Manchester United draw up four-man manager shortlist but leave out one strong candidate due to realistic expectations

According to Sky Sports, Manchester United have drawn up a four-man shortlist to fill in the vacant permanent manager job at the club. However, they are said to be split over who to pick among the leading pair of potential candidates, while leaving a strong candidate out of the list in order to keep realistic expectations.

Currently, the side is led by former RB Leipzig boss Ralf Rangnick, who was appointed late last year to guide the club to a top-four finish to end the campaign strongly and ensure that they play Champions League football next season.

The German was only hired as head coach on an interim basis until the summer, with Rangnick heading upstairs to take up a consultancy role with United until 2024. Ahead of the new season, a new permanent manager is expected to take charge of the team.

Thus far, the Red Devils are vetting potential candidates that include Ajax Amsterdam boss Erik ten Hag, Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino, Sevilla head coach Julen Lopetegui, and Spain national team honcho Luis Enrique. Out of the list, Enrique is said to be the most difficult to convince given he is preparing to lead La Roja to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year.

Split over ten Hag and Pochettino

Having vetted such an impressive list of candidates, it is said that club officials are convinced that ten Hag and Pochettino are the leading options to be offered the job in the summer. There is a split over the pair, given that the Ajax boss is the popular choice while the PSG man is used to working in the Premier League. 

A source also revealed that “in an ideal world, Julian Nagelsmann would walk into the club this summer”. However, the club hierarchy is aware that it would be difficult to prise him away from a club like Bayern Munich given that the Old Trafford side is far from being a stable option that consistently lifts silverware every year.

Rangnick has done a fair job since taking over the club towards the end of last year, slowly guiding the side back to the top four spots after his predecessor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer went on a poor run of form that saw us massively slip down the league table.

However, an elite manager is required next season to take us back to the top and fire on all cylinders as we compete for all available trophies. There can be no surprise about ten Hag and Pochettino leading the race for the permanent manager, given their reputation.

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ten Hag is on course to win a hat-trick of league titles with Ajax in the Eredivisie, known for building strong squads and competing for trophies despite losing key players like Donny van de Beek, Frenkie de Jong, and Matthijs de Ligt.

Pochettino on the other hand, worked wonders with Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, coming up well against strong opposition and leading Spurs to cup finals while on severely restricted resources. Whoever United end up offering the job to, the future looks bright for the club next season.