Manchester United 'identify relegation-battling Premier League boss as next manager'

Manchester United reportedly view Brentford head coach Thomas Frank as their leading managerial target, should Erik ten Hag be relieved of his duties at the end of the campaign.

Ten Hag has not been given assurances over his Man United future by the club's incoming minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe, and there remains a host of speculation surrounding his future.

The Red Devils are battling for the FA Cup this season, with the team preparing to take on Championship outfit Coventry City in the semi-finals towards the end of next month.

Meanwhile, the 20-time English champions remain in the argument to secure Champions League football for next season, currently sitting sixth in the Premier League table, six points behind fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur and nine from fourth-placed Aston Villa, who have played a game more.

Ten Hag's future remains the subject of much speculation, though, and there could be a change in the dug-out at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.

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England boss Gareth Southgate is currently being strongly linked with the position, while ex-Chelsea head coach Graham Potter is also seemingly in the frame.

However, according to FootballTransfers, Man United, who are back in Premier League action on Saturday against Brentford, have identified Frank as their main target.

The report claims that Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is viewed as the dream target, but the club have accepted that the Italian is out of reach, as he has just signed a new deal at Bernabeu.

Frank has therefore been earmarked to potentially take over from Ten Hag, having performed an impressive job at Brentford since taking charge of the Bees in October 2018.

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The 50-year-old was the head coach of Denmark Under-16s, Denmark Under-17s and Denmark Under-19s before taking charge of Brondby in 2013, and he spent three years with the Danish giants.

Frank arrived at Brentford in late 2018, and he has taken charge of 265 matches for the club, boasting a record of 111 wins, 64 draws and 90 defeats.

The West London outfit earned promotion from the Championship in 2020-21 and have impressed in their two Premier League seasons, finishing 13th and ninth respectively.

Brentford are locked in a battle for survival this season, though, as a total of 26 points from 29 matches has left them 15th in the table, just five points outside of the relegation zone.

The Bees will be bidding to post their first Premier League victory since February 10 when they welcome Man United to the Brentford Community Stadium on Saturday night.