Potter has been out of work since April, when Chelsea sacked him after just seven months as head coach.
But the 48-year-old is said to be eyeing a return to management if a good opportunity arises, having recently rejected approaches from Lyon and Stoke City.
According to The Sun, Sir Jim has met Potter to scope out whether he’d be interested in becoming United boss if Ten Hag leaves in the coming months.
If he replaced the Dutchman in M16, he’d have plenty of big decisions to make, including the futures of several underperforming players.
Among those who would instantly come under threat is Antony, who Ten Hag splashed £86million to lure from Ajax last summer.
The 23-year-old has produced nothing close to a return on his investment, leaving many baffled by Ten Hag’s decision to make him United’s second-most expensive signing in history.
Click here to join our WhatsApp community to be the first to receive breaking and exclusive Man Utd news.
However, Potter may believe Antony has something to offer and go against expectations that he’d get rid of the No 21 if he entered the Old Trafford hot seat.
In October last year, ahead of Chelsea’s clash with United at Stamford Bridge, Potter pinpointed Antony as one of the visitors’ key threats.
He also name-dropped Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, potentially hinting that he could offer the latter a second chance at success at United after his spat with Ten Hag.
“They’ve changed a little in how they build up [since the opening day]; they are a little bit more direct,” Potter explained.
“At the same time, they have the same quality. The have the threats of [Marcus] Rashford, Antony, [Jadon] Sancho and Bruno Fernandes plays a key role for them.
“So there are a lot of similarities but they seem to have adapted to the competition, adapted to each other, learned more about each other. It’s a normal process, really.”
United and Chelsea played out a 1-1 draw after Casemiro’s looping header deep into stoppage time ruled out Jorginho’s 87th-minute penalty.
Potter’s Blues reign lasted nowhere near as long as he would’ve hoped. However, his disaster in west London seemingly hasn’t thwarted Sir Jim’s admiration for his quality.
