HITC understands the Football Association are actively doing background work on potential candidates to replace Gareth Southgate this summer.
Southgate has kept the FA at arm’s length over a new deal as he insisted he wanted to concentrate on Euro 2024 efforts, with his current deal expiring in December.
The FA’s plan was extend Southgate beyond the World Cup in 2026, but it remains to be seen if he will remain beyond this summer’s tournament in Germany.
Southgate admitted earlier this year his reasoning for not wanting to commit his future to England just yet.
“I think we would have to sit and think about that at the end of the tournament,” he said at his press conference in March.
“I’m happy to talk about it briefly now, but I’m not going to talk about it for the whole summer, what’s next? We’ve consciously shelved any discussions internally about what might be next because I think if we had sat and signed a new contract and done that before the tournament, everybody would have said, ‘Well, you did this with Capello and you should be proving yourself before you sign’.
“So, look, I’m completely relaxed about that and I have no idea where we’ll be in the middle of July, other than I hope it’s Trafalgar Square and let’s get the party on.”
Manchester United keen on Gareth Southgate
Southgate has emerged as one of the preferred options for Manchester United as they do their due diligence on potential replacements for Erik Ten Hag – who looks increasingly on borrowed time at Old Trafford.
The new footballing department at United has been put together by Sir Dave Brailsford – who is a huge admirer of Southgate and has spent a lot of time together, whilst incoming sporting director Dan Ashworth is also close to him.
The FA are now doing their own due diligence on the likely candidates – should Southgate need replacing and there is a belief that they would ideally go British once again, rather than go down the route of a foreign appointment.
Eddie Howe on England radar
Newcastle’s Eddie Howe is someone held in very high regard and is someone the FA feels would be a very good fit for the role.
HITC understands that former Chelsea and Brighton boss Graham Potter is also admired, but as with Southgate the FA are fans of their own products.
That includes Steve Cooper – the former Nottingham Forest boss led England’s Under-17s to World Cup success in 2017 and that saw him working with many of the current squad including the likes of Phil Foden, Conor Gallagher and Marc Guehi.
Southgate emerged from being Under-21 boss and the current incumbent Lee Carsley is held is very high esteem within the FA.