Julen Lopetegui 'in pole position to replace Erik ten Hag at Manchester United'

Julen Lopetegui is reportedly 'very well-placed' to become Manchester United's next head coach, with Erik ten Hag's position at the helm being called into question.

Man United crashed out of the Champions League on Tuesday evening, suffering a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich at Old Trafford, with the result leaving them at the bottom of Group A.

The loss was the team's 12th in all competitions this season, with seven of those coming in the Premier League, including a 3-0 reverse at home to Bournemouth last weekend.

The Red Devils are not believed to have any immediate plans to sack Ten Hag, with the Dutchman expected to remain in place until Sir Jim Ratcliffe's arrival as a minority shareholder of the club has been confirmed.

However, Ten Hag's long-term future is far from secure, with Man United expected to make a change in the second half of the season if the team's inconsistent form continues.

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Zinedine Zidane and Graham Potter are being heavily linked with the managerial role at the club, but according to Relevo, Lopetegui is currently in pole position to become the team's next head coach.

The report claims that Lopetegui rejected a huge offer from Saudi Arabia last month, as he wants another coaching position in England, with Nottingham Forest also linked with him.

The 57-year-old allegedly views Man United as the 'perfect fit' for him, and senior members of the board are admirers of his work in Spain, Portugal and England.

Lopetegui managed Porto between 2014 and 2016 before taking charge of Spain, leading the national team until 2018, when he was appointed head coach of Real Madrid.

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The Spaniard only managed to win six of his 14 matches in charge of Los Blancos before being relieved of his duties in October 2018, but he rebuilt his reputation with Sevilla, boasting a record of 90 wins, 44 draws and 36 defeats during a successful spell at Estadio Ramon.

Lopetegui delivered the Europa League title during his time at Sevilla before taking charge of Wolverhampton Wanderers in November 2022, but he left Molineux ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.

Off-the-field problems relating to finances are believed to have seen Lopetegui, who led the English club to a 13th-place finish in 2022-23, walk away from Wolves before the start of the new season.

Lopetegui's experience of the Premier League and English communication skills have reportedly put him above Zidane when it comes to the pecking order of managerial targets for the club.

Ten Hag will again be under pressure to deliver a positive result when Man United resume their Premier League campaign away to Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.