Manchester United would consider putting Ruud van Nistelrooy in interim charge if they decide to fire Erik ten Hag.
As talkSPORT reported on Monday, Ten Hag is to remain in charge at least until Sunday’s trip to Aston Villa.
Van Nistelrooy could be in line for the United job should Erik ten Hag be relieved of his dutiesPA
But a repeat of last weekend’s sorry showing against Tottenham at Villa Park will leave the new Old Trafford hierarchy with a major decision to make heading into the international break.
While former England boss Gareth Southgate is likely to be a leading contender to replace Ten Hag, promoting assistant boss and club legend Van Nistelrooy as a short-term option has not been ruled out.
It was noticeable Van Nistelrooy, who rejected the manager’s job at Burnley to re-join Man United in the summer, was far less visible on the touchline during the Spurs debacle than he had been in previous matches.
Senior United sources insist the board are calm about the situation, but the expectation within the dressing room is that a change will be made unless results improve quickly.
He’s a Gunner
Arsenal are hopeful of getting teenage prodigy Ethan Nwaneri tied down to a long-term contract.
Nwaneri was handed his debut by Mikel Arteta aged just 15, making him the Premier League’s youngest ever player.
The quicksilver 17-year-old is so highly-regarded by Arteta that when Arsenal were chasing a winning goal against Leicester on Saturday, he was called off the bench ahead of the more experienced Gabriel Jesus.
Enfield-born Nwaneri cannot sign a new deal until he turns 18 in March, but talks are already well underway and he is keen to commit to the Gunners.
Newcastle’s striker search
Newcastle are considering reviving their interest in Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin in January.
The Magpies have made numerous attempts to sign Calvert-Lewin, most recently this summer when they baulked at Everton’s £40million asking price.
Calvert-Lewin has two games and one assist in six starts for Everton in the Premier League this seasonGetty
However, the 27-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season so the Toffees valuation is expected to plummet when the transfer window re-opens in the New Year.
Eddie Howe remains a big fan of Calvert-Lewin and there is a concern Newcastle could be left short-handed in attack.
Hammers bust-up
West Ham sources have played down a dressing room altercation between manager Julen Lopetegui and winger Mohammed Kudus.
Kudus responded angrily after being singled out for criticism by Lopetegui before being hauled off at half-time during Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Brentford.
But the Spaniard, who has won only one of his first six Premier League games in charge, is understood to have been encouraged that the Ghanaian’s passionate reaction showed he cared.
West Ham were trailing 1-0 when Kudus was hooked and went on to rescue a much-needed point after their underwhelming start to the season.
