Manchester United paid Ole Gunnar Solskjaer £7.5m after sacking him

Manchester United revealed on Tuesday that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his backroom staff were paid £9million in compensation - as the club stepped up its search for a new permanent manager.

United announced that overall revenue for the second financial quarter ending December 31, 2021 was up 7.3 per cent on the same period last year.

However, operating profits fell by 88.9 per cent from £48.5m to £5.4m due largely to an increase in player wages following the signings of Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane, and the pay-outs to the coaching team.

It's understood that Solskjaer received £7.5m in compensation when he was sacked in November, while first-team coaches Michael Carrick, Kieran McKenna and Martyn Pert left Old Trafford in December.

Carrick chose to go after filling in as caretaker boss for three games. McKenna was appointed Ipswich boss and took Pert with him to Portman Road.

The £9m figure - less than half the £19.6m it cost United to sack Jose Mourinho and his coaching staff in 2018 - made up the bulk of £10m in 'exceptional items' according to the club's financial results which stated: 'This cost includes compensation to the former men's first-team manager and certain members of the coaching staff for loss of office.'

United's net debt rose to £494.8m from £455.5m in the same quarter last year, but commercial, match-day and merchandising revenue were up.

Meanwhile, football director John Murtough confirmed that United have begun their search for a new manager.

Mauricio Pochettino and Erik ten Hag are the leading contenders.

Murtough said: '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 domestic and European titles.'