Is England’s Southgate the right manager for Man United?

England manager Gareth Southgate has a decision to make and time is running out.

Multiple sources have told ESPN that he has significant support within the new INEOS-led hierarchy at Manchester United to succeed Erik ten Hag as coach if the Dutchman loses his job at the end of this season , but if he had two more years left with England, he could well end the country's 60-year wait for World Cup glory.

Trying to win a World Cup or managing Manchester United? Make your choice. Both scenarios rely on significant “ifs and buts,” but are nonetheless realistic and the kind of opportunities that senior leaders can only dream of.

Since taking charge of England in 2016 following a disastrous Euro 2016 campaign and Sam Allardyce's solitary spell as manager, Southgate has transformed the fortunes of domestic football, guiding them to a World Cup semi-final and a runners-up spot at Euro 2020.

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With world-class talent including Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden in his squad, Southgate knows England will head to Germany this summer as one of the favorites to win Euro 2024. And that will be the same thing at the 2026 World Cup. Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Yet at 53, Southgate, whose England team face Brazil and Belgium in friendlies at Wembley during the international break, is also young enough to capitalize on his work with the national team by returning to an important position in club management and would cost less than £1. million euros in compensation if he leaves his post.

United's dramatic 4-3 FA Cup quarter-final victory over Liverpool on Sunday, which secured a semi-final against EFL Championship side Coventry City next month, kept the club's season alive and strengthened Ten Hag's chances of winning a trophy. But his position as manager remains in play as poor results in the Premier League leave United struggling in sixth place, nine points from qualifying for next season's Champions League.

Sources have told ESPN that Ten Hag still has a long way to go to convince INEOS, led by United's new minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, that he is the man to take the club forward and that Sir Dave Brailsford, director INEOS Sports and a senior Old Trafford regime's player and new director of football Dan Ashworth see Southgate as the favorite candidate to fill a vacant managerial role this summer.

Both men have worked closely with Southgate in the past – Brailsford through the INEOS Leaders in Sport program and Ashworth during his time at the English Football Association – and sources said the former Middlesbrough manager's success with England, both on and off the pitch by developing harmonious relationships within the team, make him the ideal candidate for a club that needs to rebuild in all areas.

Yet while Ten Hag's future continues to be the subject of doubt and speculation, the same can be said of Southgate. His contract as England manager expires in December and he has consistently avoided the opportunity to declare whether he would stay or leave at the end of the Euros.

Sources have said the English FA want Southgate to stay until the World Cup, whatever happens this summer, but the man himself remains undecided. United's interest could yet force Southgate to decide one way or the other, and well before England fly to Germany.

If he wants to join management next season, with United or another club, Southgate must make the call before the end of this season. Interested clubs need clarity and cannot wait until mid-July to find out if a candidate will be available. Furthermore, the FA will not only need time to identify and appoint a successor, but will also want to avoid the English tournament being overshadowed by daily speculation about the manager's future.

By announcing his intentions now, Southgate can either end speculation and commit to 2026, or declare that Euro 2024 will mark his exit from the stage. At the end of January, Jurgen Klopp revealed his decision to leave Liverpool this summer, and this announcement seems to have galvanized the club in a positive way, so the same could work for England and Southgate.

One thing is certain, leaving everyone in uncertainty until after the Euros would hurt Southgate's chances of landing a big club job this summer. It could also become an unnecessary distraction to England's chances.

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Yet would Southgate even be the right appointment for United? When ESPN reported on March 6 that he was being evaluated by the club alongside Brighton's Roberto De Zerbi and Brentford's Thomas Frank, the reaction from United fans was overwhelmingly skeptical and negative.

Rightly or wrongly, Southgate is widely seen as a cautious coach who struggles to defeat elite opponents at major tournaments. He also left management of the club for 15 years after being fired by Middlesbrough shortly after overseeing the side's relegation from the Premier League in 2008-09. But he has undoubtedly rebuilt his reputation with England, and his eight years in the role will have prepared him for the pressure of managing a club as big as United.

Southgate's relationship with Kane and Bellingham could put United at the front of the queue for signings if they choose to return to England from Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, respectively. Additionally, his appointment at Old Trafford would likely be welcomed by players such as Harry Maguire, Marcus Rashford, Mason Mount and Luke Shaw, who have all shone for England under him.

Yet one criticism leveled at Southgate with England during the crucial World Cup and Euro 2020 matches is that he took too long to make changes that could have turned the game in his favor team. He thinks over everything and does not make rash decisions, but there always comes a time to make an important decision. That moment is fast approaching.