MANCHESTER UNITED’S new manager must adhere to strict rules that could put potential candidates off the post.
Bumbling Red Devils chiefs are yet to officially dismiss Erik ten Hag as they try to agree on a successor.
Kieran McKenna, Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel, Gareth Southgate, Thomas Frank and Graham Potter all remain in the frame to take the reins at Old Trafford this summer.
But United’s hierarchy were rocked by fan support for current incumbent Ten Hag following his FA Cup final triumph over Manchester City on Saturday.
Whoever gets to sit in the hot seat will have to agree to several rules which Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his close aides believe will take the club forward.
It includes any new boss coming into line with a style of play blueprint that will be enforced on all levels of the club — and set out by new technical director Jason Wilcox.
New co-owner Ratcliffe wants the new manager to agree to a recruitment model based on bringing in five new players under the age of 25 this summer to build a fitter, stronger and faster team.
The Ineos chief wants to find gems that will shine for United in the future rather than splashing cash on Galacticos.
Ratcliffe made his intentions clear about staying clear of top-dollar auctions by rejecting any chance of bidding for Kylian Mbappe when the France World Cup winner announced he was leaving Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season.
United have splurged around £1.5billion on new players since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
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But they have only gone backwards in that time, their eighth-place league finish under Ten Hag this term their worst in 34 years.
Ratcliffe has appointed a new CEO Omar Berrada, poached from Manchester City. Dan Ashworth is being prised from Newcastle to become the sporting director.
And Wilcox is already in position as technical director, having moved from a similar role at Southampton.
Another directive from the top will see the manager only asked what positions he would like to see United recruit in.
The new Old Trafford chiefs will then find three candidates for that role who fit in with the model of player and team they want.
The manager will then have the pick of one of those three.
Ten Hag has flown out on holiday without the club having made any statement about his future.
The 54-year-old Dutchman landed his second trophy in two seasons at the weekend.
That stunning 2-1 win over Pep Guardiola’s champions beneath the Arch added to the Carabao Cup he won last season.
Ten Hag left Wembley with a stern message for Ratcliffe, pledging that if he no longer wanted him he would “go somewhere else to win trophies”.
United’s official line is that they are now conducting a review of the season before making any decisions.
That is despite the fact Ten Hag revealed a review had already taken place.
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