"Manchester United need a tough manager" - Gary Neville feels multiple-time La Liga winner should be a candidate for the Red Devils job

There has been plenty of speculation in the past few months regarding who could replace interim boss Ralf Rangnick as Manchester United's permanent manager next season. Following the club's exit from the UEFA Champions League at the hands of Atletico Madrid this week, speculation has only intensified. Former Manchester United superstar Gary Neville, for one, believes Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone should be considered a prime candidate.

The Red Devils are certain to finish the season without any silverware, and while the team continues to struggle on the pitch, the biggest question off of it is with regard to who will be at the helm as the club's manager next season.

Ajax's Erik ten Hag and Paris Saint-Germain's Mauricio Pochettino have been heavily linked with the job. However, Gary Neville believes that Diego Simeone is exactly what the Red Devils need - a tough and brutal coach.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Gary Neville said:

"Diego Simeone should be a candidate, but it’s never been achievable to get him out of Atletico Madrid.

"He is wedded in there, he is tied. But it would be brilliant to see him in the Premier League, you saw on Tuesday night, I’ve seen it many times – I got beaten 2-0 in Valencia by his brilliant Atletico Madrid team that Griezmann was in before he went to Barcelona.

"Fantastic coach, brutal in how he approaches the game, I think in every single way. He’s tough, and Manchester United need a tough manager."

Neville believes Simeone could go toe-to-toe with the likes of Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola and that he shouldn't be ruled out, but admits that Pochettino and ten Hag may have the upper hand as they are likely to come cheaper. He said:

"Manchester United need a manager who can compete with Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola – they’re the best, so they need someone who can stand on that touchline and feel equal to them and I think Simeone could.

I wouldn’t rule Simeone out at all, but I think Ten Hag and Pochettino would be the way forward because they’ll want a progressive coach that plays a certain way, that probably is a little bit cheaper and available.

"I don’t know how much it would cost to get Simeone out of Atletico Madrid, but Manchester United would have to pay big money."

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Top-four Premier League finish is a distant dream for Manchester United

Burnley v Manchester United - Premier League

Manchester United's elimination from the UEFA Champions League looks likely to result in the club's absence from next year's edition of the competition. A top-four finish in the Premier League is now their only way in, but it already feels like a distant dream to the club's fans.

The Red Devils currently find themselves fifth in the Premier League table, one point adrift of fourth-placed Arsenal. However, the Gunners have played two fewer games and are therefore likely to maintain a firm grip on the all-important position.

Ralf Rangnick's men will almost certainly have to try and win as many of their nine remaining matches to have any sort of chance, but with the form that they're in, not many would put their money on the Red Devils.