Next Man Utd manager: Four leading contenders revealed

Martin Macdonald

• Updated: 24 Mar 2022 15:28 GMT
• 4 min read

Manchester United will have a new manager in the dugout at the start of the 2022/23 campaign at Old Trafford.

At the moment, veteran German coach Ralf Rangnick is at the helm, but it is likely he will step aside as manager at the conclusion of the current season and move in an advisory role at Man Utd, overseeing such areas as recruitment and youth development.

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The Red Devils have been unable to earn sustained success since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson, with David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer all failing as boss.

The next appointment will be crucial, so here are the leading contenders.

Erik ten Hag

There’s little doubt that Ajax manager Erik ten Hag is one of Europe’s most exciting coaches and as such he has been heavily linked with a move to Man Utd for some time.

Although Ten Hag previously rebuffed any hints of him leaving the Dutch club, the prospect of working under Rangnick in a newly-structured Man Utd system does apparently make the move to Old Trafford far more appealing.

However, like all things, Man Utd may face stiff opposition to land Ten Hag’s signature and there’s no guarantee that he’ll fancy a move to the club over another side with more direct prospects of silverware and success.

The Daily Mail reported this week that he has already interviewed for the job.

Mauricio Pochettino

Among the potential successors to Rangnick, the one name that clearly stands out among all others is none other than Mauricio Pochettino.

The reason that Pochettino stands out is that he has been linked with Man Utd for years.

Not only is the Argentine manager a well-known quantity in English football, following his impressive stint at Tottenham, but he’s also been on Man Utd’s radar for what seems like the best part of a decade.

Furthermore, with every passing week it seems more and more evident that Pochettino’s time at Paris Saint-Germain will be drawing to a close at the end of the season.

However, his stock has fallen since the French giants were eliminated in the last-16 of the Champions League by Real Madrid.

Luis Enrique

Luis Enrique is currently in charge of Spain, and could be tempted back into club management, though the 2022 World Cup in Qatar may represent a problem for Man Utd as La Roja have already qualified.

ESPN report that Enrique has three characteristics that make him attractive to Man Utd:

He is a winner, he plays attacking football, and he was a world-class player and has coached world-class players

That last characteristic is of interest to Man Utd as the club feel that they need a manager who can deal with the array of egos currently in the dressing room.

Julen Lopetegui

The latest name to enter the mix is Sevilla boss Julen Lopetegui.

Over the past few days, several contenders have dropped out of the running like Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel and Zinedine Zidane, which has forced United into looking for a fourth candidate.

Lopetegui has rebuilt his career at Sevilla following the debacle at the 2018 World Cup which saw him sacked as Spain coach before a ball was kicked after it was announced he would become Real Madrid head coach.

The stint at Los Blancos was unsuccessful, but he has been excellent with Sevilla, qualifying them for the Champions League and even mounting an assault on La Liga in 2021/22