Next Man Utd manager: Who is favourite for the Old Trafford job?

Martin Macdonald

• 3 Mar 2022 10:28 GMT
• 4 min read

Manchester United will likely appoint a new, permanent manager in the summer of 2022.

Following the disappointing tenure of former player Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, veteran German coach Ralf Rangnick was brought in to steady the ship until the end of the current campaign.

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Thereafter, it has been reported that Rangnick will undertake an advisory role within the club, overseeing such aspects of the club as recruitment and youth development.

There is the slight chance that the former RB Leipzig boss will continue as permanent manager, but there are a few names ahead of him in the list of favourites to land the job at Old Trafford.

Here are the top five favourites.

Carlo Ancelotti (14/1)

Sir Alex Ferguson is still on the board at Man Utd and is still naturally respected at Old Trafford due to his decades of service as manager previously.

Should the favourite (seen below) not arrive, Ferguson is campaigning for the club to appoint Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti, according to the Mirror.

Ferguson and Ancelotti have a close, personal relationship and the former is of the opinion that the Los Blancos head coach would be a perfect fit for Man Utd.

He has already recommended Ancelotti to new Man Utd CEO Richard Arnold.

Diego Simeone (12/1)

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has been mentioned recently following comments from former Man Utd captain Roy Keane.

"Simeone, go and get him, he’s a big character,” he said. “He’s done great things. He’s a great character, a big personality. He doesn’t mess around with players. Maybe someone like him coming into the club, could work.

"It can soon change. I don’t think it’s all doom and gloom, there’s still good things going on at United, but they’ve got to get the manager.

"If the manager is not right, then the rest will just fall apart."

Antonio Conte (5/1)

Man Utd passed up on the opportunity to try and get Antonio Conte last summer as at that time they were keeping blind faith in Solskjaer.

The Italian was available then after leaving Inter.

Conte would subsequently joined Spurs in the middle of the season but things are definitely not rosy in North London, especially after the team's exit from the FA Cup at the hands of Middlesbrough.

It is not out of the question that Conte quits Spurs and joins Man Utd.

Erik ten Hag (9/4)

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

Although Ten Hag has so far 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.

Mauricio Pochettino (Evens)

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

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. Which would allow the Old Trafford side to swoop in and sign him.