MANCHESTER, England (AP) — manchester united A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Associated Press on Tuesday that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick have been approached in search of an interim manager to take over until the end of the season.
The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the hiring process is private.
United are considering a replacement for Ruben Amorim in the short term. fired on mondayis considering a long-term appointment in the summer.
Negotiations were underway with former players Solskjaer and Carrick. United’s youth coach Darren Fletcher was appointed on an interim basis for Wednesday’s game against Burnley and could feature himself if they perform well.
But Solskjaer, who managed United from 2018 to 2021 and became an icon for the club by scoring the winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final, has the strongest managerial pedigree of the trio. He led United to second place in the league in 2021 and was also a finalist in the Europa League that season.
After retiring as a player, Carrick joined United’s coaching staff and briefly served as their manager. When Solskjaer was sacked. He managed Second Division Middlesbrough from 2022 to 2025, gaining a reputation as an up-and-coming manager.
It is unclear whether other names are being seriously considered, but the former striker and coach Ruud van NistelrooyHe was reportedly another option, as he was on an interim basis until Amorim took over as manager in 2024.
It will be a surprising, if temporary, appointment for Solskjaer, who left the club more than four years ago.
The Norwegian was initially appointed on an interim basis when manager Jose Mourinho was sacked, but the atmosphere was so positive that he was given the full-time job. He came closer than anyone to winning a first Premier League title since the club’s great player Alex Ferguson retired five years ago, when the team finished second, 12 points behind Manchester City.
Mourinho also guided United to second place, 19 points behind 2018 champions City.
Under Ferguson, United have dominated the Premier League since its inception in 1992, winning 13 titles, but have not been champions since their last season in 2013.
Amorim was sacked on Monday after just 14 months at the club and a disappointing record that included United’s worst season in the Premier League last season.
However, he left with United still in a strong position to qualify for next season’s Champions League, with the club believing his replacement would improve their chances of moving up the table.
Waiting until the end of the season to make a long-term appointment would give United more options in the event a potential candidate runs out of contract or a rival club becomes willing to let their coach go.
Names that have been speculated so far include Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner, Fulham’s Marco Silva and Marseille’s Roberto De Zerbi.
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James Robson is https://x.com/James Saran Robson
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