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Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has played down fresh speculation about taking over at Manchester United following recent comments from one of his players.

The Red Devils are on the lookout for a new permanent manager following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. While interim boss Ralf Rangnick is trying to steer the club to a top-four Premier League finish, he is ultimately only a stopgap.

Reports have subsequently claimed that Man Utd have a number of candidates on their radar.

From abroad, Ajax’s Erik Ten Hag and Spain coach Luis Enrique have impressed United chiefs. From the Premier League, meanwhile, Leicester’s Brendan Rodgers is also admired.

The Northern Irishman is also reportedly on the brink of the sack amid a downturn in form of late.

But Austrian Hasenhuttl is another top-flight boss with links with a move to Old Trafford. And Saints defender Jan Bednarek fuelled such links with his recent comments.

He claimed (via the Daily Express) that Hasenhuttl’s ideas and philosophies would suit a “big team”. The centre-back added that the “big teams will look at him” and tipped his coach to make an exciting move.

Asked about Bednarek’s comments in a press conference on Thursday, Hasenhuttl said jokingly: “This was a very awful question for a player from my team, what else should he answer?

“He has to answer quite well. He tried to come out of this question with a good answer and he did it.”

Pressed on the chances of him moving to Man Utd, though, Hasenhuttl added: “This is not in my mind and also not the things that are interesting me.

“I don’t want to speak about my future every week. Last week we spoke about different things, and this week we should be speaking about the game we have now against Everton.

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“This is more interesting for me, my whole focus and whole energy is on this game. Anything else I will leave to other people.”

Indeed, Hasenhuttl revealed last week that he is considering retiring from management at the end of his Southampton contract in 2024.

Hasenhuttl could add to Man Utd thinking

Reports have claimed that Ten Hag, Enrique and Paris Saint-Germain’s Mauricio Pochettino are Man Utd’s firm manager candidates.

No concrete reports have emerged of interest in Hasenhuttl.

However, he has navigated the peaks and troughs at Southampton well.

His future looked bleak after a 9-0 defeat to Leicester, but he fought back to steady the ship. United also beat his Saints team 9-0 at Old Trafford last season, which Southampton ended in poor form.

However, the south coast club have done well again this term and are firmly in the hunt for a top-10 finish.

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