‘No chance!’ – Richard Keys’ pick for next Man Utd boss shocks beIN Sports panel | OneFootball

Richard Keys’ suggestion for who should replace Erik ten Hag as the next Manchester United boss was given short shrift by the beIN Sports panelists.

United have gone backwards in Ten Hag’s second season at the Manchester United helm, with the Red Devils seventh in the Premier League and unlikely to qualify from what looked to be a relatively easy Champions League group.

They were completely outplayed in a 1-0 defeat to Newcastle at St James’ Park on Saturday night and after the game Keys claimed they should offer former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso – whose Bayer Leverkusen side currently top the Bundesliga after 11 wins and two draws in 13 games – a five-year contract to turn things around at Old Trafford.

“United are no longer in the position where if top players become available they’re going to sign for United – they’re just not,” Keys said.

“They can’t go out and do what they once did which is sign everyone else’s best player just because it weakened the opposition and they could maybe put them in amongst a squad of 22 for a while and hope perhaps they had something to contribute.

“In my view, Manchester United should go now to Leverkusen and should say to Xabi Alonso: ‘we want you to come to Old Trafford, we will give you Saudi league money, and we will guarantee you five years’ – which Fergie had when he first went to Manchester United. Whatever else happens, you’ve got five years to sort this out for us.

“He, for me, is the individual, the coach, the person that just might be able to get something going,” Keys added.

Jason McAteer was having none of it, insisting there was “no chance” before Keys asked him why Alonso wouldn’t accept the United job.

“I think he’d have aspirations of Real Madrid, Liverpool,” McAteer replied. “I think Manchester United right now is not a job for him.

“He doesn’t need that stress. I think he’d rather the Chelsea job than Manchester United – I think that would be more suitable for Xabi Alonso. Honestly, Manchester United is a mess from top to bottom. Not a chance [he takes it].”