Gareth Southgate dismisses Man Utd interest rumors

Gareth Southgate, the current England manager, declined to comment on rumors that he might be the next manager for Manchester United.

News broke earlier in the week, just as Kobbie Mainoo of United was added to the England lineup, that Southgate was the favored candidate for Sir Jim Ratcliffe, co-owner of Red Devils, to replace Erik ten Hag, the present manager, this summer.

Southgate's contract with England runs through the end of this year, and he disclosed recently that he has put all discussions about his future on hold till after Euro 2024, concentrating solely on the upcoming competition.

'I'm the England manager,' was his response to a press conference inquiry on Friday about alleged links to United. 'I have one task, and that is to deliver a European championship.

'Furthermore, Manchester United already has a manager. It's inappropriate to discuss rumors. As the president of the LMA [League Managers Association], I won't comment any further.'

Ratcliffe stated recently that he intends to alter the personnel hierarchy of United's executive team.

On the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club podcast, he said: 'That's the first step. The organization and structure have to be correct. Sir Alex Ferguson was the manager in the good old times.

'But today, we don't have managers—we have coaches. A coach would typically report to a sporting director, and the sporting director would report to the CEO. Where are recruitment and strategy positioned? You need to set up the structure properly and then staff it with the best in the field.'

Dan Ashworth, who is presently on gardening leave from Newcastle United, is Ratcliffe's first choice for United's new sporting director. The 53-year-old Ashworth has prior experience working with Southgate during his tenure at the FA.