Town boss Kieran McKenna’s representatives are reported to have held talks with Manchester United regarding their manager’s job.

According to Sky Sports News, representatives of McKenna met with Red Devils new chief executive Omar Berrada and incoming technical director Jason Wilcox last week to discuss the possibility of the 38-year-old taking over at Old Trafford, where he was a member of the coaching staff under José Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Ralf Rangnick prior to joining the Blues in December 2021.

Erik ten Hag remains manager of United ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup final against Manchester City but with speculation regarding his future having been ongoing for some while, the Red Devils having finished eighth in the Premier League this season.

Mauricio Pochettino is the current favourite to replace him ahead of Thomas Tuchel, then McKenna with Roberto De Zerbi and Gareth Southgate also believed to be candidates should the Red Devils jettison Ten Hag.

Elsewhere, Chelsea, who are similarly understood to have held talks with McKenna’s agents along with Brighton, are, according to talkSPORT ready to ask Leicester for permission to speak to their manager Enzo Maresca, who TWTD reported last night is the West Londoners’ top target.

Fans of neither United nor Chelsea appear particularly keen on McKenna being appointed, largely due to his inexperience.

The Seagulls are understood to remain interested in the Town boss, while Francesco Farioli, recommended to the Sussex club by the exiting De Zerbi, has now joined Ajax from Nice.

Town themselves remain determined to do everything they can to keep McKenna at Portman Road with the offer of new contract seeming inevitable. The Northern Irishman’s current terms, signed last summer, run to June 2027.

Photo: Matchday Images

3stars added 11:51 - May 24 I don't get the negativity towards someone who is just doing what most of us would do in his position. If you were offered more money, more chance of success, at a bigger employer, would you seriously turn it down? Sir Bobby left for the England job, is that the only position that a manager is allowed to leave ITFC for? Really? Yes, the time it takes doesn't help, but that's not the club's fault, it's not McKenna's fault, it's how long recruitment processes take at Brighton, Chelsea, Man U (whose own is delayed by the timing of the cup final). How long do recruitment processes take where you work? If McKenna goes, he goes with my best wishes and thanks. If you seriously want to dislike him for doing what pretty much all of us would do in his situation, then good luck to you. Whatever happens, under him and with the support of the owners, Ashton and everyone else at the club, we are in a hugely better position than two years ago. We now have a Premier League budget. The season after this one the very worst we will have is a parachute payment budget in the Championship. We wouldn't need to so hugely over-achieve like we did this season to compete. For that, I'll forever be hugely grateful to Kieran McKenna.

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littlestoneblue added 12:15 - May 24 It looks like Chelsea is the destination for KM, so sod off Kieran and please stop messing us around and let us bring in Mark Robbins from Coventry who is a loyal manager and an excellent team builder, he will be very successful at Ipswich where he can work with a better budget, like semi-final FA cup and should have won but for dodgy ref and VAR grrrrrrrrrr
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BlueBlueBlood added 12:25 - May 24 Littlestoneblue that's quite frankly an embarrassing comment to read, let's hope KMc never reads this tripe, telling the guy to sod off? I know who I'd rather did that and it isn't him.
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BlueBlueBlood added 12:26 - May 24 Littlestoneblue that's quite frankly an embarrassing comment to read, let's hope KMc never reads this tripe, telling the guy to sod off? I know who I'd rather did that and it isn't him.
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BlueWax added 12:52 - May 24 Just seen Kieran boarding a flight from Stansted to Barcelona....
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IvorFeeling added 12:53 - May 24 First off I trust Ashton and the board to manage this correctly whatever the outcome. The biggest problem is not the immediate one of if he stays or not it is player recruitment and rentention. Players want to play for McKenna and any deals that were being targetted are now likely to be stalled, in addition players that were likely happy are now discusiing what if scenarios with their agents. Should McKenna go then how quick can we get a replacement in? All in all this is not the headache Ashton and team need at the moment and not a good preparation for our PL foray. I feel really sorry for Mrs Ashton as she is not likely to get a holiday for some time

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Gcon added 13:10 - May 24 He's drifted in the betting in the last 24 hrs for both Chelsea and Brighton. Betting now suggests Maresca with Mourinho & Amorim coming into the equation. Potter the new favourite for Brighton. Poch now the Man Utd bookies favourite, and a fair amount of Man U fans kicking off online about KM being too inexperienced. Feeling a tad more comfortable today about the chances of him staying, fingers crossed.

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Bert added 13:26 - May 24 It remains to be seen whether KMcK has had talks with anyone. Neither he or Ashton can say anything until there is something to say. We all want him to stay but a wanted man is entitled to explore his options in private.
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FabianMalyon added 13:29 - May 24 Xavi out at Barcelona so he'll be going to Man U or Chelsea I would guess. Ideal situation is Poch to Utd, Xavi to Chelsea.
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Gdunkdafunk added 13:44 - May 24 I think he may be leaving for Man U, Radcliffe has already made it clear he wants a clear out, so Km could re-build the team in his own image (much like he did with Town, at a lower level). I hope I'm wrong but can imagine the temptation is huge, it's his boyhood club who served him well, think we would all be tempted. Agree that the speculation is painful & damaging, will all become clear after the FA cup

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atty added 14:05 - May 24 Trouble is, if all the reports of the other Clubs speaking to his reps are true, even if he stays we will know that he was looking to leave.
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PackwoodBlue added 15:53 - May 24 Impossible to tell really. Probably true that his 'representatives' have discussed things having been approached by these clubs, but he could have just said (like many of us might, in the same situation) "feel free to speak with them. I'm happy here and probably not open to moving, but would be interesting to hear what they have to say, all the same, and discuss with my family".

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TB42 added 16:10 - May 24 Perhaps I’m looking at this whole situation too simplistically but the fans are a major part of this club, turning up week in week out to support the team creating record attendances each time. Accepting it’s only three weeks ago since we gained promotion and all were celebrating next season in the Premier League is it really too much to ask for some openness and honesty as to whether McKENNA wants to move on or not??

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MickMillsTash added 20:08 - May 24 3Stars When I have worked for bigger companies I have found that I have had less responsibility, had to work with a large number of cretins and put up with even more folk who are just 'taking the wage' and don't really give a toss. - The good people realised this a long time ago and left leaving the dross and a cr@p culture. A huge turnaround job required. Man United or Chelsea ? But I agree, I would leave any job for significantly more money

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MickMillsTash added 20:08 - May 24 3Stars When I have worked for bigger companies I have found that I have had less responsibility, had to work with a large number of cretins and put up with even more folk who are just 'taking the wage' and don't really give a toss. - The good people realised this a long time ago and left leaving the dross and a cr@p culture. A huge turnaround job required. Man United or Chelsea ? But I agree, I would leave any job for significantly more money

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Lord_Mac added 05:23 - May 25 @MickMillsTash I agree with everything you say - except the last line. When you are already earning £100k a week (reportedly what McK has been offered to stay, no doubt with add-ons relating to where we finish) it's not worth moving for more money, taking all that grief and losing all the security that Ipswichj job provides. Everything points to his best options being to stay put. His agents have succeeded in ramping up his salary by 4x, so everyone is happy. After one year, how well Ipswich do will determine what happens in the future.

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oldelsworthyfan added 11:30 - May 25 McKenna is staying with Ipswich'
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