Manchester United are conducting a ‘thorough process’ for the appointment of their next manager, the club have confirmed.
Ralf Rangnick was given the job until the end of the season on an interim basis after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked in November and the search for the Norwegian’s permanent successor is well under way.
GOAL has learned Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino and Ajax boss Erik ten Hag are the two favoured candidates for the role and the club hope to have an agreement in place with their next manager before the end of the season.
What has been said?
It is understood that the process for recruiting a permanent manager has been ongoing for a little while and that was confirmed by football director John Murtough as he addressed investors on Tuesday.
“We are now conducting a thorough process for the appointment of a new permanent manager who will take charge this summer, with the objective to get us back to challenging for those domestic and European titles,” he said.
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What else was said?
Speaking about the expectancy of what they want the next manager to deliver, Murtough said: “In the Premier League, we saw improved results under interim manager Ralf Rangnick, following a run in the October and early November period that had seen the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as manager.
"We know that consistency is key as we strive for a top-four finish this season. I want to reiterate however that this is not the ultimate objective for Manchester United, and everyone at the club is focused on challenging for the top trophies.”
Richard Arnold, chief executive officer, added: “Everyone associated with Manchester United should have belief in the opportunities that lie ahead of us, both on the pitch and in the way we engage and serve our fans. We have a clear vision and we are implementing a strategy to win with an empowered leadership team to drive that forward."
What will happen to Rangnick?
The German manager is expected to head into a background role at Old Trafford where he will become a consultant for the club.
While he didn’t rule out staying on longer as first-team manager it is understood Pochettino and Ten Hag are favoured over the current interim boss.