Manchester United are reportedly putting plans in place if they are forced to sack head coach Erik ten Hag.
The Dutchman's position as manager is not believed to be under any immediate threat despite the team losing eight of their opening 15 matches in all competitions this season.
The Red Devils recently posted three straight wins over Brentford, Sheffield United and Copenhagen, but they have lost their last two, both at home and both 3-0, to Manchester City and Newcastle United in the Premier League and EFL Cup respectively.
Some Man United players are believed to be losing faith in Ten Hag, and the club could be forced to act if the losses continue to arrive in the coming weeks.
According to Fichajes, Unai Emery's excellent work at Aston Villa has put him in contention for the role, while Julen Lopetegui has also been identified as a possible replacement for the current head coach.
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Lopetegui is currently without a position, having left Wolverhampton Wanderers just before the start of the 2023-24 Premier League campaign.
The club's financial situation is believed to have played a leading role in his exit, but the 57-year-old is still highly-regarded as a manager, having been in charge of the likes of Porto, Spain, Real Madrid and Sevilla.
Lopetegui would be ready to replace Ten Hag immediately, but Villa would resist any approach for Emery due to his excellent work at the helm.
The 51-year-old found it difficult to make his mark in his first spell in the Premier League with Arsenal between May 2018 and November 2019, but he rebuilt his reputation at Villarreal before taking charge of Villa last November, boasting a record of 26 wins, five draws and 12 losses from 43 games at the helm.
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Villa, who have won five of their last six matches, are currently fifth in the Premier League table, one point behind fourth-placed Liverpool, while they are second in their Europa Conference League section.
Emery's impressive CV also includes four Europa League titles, while he won seven trophies during his time in charge of Paris Saint-Germain, including Ligue 1.
Man United will be aiming to bounce back from their two home defeats when they resume their Premier League campaign away to Fulham on Saturday afternoon.
Ten Hag insisted after the clash with Newcastle that he can turn the team's form around, with three huge games to come against Fulham, Copenhagen and Luton Town before the November international break.
Matt Law
