Fulham’s Marco Silva has caught Manchester United’s attention as they intensify their hunt for a new manager to take the reins from the recently ousted Erik ten Hag. Ten Hag’s tenure at Old Trafford came to an abrupt end on Monday, following a string of disappointing results, capped by Sunday’s 2-1 loss at West Ham.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos group pulled the plug, leaving United languishing in 14th place in the league standings. The club officially stated: “Erik ten Hag has left his role as Manchester United men’s first-team manager. Erik was appointed in April 2022 and led the club to two domestic trophies, winning the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024. We are grateful to Erik for everything he has done during his time with us and wish him well for the future.”
With Wednesday’s Carabao Cup clash against Leicester on the horizon, Ruud van Nistelrooy steps in as interim boss, while the Red Devils scramble to secure a full-time chief. Ruben Amorim is reportedly leading the charge for the permanent position, with reports from the Manchester Evening News suggesting a deal to bring him over from Sporting CP is close to being finalised.
United are still ironing out compensation details with Sporting, while Amorim remains a possible candidate for Manchester City, should Guardiola take his leave next year. Nevertheless, with the City job potentially tantalising for Amorim, United have Marco Silva in their sights as a high-calibre contingency plan.
According to respected football journalist, Guillem Balague, United have ‘approached’ Marco Silva. The Portuguese manager has done a sterling job at Fulham since his appointment in the summer of 2021, leading them to promotion from the Championship and establishing them as a solid Premier League side.
Silva was reportedly on United’s radar to replace Erik ten Hag over the summer, but Ineos opted to retain the 54-year-old and offered him a new one-year extension.
However, this decision seems to have backfired, with United off to a disastrous start to the season, securing just four victories in their first 13 games across all competitions. Meanwhile, Fulham are currently outperforming the Reds in the league standings.
United are set to take on Leicester in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday before welcoming Chelsea to Old Trafford for a Premier League clash this weekend.
