Manchester United’s managerial search continues following the sacking of Ruben Amorim earlier this month, with a surprising name now emerging in the race for the permanent job.
The Portuguese spent just 14 months at Old Trafford, with INEOS deciding his term had expired and the breakdown of the relationship being the final straw in the club’s hierarchy.
Darren Fletcher will take temporary responsibility for first-team affairs, while director of football Jason Wilcox will lead extensive negotiations over the next permanent appointment.
The former Scotland international is set to take charge of United’s FA Cup tie at Brighton this weekend after taking charge of Wednesday’s draw against Burnley, bringing some stability to the club at a time of great uncertainty.
The Red Devils have a crucial decision to make on whether to appoint someone immediately or wait until the summer when a wider range of candidates will be available.
Title-winning manager has been tipped to replace Amorim at Man United
That would be a controversial statement appointment.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Michael Carrick and Fletcher himself have all reportedly expressed interest in taking on the role on an interim basis if United decide to wait until later this year to appoint a new manager.
Amorim won just 32 per cent of games during his time in charge, the worst of any permanent United manager in the Premier League, according to Opta statistics.
During his tenure, he had the worst clean sheet rate of any United manager at just 15 per cent, not to mention his worst goals conceded per game rate of 1.53.
There is growing speculation that several high-profile managers could be offered permanent roles.
Former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca remains keen on the position following his own sacking from Stamford Bridge on New Year’s Day, while Sir Gareth Southgate continues to garner praise from co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, despite mixed opinions among supporters (TEAMtalk).
According to recent reports, Roberto De Zerbi has also been named behind the scenes. The Marseille manager is said to be actively interested in a job at United and would be prepared to leave France if the opportunity materializes in the coming months.
Now, a new name has emerged in the race for a spot in the Old Trafford spotlight, and it’s caused quite a stir.
Luis Enrique wants to join Man United after “deciding to leave” PSG
PSG coach Luis Enrique has decided to leave Paris at the end of this season, according to a surprising report from Spain’s Defensa.
The 55-year-old appears keen to embark on a new adventure in the Premier League, and is particularly keen to join Manchester United and steady the ship with a bold new challenge.
Enrique’s current desire is to start a new project with United, identifying the club as his preferred destination when he leaves the Parc des Princes this summer.
This elite tactician has considerable experience and his appointment will be a shocking and major coup for INEOS following this bold report.
The former Barcelona manager won the Champions League during his time at Camp Nou and showed his tactical acumen with Roma, Celta Vigo and the Spanish national team before taking over at PSG in 2023.
Enrique’s experience managing elite players and dealing with the pressures that come with a huge club makes him a golden candidate for United’s hierarchy, fresh from winning a historic treble with PSG last season.
Enrique has worked with some of the biggest names in world football and understands the demands placed on managers operating at the highest level of football.
His work in the French capital has been full of praise, with former United midfielder Owen Hargreaves saying last year that Enrique was a true “star” at PSG, ahead of many big names in the squad.
Man United offer £288,000-a-week contract to ‘special’ manager, response received
They took bold action for the summer.
