Who Will Become Manchester United’s Next Manager? Seven Leading Candidates

Rúben Amorim is out. Which means another reset is coming at Manchester United — a new era under a new coach. For now, Darren Fletcher steps in as caretaker. The Scotsman is expected to guide the team until summer. What happens after that, however, remains anyone’s guess. Let’s look at the main contenders to take over at Old Trafford.

Oliver Glasner

Glasner was immediately named by the British media as the first candidate — and it makes sense. The 51-year-old Austrian has earned a major promotion. At Crystal Palace, Oliver achieved two historic milestones: the club’s first-ever FA Cup in May 2025, followed by the Community Shield three months later.

For today’s United, versatility matters. Glasner isn’t a system zealot like Amorim. Under his management, Palace can press high or defend deep — depending on the opponent. That kind of tactical flexibility is exactly what Manchester United need amid their ongoing injury and squad issues.

Gareth Southgate

Southgate’s name was linked with United back in November 2024, but the club ultimately chose Amorim instead. In hindsight, that might have been a mistake. After the turbulence of Erik ten Hag’s final months, the team needed a pragmatic builder — someone who could rebuild from the ground up. Southgate fits that description perfectly.

His England sides were often painfully dull to watch, but they always had structure. Every player knew his role. Southgate’s football is simple, not overengineered — the kind of practicality United could benefit from. And as an Englishman, he’d have the trust and patience to develop academy stars like Kobbie Mainoo, whom Amorim sidelined.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær

At first glance, this sounds like the most far-fetched option. Yet Solskjær’s communication skills and emotional intelligence might be exactly what this broken squad needs. Reports also suggest that the 52-year-old Norwegian wouldn’t demand a long-term contract or a club overhaul tailored to his preferences.

Don’t forget — Ole once dragged United out of a deep psychological hole. Under him, the club finished third in the Premier League and reached the 2021 Europa League final. His team played attractive counter-attacking football at their best. As a short-term stabilizer, he might not be the worst idea.

Xavi

This one’s trickier. Unlike Solskjær, Xavi doesn’t come across as emotionally stable. During his Barcelona stint, he frequently clashed with referees, players, the board — even himself at times. Life in Manchester wouldn’t be any easier.

Stylistically, Xavi’s football is complex. It’s doubtful United would give him the 18 months needed to properly implement the Guardiola-inspired tiki-taka model he embraced as a player. Even at Barça, he couldn’t fully realize his vision despite securing a league title.

Roberto De Zerbi

Now we’re talking about a true football theorist — a coach for the modern era. Pep Guardiola has openly professed admiration for De Zerbi’s ideas, particularly during his time at Brighton. The 46-year-old Italian has plenty of revolutionary thoughts, but are United ready for that experiment right now?

Another concern: De Zerbi still hasn’t won a major trophy, aside from a Ukrainian Super Cup with Shakhtar Donetsk. A move to Manchester City might suit him better — a place where he could methodically apply his philosophy in a stable, well-structured environment.

Enzo Maresca

Arguably the most intriguing candidate. The story would’ve been even juicier had Amorim gone to Chelsea, where Maresca recently left his mark — winning both the FIFA Club World Cup and the Europa Conference League.

But, according to reports in England, the 45-year-old Italian triggered his own dismissal after secretly negotiating with Manchester City. Would he really want to cross town to join the red side of Manchester? The chaos at United rivals what he escaped at Chelsea, where he frequently disagreed with the board.

Thomas Tuchel

Perhaps the best available choice — if, of course, Tuchel leaves his post as England head coach after the 2026 World Cup. Unless he tries to do both, which would be quite the experiment.

The 52-year-old German boasts experience managing Europe’s biggest clubs: Borussia Dortmund, PSG, Chelsea, Bayern Munich. He has a cabinet full of trophies — including the Champions League — and knows how to adapt to the squad he inherits.

Even in that star-filled, often lazy PSG side, Tuchel managed to impose discipline and reach the Champions League final. Discipline is exactly what Manchester United are missing.

Published by Patrick Jane
08.01.2026