Manchester United are once again looking for a new head coach, having announced the departure of Ruben Amorim on Monday.
Amorim was just 14 months into a two-and-a-half year deal and the 40-year-old leaves with the lowest Premier League win percentage of any United manager. The club are expected to wait until the summer to name a new long-term successor, leaving them in search of an interim head coach to fill the void.
On Tuesday, former player and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was touted as a leading candidate to take over on a caretaker basis. Solskjaer previously led the team from 2018 to 2021.
Solskjaer is a fan favorite at Old Trafford, largely owing to his 11-year spell with the team as a player. He is most fondly remembered for his winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final, securing a famous treble for United.
After coaching with Molde in Norway and Cardiff City, Solskjaer initially returned to Old Trafford in late 2018 to serve as caretaker manager, following the departure of Jose Mourinho.
Solskjaer won 14 of his first 19 games in charge at Old Trafford, earning himself a three-year deal with the title of manager. He took the team to the UEFA Europa League final in 2021 but United lost in a penalty shoot-out and form tailed off the following season. He was sacked by the club in November 2021 and had an unsuccessful spell with Turkish Super Lig team Besiktas last year.
If Solskjaer is restored at Old Trafford it will only be a temporary move, bringing in an experienced, popular figure to guide the team through to the summer. The club’s under-fire hierarchy will hope that with greater coaching options available in the summer, they can finally find the right long-term candidate to lead Manchester United into a new era.