Manchester United, Chelsea and Brighton and Hove Albion have all expressed interest in Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna, according to the Manchester Evening News.
The 38-year-old has guided Ipswich back to the Premier League after a 22-year absence. He also helped secure their promotion to the Championship from League One last season.
McKenna is now at the centre of a managerial tug-of-war, with the recently vacated Brighton hot seat appearing to be the most likely immediate landing spot.
He is the front-runner to replace Roberto De Zerbi, who agreed to leave Brighton by mutual consent at the end of the season.
However, United and Chelsea haven’t ruled out a potential approach if they decide to make a change themselves.
Chelsea could still dismiss Mauricio Pochettino despite the Argentine manager leading them to a sixth-placed finish. McKenna is an option they are considering.
United remain tight-lipped on their managerial change, allowing manager Erik ten Hag to focus on the upcoming FA Cup final against Manchester City.
A win would secure a trophy and Europa League qualification for United despite their eighth-place league finish, giving Ten Hag some leverage.
Nevertheless, Ten Hag’s future at Old Trafford remains uncertain, with the club yet to make a definitive call.
McKenna is no stranger to Man United, having spent several years in their coaching set-up.
He joined as academy coach in 2016 before progressing to the first team under Jose Mourinho in 2018.
McKenna remained a fixture under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and even briefly under Ralf Rangnick before taking the Ipswich job in December 2021.
His success with Ipswich has turned heads across the top flight. Now, he is a coveted commodity in the Premier League.
McKenna is an interesting option for the Red Devils, considering he knows the club and his achievements in the lower division, but United is a different ball game.
A Chelsea move for McKenna makes no sense. They desperately need continuity and Pochettino has done a decent job. He must be given another year in charge of the Blues.
McKenna would be best served by trying his hand in the Premier League with Ipswich or making a small leap to Brighton.
