Manchester United and Chelsea face a possible battle for their new head coach after Sky Sports News learned that United officials have met with representatives of Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna.
It is now clear that both Man Utd and Chelsea have McKenna on their shortlist of possible candidates – even though United have yet to decide whether to stick with Erik ten Hag next season.
McKenna is one of three names being considered by Chelsea to replace Mauricio Pochettino who left by mutual consent earlier this week, alongside Brentford’s Thomas Frank and Leicester City’s Enzo Maresca.
But the news that Manchester United have made initial approaches to McKenna too, in case they decide to change their manager after this weekend’s FA Cup Final, has added a complex new dimension to the situation.
Should United lose to Manchester City at Wembley, there would be no European football at Old Trafford next season, after an eighth-placed finish in the Premier League.
Sky Sports News has been told that McKenna’s representatives met with the new Manchester United chief executive Omar Berrada and technical director Jason Wilcox last week, where the prospect of him taking over the first team was discussed.
Ten Hag said recently he is confident “common sense” will prevail when his bosses decide whether to keep him on as manager.
Manchester United declined to comment when contacted by Sky Sports News.
Meanwhile, SSN understands Ipswich want McKenna to stay and lead the club on their return to the Premier League.
Chelsea appointment expected next week | Frank, Maresca, McKenna in frame
Chelsea are on the hunt for a new boss and are expected to appoint a new head coach by the end of next week.
The leading candidates are Frank, Maresca and McKenna. All three men are seen as having the right attributes for the job. Frank is admired for the job he has done at Brentford, McKenna for his achievements at Ipswich Town and his coaching experience at Manchester United.
Leicester manager Maresca appeals particularly because of his style of play, and like Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, he worked with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
There is also a high-profile mystery name who is under consideration to take over from Mauricio Pochettino. Chelsea have also looked at a small number of other names including Sebastian Hoeness – the Stuttgart manager – and Roberto De Zerbi.
The new Chelsea head coach will sign a contract that will be longer than the two-year deal Pochettino accepted last summer.
Chelsea co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart are working on drawing up a final shortlist of recommended candidates. The final decision on the new head coach will be made by the Chelsea ownership group, which includes co-owners Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly.