Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho could be waiting for the club's new minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to make a decision about Erik ten Hag's future.
That's the opinion of former Premier League midfielder Patrik Berger amid the question on everyone around the club's minds: Will he be in charge next season? It's a polarising topic, with some saying that he's had his chance and that United's inconsistency across this season speaks for itself.
However, some will point out the injury crisis the squad has suffered through and the rather impressive nature of their fight for European football next season and that fifth-placed spot. Now six points behind Tottenham with four games remaining, and an FA Cup final against rivals Manchester City to contend later this month, Ten Hag's future hangs in the balance.
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The Red Devils might not have a choice in the matter though, with an ever-shortening list of candidates that could possibly replace Ten Hag. Thomas Tuchel, who is set to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season, is currently the bookies' favourites but with the Bundesliga club a much more appealing choice for a manager, United could find it hard to negotiate with anyone else potentially interested in both roles.
The likes of Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi, as well as former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane, are names that have been floated around but amidst Ralf Rangnick's rejection of Bayern this morning, their odds have been slashed in the race for that job.
Whilst Ten Hag's side have struggled this season, it's been a solid season for Sancho and company, who sit just five points behind a spot in the Champions League next season in fifth but could automatically qualify for the competition if they lift the trophy later this month. A 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their semi-final thanks to a first-half goal from Niclas Fullkrug meant that Edin Terzic's side have taken a huge step towards playing against either Bayern or Real Madrid at Wembley.
The English international has found five goal contributions in the 17 appearances he's made for Dortmund this season, including their only goal in a 4-1 defeat to RB Leipzig last week. However, Berger, who was speaking to BoyleSports about the latest Premier League odds, claims that Sancho could just be biding his time and waiting for the right moment to return to Old Trafford.
He said: "I don't know what went wrong at Manchester United, but there are a few players who have reportedly fallen out with the manager. If you don't play regularly enough for such a long period, it is obvious you need time to build your confidence and remember how to play well.
"Jadon Sancho has gone back to Dortmund but he is nowhere near the player that convinced Manchester United to pay all that money for him. I loved watching him play and I still think he is an exceptional footballer and an exceptional player.
"I think he is waiting to see who will be the next manager of Manchester United, because I don't think Erik ten Hag will be in charge next season. I think they will be looking for a new manager in the summer, which means Sancho might wait to see who is in charge before deciding his future. He will definitely do the pre-season with Manchester United in the summer though."
