, speculation was rife that Ten Hag could be shown the door, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe even holding talks with former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel about the role.

However, United's top brass decided to stick with Ten Hag, extending his contract until 2026 and backing him with a hefty budget in the transfer market. This decision-making process has since been criticized, particularly given United's poor start to the current season, which includes crushing 3-0 home losses to Liverpool and Tottenham.

Now, German publication Bild has suggested that Hoeness was another managerial target for United, alongside Tuchel. The report claims United even enquired if he would be interested in the job.

However, Hoeness reportedly turned down the opportunity, choosing to remain at Stuttgart following their impressive Bundesliga campaign last year, which saw them finish second behind champions Bayer Leverkusen and secure a Champions League spot.

Before Hoeness took the reins at Stuttgart last year, they were often battling relegation. However, he managed to save them from the drop at the end of the 2022-23 season, with a crucial win over Hamburg in the relegation play-off.

Hoeness, who spent the majority of his playing career as an attacking midfielder for Hertha Berlin, began his managerial journey with Bayern Munich II. He then moved on to Hoffenheim for two years, where he secured a respectable ninth-place finish in the 2021-22 season.

For now, Ten Hag will continue his tenure as United boss, having seemingly survived a seven-hour crisis meeting chaired by Ratcliffe during the international break.

The ex-Ajax manager has consistently maintained that he has the support of United's leadership team and is gearing up for a crucial home game against Brentford on October 19.

His last two outings resulted in a goalless draw at Aston Villa and a 3-3 stalemate at Porto, where United squandered a 2-0 lead in the Europa League encounter.