Andrei Kanchelskis names the one manager he wants to replace Erik ten Hag

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Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is the man to ‘bring Manchester United back to the top’ if Erik ten Hag loses his job at the Premier League giants.

At least, that is the view of Andrei Kanchelskis, a two-time winner of England’s top flight under Sir Alex Ferguson in the 1990s.

In another world, Carlo Ancelotti could have followed in Ferguson’s Old Trafford footsteps after the legendary Scot hung up his hairdryer a decade ago.

Manchester United, of course, would end that season in seventh under David Moyes, while Ancelotti was swigging champagne from the bottle with the Champions League trophy under his arm.

Carlo Ancelotto mentioned as Ten Hag replacement

Ancelotti told Goal that he had been contacted by Ferguson about stepping into his shoes at the Red Devils. He may have accepted too, if he hadn’t already had a deal in place with Real Madrid.

Ten years on, Kanchelskis believes that United could do a lot worse than to pick up where Ferguson left off should Sir Jim Ratcliffe opt to make a change in the dugout following confirmation of INEOS’s 25 per cent takeover.

“Manchester United needs to change their coach,” Kanchelskis tells Sport24. “Ancelotti could bring them back to the top.”

Kanchelskis’ comments came before Manchester United held Liverpool to a goalless draw at Anfield. The Red Devils a team very much, well, United behind their head coach.

Manchester United boss is safe for new

Ten Hag’s job is unlikely to come under any serious threat until INEOS have their feet firmly planted underneath the desk, meanwhile, despite suggestions that Ratcliffe has already met with former Chelsea and Brighton coach – and one-time Nice target – Graham Potter.

“To put Graham Potter in the conversation is stretching it a little bit, or it should be. Maybe he’s got a busy agent!,” former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan tells talkSPORT (14 December, 12pm).

“He couldn’t cope with Chelsaa. You think he can cope with Man United? That problem? That tiger by the tail? It is still a beast of a football club, and the step up from Brighton to Chelsea was too much for him. It was the wrong decision (to go there).

“Yes, you can point to the problems the ownership model brings. But he still should have been able to produce a side of some significance.”