Manchester United given green light to appoint Graham Potter, following ex-Chelsea boss's talks over next role: report
Manchester United are poised to make a managerial switch at the end of this season, following a poor campaign under Erik ten Hag
![Manchester United target Graham Potter during Chelsea's 2-0 loss at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League in April 2023.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7SyByBPf7mNmehTXFqKs4n-810-80.jpg)
Manchester United have been given a clear pathway to appoint Graham Potter as their next manager.
Incumbent Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag still has an uncertain future at Old Trafford after a poor season. Manchester United crashed out of the group stage of the Champions League and have been way off the pace in the Premier League, drifting below the Champions League spots.
Following another drab performance against Liverpool, however, United's future in the dugout might look a little clearer, with target Graham Potter looking like a major option to succeed Ten Hag.
As widely reported and relayed by Sky Sports News, the former Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea boss has turned down the opportunity of his next post being in the Eredivisie with Ajax.
The four-time European champions are also having a poor season and at the weekend, lost 6-0 to rivals, Feyenoord. Sky also reported that Potter rejected the opportunity to return to management when he spurned Lyon's advances.
This has provided United with the perfect opportunity to hire the 48-year-old, who was last month pictured with incoming Red Devils chief, Dan Ashworth, as rumoured continue to circulate that United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is a fan of Potter.
In FourFourTwo's view, Potter may well be lined up to replace Ten Hag this summer – whose return to Ajax seems incredibly likely – but the option of succeeding Gareth Southgate in the England job shouldn't be ruled out, either.
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Potter managed just 31 games at Stamford Bridge during his last coaching stint, though he recorded a higher percentage of wins with Chelsea than he did in his three years at Brighton.
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Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.