Manchester United are facing up to an unwanted problem – whatever decision they come to with regards to Erik ten Hag’s future. The Dutchman is facing pressure and his position remains under threat.

The club hierarchy are yet to make their thinking public knowledge. If Ten Hag is dismissed – as a result of another disappointing start to a season – United must appoint a new head coach and that call just has to be right.

The Manchester Evening News reported on Monday that ex-Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is being considered. The German is currently out of work after leaving Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich at the end of last season and is the most attractive profile on the market at the moment.

But what is the unwanted problem for United? If Ten Hag goes, a number of his signings will be left exposed by whoever replaces him. Antony and Lisandro Martinez signed from Ajax in 2022 before Andre Onana, who played under the Dutchman, touched down at Old Trafford a year later.

Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt, two members of the Ajax team that reached the Champions League semi-final in 2019 under Ten Hag, both moved to Old Trafford in the summer and both made references to their manager when completing their respective transfers.

United have shelled out almost £250million on those players. There’s no guarantee that Tuchel will like them, even though Mazraoui and De Ligt played for him at Bayern last season, and they could be dropped.

That’s one concern. However, there’s other investment who could finally unlock his potential in red.

Mason Mount was highly regarded by Tuchel during their time together at Chelsea. “He has the full package, mentally, in terms of talent and physically and the most important part is his character, he has his feet on the ground and he’s a nice guy,” said the former Chelsea manager.

Tuchel went on: “He comes to Cobham every day to learn something new and have new experiences. He’s the guy who can recover very fast, he’s a very physical player and is entirely adapted to Premier League football. He has big self confidence in a very, very positive way.

“It’s a pleasure to have him, be at his side and guide him and support him. It’s impressive, as he’s not affected by all the praise. This is maybe the most important part. He seems to be a guy who likes the sport, and feels an obligation to make the most out of it and he wants it absolutely badly, so it’s a top mix.”

Mount has also spoken highly of Tuchel, and his proposed appointment could be tempting for United. Reminiscing on the German’s first day at Chelsea, Mount added: “I remember we had a meeting in the morning. The week was a kind of whirlwind, it was crazy. It’s something I’ve never experienced before so you’re just trying to work out what’s the next step? What’s happening next? How’s the next day going to look?

“We had a meeting where he [Tuchel] put down everything that he wants us to do, how he wants us to play, how he likes to manage. He told us everything and then we went out and trained and we had a game the next day. So that was a crazy kind of turnaround but he was so clear on what he wanted and how he would like us to play, very clear on the roles and responsibilities, that it made it very easy for us to transition.

“From day one, as players we realised how he gives his game plan. It made it easy for us to go on to the pitch and do it. As a team, we are players who react off that and adapt very quickly. It made it easy and we want to play in these big games and win trophies. That has always been our goal and, since he has come in, he has pushed us and we have definitely had the opportunity to win big games and play in finals.”

Mount’s words could well be music to the ears of United and, perhaps, even himself on reflection.