Manchester United are the latest club reported to be showing interest in Blues boss Kieran McKenna.

McKenna’s success with Town has not gone unnoticed elsewhere and the Northern Irishman, who turned 38 yesterday, is understood to have been spoken to by Crystal Palace before they appointed Oliver Glasner their new manager in February. West Ham and Brighton have also previously been linked.

Now, according to French website Foot Mercato, McKenna’s former club Manchester United have made contact with his representatives as they assess possible candidates to replace Erik ten Hag this summer with a number of national newspapers following the story up.

England boss Gareth Southgate, with whom McKenna watched the Aston Villa-Liverpool match on Monday along with his Australian-born agent Frank Trimboli, has been widely tipped to take over at Old Trafford, but United are still looking at other options with the Town manager said to be among them.

McKenna joined Town in December 2021 from the Red Devils where he had been a member of the first-team coaching staff under Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick having initially been recruited from Spurs as U18s coach in August 2016.

Asked about potential interest from other clubs and whether his job at Town isn’t done for him yet following the 2-0 victory over Huddersfield which secured the Blues’ promotion to the Premier League earlier this month, McKenna said: “No, I love it here, it’s a fantastic club, I’m so proud to be the manager of this football club and I’ve worked so hard at it every day, so I give so much of myself and [so have] the people around me for the last couple of years. I’m just so focused on enjoying that journey.

“That sort of speculation’s been there for the last two years, to be honest, and I’ve shown loyalty to the club through that and I’m really pleased that I’ve stuck with it and achieved what we’ve achieved. There’s some big and exciting steps to come for the football club.”

Photo: Matchday Images

MickMillsTash added 09:48 - May 15 Like Ipswich, Man United will have no European football next year
6

Orraman added 09:51 - May 15 He’d be absolutely crazy to even consider the basket case that is currently Man Utd
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Tractorog added 09:52 - May 15 Why would he want to join a failing club that's going to finish lower in the Prem than town?
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NottsTractor added 09:55 - May 15 I struggle to see where the ''win'' would be for him joining Manchester United. The structure, and infrastructure, is not in place and the requirement for instant success too high. There are going to be few managers keen to take that job, they are better leaving Ten Hag out to dry for a bit while Ineos regroup. Loathed as I am to say it, Brighton would be a better fit for a young talent Like Kieran, but staying with us does give the opportunity to prove he can build something in the PL from, essentially, a League One structure. Even a first season relegation, which is worse case scenario, would not be a huge stain on his CV. Sensible hat off now.... PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DONT LEAVE US!!

23

ArnieM added 09:56 - May 15 Its going to be a loooooong summer and next season isnt it ...ZZZZZZZZ
2

dirtydingusmagee added 10:01 - May 15 Money is the root of all evil, and loyalty is a very rare commodity in football. VERY SAD DAY if he leaves Town, but wont come as a shock.
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Paulc added 10:02 - May 15 We'll have to get used to this I suspect. On the quote made by KM after the Huddersfield game in this article, I am baffled as to why so many see this as a "I'm staying" quote, to which I have seen loads of references. It says nothing of the sort. If KM sees Utd as his dream job, he may never get the offer again and feels he has to take it while it's there. I am sure we and possibly himself feels it's too early, who knows? What I would say is there is a massive difference between getting the very best out of L1 and Championship players, as he has done so brilliantly with Town, to getting he same results from underperforming top class PL players. Obviously I desperately want him to stay but if he does go I really hope it doesn't ruin him. Finally, this may seem a bit strange, but I think Mark Ashton is more difficult to replace than KM. I have no doubt that he already has a plan for the eventuality and I trust him to make the right choices.

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VanDusen added 10:05 - May 15 Liam Rosenior is (inexplicably) free, and I fancy would maintain a similar playing style...
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ellaandred added 10:05 - May 15 Thought a plumber would be top of their wish list, right now.
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Bluejayzus added 10:09 - May 15 Not really sure why he would want to leave us. He left Manchester as he wanted a project, which he has. He has the backing of the club, owners and fans and has everything he needs to succeed in making us a stable prem club, he might leave at that point but I really can’t see him going now.
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BlueySwede added 10:20 - May 15 IF McKenna wants the job there isn´t much we or the club can do about it. However, my feeling is that he wants a crack at the Premier League with us before starting to look at pastures new. I have a feeling that we have no idea what the owners and the clubs ambitions are, there might be bigger plans and ambitions than we all realise. Looking at it from that perspective, why would MCK want to leave?

