by Ruud van Nistelrooy is set to take over at Manchester United if Erik ten Hag is sacked.
Ten Hag are under increasing pressure and a defeat at Aston Villa on Sunday would leave the beleaguered Dutchman on the brink.
Former United striker Van Nistelrooy is part of the coaching staff at Old Trafford and the Mirror reports that he “will be offered the job on an interim basis if Ten Hag is sacked”.
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But Van Nistelrooy reportedly fears being seen as a betrayal by Ten Hag, who brought him back to United this summer as part of their backroom team.
The report states that Van Nistelrooy “does not want to be presented as an opportunist”.
After last weekend’s chaotic 3-0 defeat to Tottenham, following a poor start to the season, Ten Hag is under real pressure at United.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe this week refused to publicly back Ten Hag as his future hangs in the balance.
Ratcliffe, a minority co-owner of Old Trafford, is expected to be at Villa Park amid United’s growing concerns over results and performances.
When asked in a BBC interview on Friday whether he retained his faith in Ten Hag, Ratcliffe was not drawn.
“I don’t want to answer that question,” he said. “I love Erik. I think he’s a very good manager, but ultimately it’s not my decision, it’s the management team that runs Manchester United who have to decide how best to manage the team at in many respects.
Any decisions regarding Ten Hag will be made by general manager Omar Berrada, sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox.
