Football legend is “worried to death” that Man United will act on INEOS admiration this summer

One footballing legend has admitted he is “worried to death” that Manchester United will snatch his club’s manager amid uncertainty over Erik ten Hag’s position.

INEOS have entered the building at United and already have made several high-profile changes, including changing the CEO, CFO, sporting director and technical director.

Ten Hag remains in the hot seat despite the team’s terrible form this season but it remains to be seen whether they stick with the Dutchman.

Many managers have been linked to the role, such as Thomas Tuchel and Roberto De Zerbi; however, one rumour is more interesting than most.

According to FootballInsider, the Old Trafford club are big admirers of Kieran McKenna, and there has been ‘concrete’ interest in making him the next manager.

McKenna has guided Ipswich Town from League One to the Premier League with back-to-back promotions and is regarded as one of the most exciting English managers around.

The 36-year-old started his managerial career as a youth coach at Carrington before he joined the first-team coaching staff under both Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjær.

He departed shortly after Solskjær was sacked from the club and has never looked back since.

Mick Mills is worried to death about McKenna to United

Following the club’s incredible second promotion, Ipswich Town and footballing legend Mick Mills has admitted that he didn’t even know who McKenna was when the club announced he would be the next manager in 2021.

However, now, Mills is “worried to death” that United have not made a decision on the manager for next season yet, suggesting that McKenna would be on their list should they move on from Ten Hag.

“He will be gaining the attention of an awful lot of people, and quite rightly so. We want him to stay here,” Mills told BBC Sport.

“Mark Ashton [Ipswich chief executive] and his team did a tremendous job when they went out to find him – I certainly didn’t know who he was. When I heard Kieran McKenna got the job at Portman Road, I did have to ask the question: ‘Who’s Kieran McKenna?’

“This is not just about Kieran, it’s about the club as well – it’s a big club with big opportunities, the ownership is good, the off-the-field team is good, so I dearly hope he stays here for a long time. But I think he can go right to the very top, I firmly believe that.

“It worries me to death that Manchester United haven’t made a decision [about who will be in charge there next season].”

United move ultimately unlikely for McKenna

Ultimately, it seems unlikely that McKenna would return to United so soon and despite his great progression as a head coach, a move would provide huge risk on the club and manager’s part.

It also seems that McKenna will want to manage Ipswich in the top flight, as recent reports from Ben Jacobs suggest.

Jacobs told GiveMeSport: “With Kieran McKenna specifically, he’s very much admired by the INEOS team, because he’s doing a fantastic job at Ipswich. But there’s no indication that he will leave Ipswich.

“If Ipswich go up, McKenna has every indication to stay. He’s done a fantastic job and when you do a fantastic job, you get plaudits. That’s really all it is at this point. In the long term, a lot of top clubs start monitoring young managers doing well, perhaps with a view to three, four or five years time.”