Erik ten Hag could KO Ruben Amorim’s first Man Utd signing with axed boss tipped for immediate management return

RUBEN Amorim’s hopes of landing RB Leipzig’s David Raum may rest on the man he replaced at Old Trafford.

A new left-back is top of Amorim’s January wish list, and the £35 million-rated German international, 26, ticks every box.

But Manchester United’s new manager could face a major stumbling block if Marco Rose gets the bullet.

The Leipzig boss is on the brink after a string of poor results.

And Erik ten Hag – the man axed as United chief in October – is the hot tip to replace him.

There are mounting rumours that Ten Hag has already been sounded out to take over, which would see him linking up with Jurgen Klopp, now adviser to Red Bull-owned clubs.

If the Dutchman IS appointed, he will have a big say in transfer dealings, and is unlikely to sanction the sale of a key figure – especially to the employers who axed him.

Defeat to Aston Villa in Tuesday’s Champions League clash could spell the end for Rose, and open the door to Ten Hag’s return to management.

That would be bad news for Amorim, who is desperate for a left-sided defender after Luke Shaw’s latest injury blow.

Tyrell Malacia is only just back from his own long-term absence, and Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui have been forced to switch flanks and fill in.

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Raum, who has two-and-a-half years left on his contract, would be the ideal solution, even though United would prefer a loan with an option to buy in the summer.

Ten Hag was close to taking the Leipzig job before he moved to Old Trafford, and agent Kees Vos had even agreed a pay deal when he left Ajax.

United’s offer trumped that, but now the Dutchman – who worked under Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich – could be on his way back to the Bundesliga.

It would see him working with Klopp, the Liverpool boss when they thrashed United 7-0 in March 2023, who has just taken up a new role with Red Bull.