4

fifeblue added 10:21 - May 15 NottsTractor, a League One structure? In terms of structure, Ipswich Town isn't and never was a League One club; it was a big fish in that pond, albeit without a team to match for a few years. As for Brighton or, for that matter Crystal Palace, why would he leave for a smaller club with a smaller fan-base and no history of major achievement? He might as well go to Stonham Aspal. It may be that one day he will decide it is time to take the opportunity to manage a much bigger club - Manchester United probably being the likely destination - or even be offered the England job if he achieves long-term high positions in the Premier with Ipswich but I doubt that now is the time. No doubt in future he will command a massive salary but it's not the be all and end all and I would imagine he is on a decent whack with Ipswich anyway.

5

Europablue added 10:23 - May 15 Man Utd. should be talking to KM. They should be making it clear to any applicant that it is a prestigious club and they have a lot of options. If Utd. are not in a good state, then by accepting the Utd. job KM would effectively be saying that he doesn't back himself at Premier League level. If he keeps us up next season his options will open up even further. Even if he fails with us, there will still be a lot of interest. He won't be panicking and taking a job just to tell the grand kids that he managed Utd. for a few months.

3

Help added 10:23 - May 15 Was there not a few manure players who did not like Kieran. If he goes, which he won't that issue will need to be sorted out otherwise part of the changing room will not be behind him from the start.
2

Europablue added 10:24 - May 15 Paulc How could you not take what KM said as an "I'm staying" quote? He couldn't be much more explicit without going overboard.
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62WasBest added 10:37 - May 15 It might be the right club for him but I think it would be the wrong time. Too many players there who have big egos not backed up on the pitch. It needs someone to straighten that out before it becomes a job worth taking. So many managers have suffered from taking a poisoned chalice at that club.
4

VanDusen added 10:52 - May 15 Not like the Man Utd job won't be coming up again this time next season anyway.
3

VanDusen added 10:52 - May 15 Not like the Man Utd job won't be coming up again this time next season anyway.
0

Len_Brennan added 10:58 - May 15 Europa - I see what Paulc is saying & he has a point; KMcK could have been more explicit, which leaves a door somewhat open still ... for the right job at the right time. Who knows when that time will come though. I never thought he'd go to Palace during the season just gone as there was so much still to achieve from a strong position, incl. (arguably) the toughest back to back promotions to the Premier League ever. But, he clearly spoke with Palace & considered it, before deciding to stay - "... I’ve shown loyalty to the club through that and I’m really pleased that I’ve stuck with it and achieved what we’ve achieved". I tend to agree that the Man Utd job is a bit of a basket case one atm, with the instability around the ownership & dressing room unrest, so I could see him giving it a miss at this time, but I'd have him as favourite already to be their next manager after that. I really hope he stays with us for this season, as we know that we couldn't get better, but his profile is so high now offers will be coming from everywhere.

2

Broadbent23 added 11:05 - May 15 KM can pull all the strings with us but at Man Utd with their current hierarchy he would have limit power and a bunch of players who supposedly disrespected his leadership style. The Project is with us and not with the losers at Old Trafford. PL mistakes can be made with us whilst he is learning PL tactics. At Man Utd every wrong move is critised by the media. Long live KM at Portman Road.

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TimmyH added 11:14 - May 15 Can't see it happening as I would expect he would want to carry on his work here to see how far he gets us at the top level (next season) BUT football now days has very little loyalty it's all about money and getting to the top.
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Barty added 11:23 - May 15 Man U can go forth and multiply
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ArmaghBlue added 11:27 - May 15 He would be mad to consider it, as he wouldn’t last long there like all the other managers over the years.
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stickymockwell added 11:30 - May 15 Mckenna would take his style of management and be an instant success at Utd. He's the perfect candidate for them right now. We all know it! We just desperately want him to stay.
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coolhand added 11:30 - May 15 He will be going to Man Utd, but only to sign Varane as another piece in the defensive jigsaw
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