Gareth Southgate sets record straight on rumours of Man Utd 'conversation' with Erik ten Hag's job in danger

United saw their season worsen on Sunday with a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, with Leandro Trossard netting the only goal of the game.

With the Red Devils' campaign lurching from one crisis to another, Ten Hag's job is far from safe.

Thomas Tuchel, Roberto De Zerbi and Zinedine Zidane have all been linked with United amid an expectation that INEOS will wield the axe once the season is done.

And so too has Southgate, with the 53-year-old impressing since taking the England job back in 2016.

However, speaking to ITV, the Three Lions boss has now downplayed speculation that he's had a 'conversation' with United - and insisted his sole focus is on winning the European Championships with England this summer.

“They can make their odds but it’s not a conversation that’s been had with me," he said when told he's one of the favourites.

"I’ve got one thing to focus on and that’s having as successful a tournament with England as possible.

"Everything else is a complete irrelevance to me.”

Southgate was also asked about a potential return to club football.

Before taking the England job he was manager of Middlesbrough, with the former defender taking on the job in 2006.

And Southgate kept his cards close to his chest when quizzed on one day being manager of a club, rather than a country.

"If I start talking about that, then I'm already distracted from what I'm doing, so I think the country would expect that my focus is on England, and rightly so," he added.

"We've had three tournaments where we've taken the public on a brilliant ride, and I know that we've got that desire to go that one step further."

This summer, there are big expectations surrounding England.

They have made significant progress under Southgate and many are tipping them to challenge for Euro 2024 glory as a result.

England also have arguably one of their strongest-ever squads with Galacticos such as Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice poised to deliver.

And Southgate has admitted he's keen on winning the Euros, three years after England lost in the final of the delayed Euro 2020.

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"Our aim is to win, it's for other people to decide what is success and what is failure," he continued.

"Ultimately, because of the progress we've made over five, six years, we've been so close that our mindset as a team has to be to go there to win the tournament and I think the players would expect that.

"I think the ability of the team is there but of course, you have to deliver it in a very small period.”

The Euros will take place in Germany this summer.

And Southgate has revealed he's been learning German, though joked it was slow progress so far.

“[My German is] bang average", he said.

"I was just conscious that I didn't take German at school.

"I did a bit of French and Spanish so when I travel I can get by in those countries, but with German I didn't have a clue, so I'm slowly building a small vocabulary…”