Gareth Southgate insists he has not had any conversations about succeeding Erik ten Hag as Manchester United boss this summer.
With Sir Jim Ratcliffe entering his first summer transfer window as co-owner, the INEOS chief executive has severed ties with Ten Hag after a poor season, leaving the Dutchman on the brink of overseeing United's lowest ever Premier League result. There have been multiple reports that Gareth Southgate is the ideal replacement, with some even claiming he is United's number one target, but the England boss insists his focus remains on this summer's European Championships.
He told Independent Television: "I'm not a gambler. They can lose money, but it's not a conversation with me. ”。“ I have one thing to focus on, and that is to play England as successfully as possible. Everything else is irrelevant to me. ”
Asked if he would be interested in returning to club management, Southgate stressed: "If I start talking about it, I'm already distracted by what I'm doing, so I think the country would expect me to focus on England and rightly so. ”
In another BBC interview, Southgate once again downplayed his association with Manchester United. "For me, it's not a problem, and it never has been," he stressed. ”。“ I have to put on a successful tournament for England. There's plenty of work to be done. ”。“ There's always speculation about the coach, because if you lose a few games, you're in trouble – you win a few games, it's a different agenda. ”
Southgate's contract with England runs until the end of 2024 and there have been reports that the English FA are keen to extend his contract, but Manchester United are likely to keep a close eye on any negotiations as they prepare to make a decision on Ten Hag's future this summer.