Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Manchester United manager latest: Laurent Blanc a contender to beat Jose Mourinho and replace Louis van Gaal

Blanc faces an uncertain future at PSG after the French league champions made an approach to Mourinho

Jack de Menezes

Tuesday 26 April 2016 07:49 BST

Laurent Blanc has emerged as a shock contender to replace Louis van Gaal at Manchester United (Getty)

Former Manchester United defender Laurent Blanc has emerged as a surprise candidate to replace Louis van Gaal if the club decide to axe their manager in the summer and avoid appointing Jose Mourinho.

Blanc’s future at Paris Saint-Germain is in question due to their Champions League exit at the hands of Manchester City during this month’s quarter-finals, and an approach is already believed to have been made to Mourinho in the hope of bringing the Portuguese to the French capital.

Mourinho is expected to replace Van Gaal at United if the Dutchman fails to win the FA Cup final – where United will face Crystal Palace – and finish in the top four to ensure United remain in the Champions League next season. But one concern at Old Trafford is that Mourinho will want to appoint his own backroom staff, and it could bring an end to the relationship between the club and their former player-turned assistant manager Ryan Giggs, which has spanned the last 28 years.

According to The Sun, United still wish to appoint Giggs as manager in the future and do not want him to leave the club, and the revelation that PSG are looking to replace the 50-year-old Frenchman has triggered a wave of support for him to be appointed as Van Gaal’s successor.

Blanc replaced Carlo Ancelotti at PSG in 2013 and has won three straight Ligue 1 titles – claiming this season’s championship by a record margin – but the Parisians failure to improve performances in Europe and win the Champions League has not gone down well with the club’s Qatari owners.

Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Show all 10

1/10Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Michael Carrick

The Old Trafford career of Manchester United’s second longest-serving player is coming to an end. Last year’s decision to hand him a one-year extension was questionable, this year it would be unjustified. It’s time to call it a day.

Getty

Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

One of the quieter disappointments of Louis van Gaal’s tenure. Rojo has rarely, if ever, put in an above-average performance and cost his team too often. A tournament-inspired signing if ever there was one and likely to go out the door with his manager, who has also disappointed after an eye-catching World Cup.

Getty

Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Memphis Depay

His season has been, to put it in the kindest terms, ‘mercurial’. Brief, perhaps very brief, glimpses at his talent have been outweighed by truly anaemic, gutless performances. His youth should be enough to dissuade the club’s hierarchy from cashing in but Depay will need to show a serious volte-face in his second season to turn his Old Trafford fortunes around.

Getty

Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Juan Mata

In truth, if Jose Mourinho takes over at Old Trafford as expected, there may be little that the Spaniard can do to convince his new manager that he should be kept on. His fate, in that sense, may be sealed. Nevertheless, Mata can hardly claim to have fully established himself at Old Trafford and still has a number of doubters. A few weeks in his preferred no. 10 role could do him a world of good.

Getty

Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Marouane Fellaini

Quite easily the most unpopular man at Old Trafford on any given matchday and this season, that’s saying something. He wants to do well, that’s clear, but he simply does not have the requisite technical quality and tries to make up for it by elbowing people. His time’s up.

Getty

Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Paddy McNair

Alongside Tyler Blackett, McNair provides the stand-out argument against those who uncritically praise Van Gaal’s promotion of youth. Sadly he, nor Blackett, are good enough and should not have been relied upon so much at points during the Dutchman’s first season. In truth, both may have already made their last appearances for United.

Getty

Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Cameron Borthwick-Jackson

Surprisingly, the young full-back still has not been tied down to a long-term contract, despite his impressive performances since breaking into the side. Talks are understood to have begun but Borthwick-Jackson’s contract expires in June and his future won’t be certain until the dotted line is signed.

Getty

Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Antonio Valencia

His brilliant 2011/12 campaign established him as a firm favourite among supporters but his surrender of the no. 7 shirt the year after marked him as a player who sometimes struggles with a weight of expectation on his shoulders. Ever since, he’s been a figure on the fringes and only on the odd occasions that he’s fit. Sell up before his contract expires next year.

Getty

Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Adnan Januzaj

Packed off on loan to Borussia Dortmund, sent back early after starting just three times and just two substitute appearances since his return. It’s all a far cry from having three football associations fight over your international allegiance. Where Januzaj goes next is unclear but he acts a forewarning to the likes of Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford – consistency, not just youthful exuberance, is needed to prosper at United.

Who is playing for their Man Utd future?

Andreas Pereira

The Belgian-born Brazilian has shown his talent at times but, like Januzaj, seems to be another academy product who’s stalling in the reserves while others prosper. He needs with a loan move to gain competitive minutes, perhaps on the continent, or he risks complete stagnation.

Getty

Mourinho was already thought to have held off opposition from Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino as well as Giggs in the race to be the next United manager, but the latest twist could yet see him miss out on the job he has courted since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. Ferguson was one of those who, along with Sir Bobby Charlton, opposed Mourinho’s appointment in favour of Giggs. However, the two are believed to have lowered their defences and accepted that Mourinho is currently the best option to build the club back to the dominant force it was under Ferguson.

Jose Mourinho has received an official approach from PSG (Getty)

United want to keep Giggs at the club (Getty)

Blanc made 75 appearances for United across two seasons, helping the cub secure the Premier League title in 2002/03 before retiring and eventually going into management with Bordeaux in 2007 and the French national team in 2010.

Jose Mourinho shakes head when asked about Man Utd job

As well as United, Blanc played for Inter Milan, Marseille and Barcelona, having made his name at Montpellier where he came through their academy before spending eight years as a key figure in their first team.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies