Manchester United set deadline for caretaker manager appointment

Manchester United are closing in on their manager for the rest of the season, as the decision was made to hire a caretaker manager after Ruben Amorim’s sacking.

The caretaker manager will see out the final half of the 2025/26 campaign, aiming for a return to European football, with the club currently sat in 7th place.

For now, there are two clear options on the table, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick.

The pair know the club inside and out, having played under Sir Alex Ferguson, won the Premier League, and since have come back to manage.

Solskjaer was asked to take on the caretaker roll in the wake of Jose Mourinho’s sacking in 2018, eventually being appointed as the permanent manager.

However, in 2021, Carrick was asked to step up from being Solskjaer’s assistant to leading the team after the former striker left, before Ralf Rangnick joined the side.

Now, the pair are in talks with United about a return, with Solskjaer set for a meeting with the club tomorrow.

The Red Devils are now understood to want to appoint over the next few days, as BBC Sport report a manager is wanted to be in place by the Manchester Derby.

United are set to host their rivals at Old Trafford on Saturday 17th January, giving only seven days for the club to make a decision.

As such, while Darren Fletcher is managing the side for the FA Cup clash with Brighton on the weekend, it looks set to be his last game in charge.

However, this may not be the case, with Fletcher having an outside chance of staying on, as slim as that chance is.

United are reported as looking at it as an option, however conversations with Solskjaer and Carrick are setting them up as the likely options.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is hoping to land the role and make it permanent, with the former Norway international reportedly seeing it as a chance for redemption after his last stint at the club.