NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 20: Dougie Freedman of Nottingham Forest looks on during the Sky Bet Championship match between Nottingham Forest and Burnley at City Ground on October 20, 2015 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Crystal Palace may be about to lose Dougie Freedman as Manchester United circle, here are five potential replacements.

The talk around Dougie Freedman heading to Manchester United has intensified in recent days to the point it seems a real possibility.

This is despite other reports claiming United aren’t considering Freedman.

The contrasting reports suggest that the truth is likely somewhere in the middle and therefore Crystal Palace could be in need of finding a replacement.

Here, we have chosen five names we think would be good fits for Palace as a Freedman replacement all for varying reasons.

READ MORE: Who is Dougie Freedman? The Crystal Palace Sporting Director linked with Manchester United switch

Name number one on the list, is the man currently performing miracles at Middlesbrough, Kieran Scott.

The Boro sporting director has done a remarkable job with Michael Carrick, crafting a talented young side which has impressed many in recent years.

A real benefit of Scott could be that he would offer Palace the edge in the pursuit of signing Rav van den Berg.

Scott at just 40, is an up-and-coming figure in the world of football and Palace could get in early and grab him, he is after all aligned with the current recruitment philosophy of Palace.

Markus Korsche is a vastly different option to Scott but is one which Oliver Glasner could be delighted to see arrive.

The current sporting director at Frankfurt, Krosche and Glasner have worked together before and could be a duo which Steve Parish envisions repeating the Europa League triumph and bringing silverware to Palace.

Krosche has been linked with Liverpool in recent months but the chance to reunite with Glasner at an exciting project could appeal to the 43-year-old.

40-year-old Gary Probert is the man behind Ipswich Town’s rapid rise from League One mediocrity to challenging for Championship promotion.

He has worked wonders as the sporting director alongside Kieran McKenna who is a Palace target.

Another man could quite easily work under the same philosophy as Freedman in signing talented domestic-based players from lesser divisions.

The current Sunderland sporting director, Kristjaan Speakman is another who has been immense in building a talented young squad which has risen rapidly.

Sunderland have gone from League One to Championship playoff hopefuls in only a few years, with a clear recruitment philosophy of young wonderkids.

The likes of Jobe Bellingham along with a pair who’ve been linked with Palace in recent months, Pierre Ekwah and Jack Clarke are all products of Speakman’s work and he is probably the number one choice in our books.

The final name on the list is somewhat left-field, but Ralf Rangnick could be tempted should he decide to call it a day in management, with his ties to Glasner strong.

Currently, the Austrian national manager, Rangnick is the man who is said to have convinced Glasner to make a move to the Premier League according to The Guardian, so there is a possibility that he will join him

Rangnick has vast experience in a sporting director role and has masterminded Red Bull’s rise to prominence through various roles including global sports director.

He is also a former Manchester United caretaker manager and identified the horrific state of the Old Trafford side so could be perfect to revolutionise Palace.