Man Utd to decide on interim boss in next 48 hours as INEOS pull plug on naming permanent manager | OneFootball

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick are due for fresh talks with Manchester United this weekend, as they emerge as the leading contenders to take over until the end of the season, while sources can also reveal why INEOS have taken a strong stand against the appointment of a permanent replacement in the here and now.

The Red Devils are entering a new era after dispensing with the services of Ruben Amorim. The spiky Portuguese coach lasted just 14 months in the hotseat, ultimately being shown the door after an explosive outburst against the Manchester United hierarchy, though, in truth, dissatisfaction with his tactical inflexibility had seen serious questions raised over his future long before the axe actually fell.

Darren Fletcher was placed in immediate caretaker charge following Amorim’s dismissal on Monday, though that was merely to get them through their games against Burnley on Wednesday, which resulted in a 2-2 draw, and this weekend’s FA Cup third-round clash against Brighton.

In the aftermath of Amorim’s sacking, we revealed that Solskjaer, Carrick, Fletcher and Ruud van Nistelrooy were under consideration for a temporary stint in charge through to the end of the current campaign.

And with director of football Jason Wilcox assessing the options, and having already had contact with Solskjaer and Carrick, the club will now choose between the pair, with further talks scheduled to take place this weekend.

It is believed a decision will likely be reached imminently, with an announcement expected from the club early next week and potentially within the next 48 hours.

Solskjaer has been considered favourite to return to the role he had for three years up until late 2021, and he remains hugely popular with the fanbase.

Carrick, though, who himself enjoyed three years with Middlesbrough in the Championship, is keen to be given the chance.

A source close to the club told us: “Ole is hugely popular, with fans, players, staff, pundits, and it would be very easy to bring him in – they know what they are getting.

“There is a good chance it will be him, but Michael has his admirers and they respect what he did at Boro too, they firmly believe they have good options to come in.”

Next Man Utd manager: INEOS learn lessons from mid-season appointment as favourite emerges

Whilst a new permanent coach being appointed this month is not being ruled out entirely, sources have told us that they are more inclined to wait until the summer – giving them the chance to do their due diligence and assess the risks and rewards on all the candidates for the role.

We understand that United have taken on board the issues that appointing a new head coach in mid-season caused last time, when Amorim replaced Erik Ten Hag in November 2024.

During those initial talks with the then Sporting CP coach, INEOS had forced Amorim’s hand by telling him it was effectively now or never for the United hotseat; a decision that left him, he felt, with little option but to accept.

However, after the teething problems under his tenure resulted in a disastrous 15th-placed finish, INEOS has since realised that it was not an ideal situation and they are keen to learn from the mistake going forward.

In the meantime, my colleague Fraser Fletcher has revealed that Oliver Glasner is top of the Red Devils’ six-man wishlist – interest which is fuelled by the fact that his contract at Crystal Palace is due to expire at the end of the season.

In addition, Fletcher has also explained why Roberto De Zerbi is a name that club bosses also like, though there will likely be strong competition for the Italian, whose deal with Marseille currently runs until summer 2027.

Man Utd latest: World-class boss to only accept if three conditions are met;

Meanwhile, United have been told they are still more than capable of attracting a world-class manager to succeed Amorim if three major conditions are met.

The message comes amid claims that top-quality bosses would be put off accepting a job at a team one pundit has named ‘a basket-case of a club’.

Elsewhere, claims coming from Enzo Maresca’s native Italy about the manager taking the Man Utd job RIGHT NOW have prompted Fabrizio Romano to thunder in with an update of his own.

Since Amorim’s sacking, United have been linked with no less than 18 different names to take charge of coach and we have ranked them all in terms of who would be best suited to the job. Interestingly, the current favourite, Glasner, is only ninth on that long list.

On the transfer front, Carlos Baleba isn’t the only Brighton star who could wind up at Old Trafford, with sources revealing United have been alerted to a potential opening for one of his teammates at the Amex this month.