The Daily Star claim that Ratcliffe sees Southgate as the perfect candidate to take over from Ten Hag at United and would like him to take over after England’s Euro 2024 campaign. The ex-Middlesbrough player and boss has a contract with the national team until December and the FA are desperate for him to pen a new deal, but Southgate has made no official decision.
Should he return to club football with United, he will be initially tasked with the future of Greenwood. The one-cap England man has spent the season on loan at La Liga club Getafe, where he has impressed and drawn interest from the likes of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
Greenwood’s sole international cap under Southgate came in a 12-minute cameo away to Iceland in a UEFA Nations League match in 2020. However, the following day he and Phil Foden were withdrawn from the squad after breaking COVID-19 quarantine guidelines and the United forward has not been called up since.
With the 22-year-old dazzling in Spain, Southgate had been asked this month whether he would consider recalling him to the squad. Greenwood had been linked with a switch in allegiances to Jamaica that has not yet materialised, but Southgate refused to rule out Greenwood playing for England once again even though it is not in the boss’ immediate plans.
“Well for me I don’t think it’s something for pre-Euros,” Southgate said. “I think allowing him to get his career going again abroad appears to have been a good move but I have to say I have not tracked it closely. I think at this moment in time it would be a big distraction for the team and let’s see where that leads next season.”
Though Southgate is open to taking another look at Greenwood next season, potentially at United, he did clarify that more details would need to be made available for it to be a serious consideration. “I would need to know more details about the whole thing before it was an option,” he added.
United have been open to selling Greenwood this summer as they remain wary of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules. However, a return to United under Southgate cannot be ruled out as the club struggles to find a suitor willing to meet their asking price upwards of £35million for the forward.
Ratcliffe is yet to make a final call on where Greenwood will ply his trade next season, though the expectation is that he will be sold this summer.
