'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABgf/2gAIAQEAAAAAmxf/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD/9oACAECEAAAAE//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB/9oACAEDEAAAAD//xAAgEAACAQMEAwAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMABBEFBiEiFDFR/9oACAEBAAE/AINR2slnEqbcS0mFsA07ytMWcL2YcjH2vMjbskQKnkZ94r//xAAWEQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACAQD/2gAIAQIBAT8AchW//8QAGBEAAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAyL/2gAIAQMBAT8Ar3BI/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
20-time English champions Manchester United are struggling for relevancy at the moment. They haven’t been able to put up a strong Premier League title challenge in years and their football has been far from convincing.
Many believe Manchester United are in dire need of proper guidance and can only achieve that by hiring a proven, capable manager. Ralf Rangnick is currently serving as the club’s interim manager until the end of the season, leaving room for a permanent appointment in the summer.
With that in mind, we will check out five men who could give the club the direction they need next summer.
Here are the five favorites for Manchester United's managerial position:
Trending
#5 Zinedine Zidane
One of the most desirable and decorated managers Zinedine Zidane is the least likely to take charge of Manchester United next season. However, given the unpredictable nature of the sport and the love the Red Devils have for the Frenchman, we couldn’t help but give him a shout.
Having earned his coaching license at Real Madrid, Zidane took charge of the first team in January 2016. Los Blancos were down in the dumps by then, heading towards their second consecutive trophyless season.
The former midfielder turned their fortunes around in a heartbeat. He led them to a second-place finish in La Liga and their 11th Champions League triumph at the end of the season.
The following season, Los Merengues won the league and defended their Champions League crown. In 2017-18, they completed their Champions League three-peat, beating Liverpool in the final in Kiev.
Zidane took a sabbatical at the end of the campaign but was compelled to return after Madrid’s 2018-19 campaign went up in flames.
Over the next couple of seasons, he led Real Madrid to another La Liga title and a Champions League semi-final berth. He resigned for the second time after the 2021-22 campaign wrapped up.
Zidane has a penchant for managing big egos and playing trophy-winning football. Bringing him to Old Trafford could turn out to be the coup of the decade on United’s part.
#4 Ernesto Valverde
Impressed with his spell at Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona hired Ernesto Valverde in 2017, hoping to take the fight to Zinedine Zidane’s Madrid. The coach got to work right away and turned Barcelona into the most defensively astute team in Spain.
The Blaugrana lost only one game in La Liga en route to the title in his debut season. He also won the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup in 2018.
Valverde led the Camp Nou outfit to yet another league title in the 2018-19 campaign, but missed out on the Champions League and the Copa del Rey.
He was sacked a few months into the 2019-20 season following a Spanish Super Cup defeat. Surprisingly, Barcelona were leading the league title race when he was let go.
Manchester United reportedly held talks with Valverde after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was dismissed last year. The move couldn’t be finalized at the time, but an agreement could be reached next summer.
His pragmatic football is unlikely to win fans over at Old Trafford, but the Spaniard’s knack for winning league titles cannot be ignored.
#3 Ralf Rangnick
In late November, Manchester United hired Ralf Rangnick to serve as interim manager until the end of the season. Following his interim spell, the German is set to work as a consultant at the club until 2024.
The German tactician is yet to win a first-division league title in his career but is rated highly for his engaging brand of football. While in charge of Schalke, he won the DFB Pokal and DFL Supercup in 2011, earning plaudits from around the globe.
Managing Manchester United, however, has proven to be much more challenging for the coach than Schalke. Not only has he had to manage big egos, but he has also been asked to keep pace with the league’s heavyweights.
Rangnick’s team are currently vying for a top-four finish and are alive in both the FA Cup and the Champions League. If United can secure Champions League football for next season and perform respectfully in the other two cup competitions, Rangnick could get a permanent contract.
Luckily for him, the players have finally started to respond to his demanding yet effective style of play.
#2 Erik ten Hag
Ajax manager Erik ten Hag is being dubbed the "next big thing" in football. He is tactically brilliant, his football is eye-catching, and he has an eye for scouting and developing young talents.
Under him, Ajax have won all six of their Champions League group stage matches this season, becoming only the 10th club in history to have achieved the feat.
Manchester United are reportedly quite fond of Ten Hag and are considering buying him out at the end of the season. If they can convince Ajax to let their mastermind leave, the Manchester club could finally have a manager that the fans wholeheartedly back.
His high-intensity, passing football is likely to make some players uncomfortable, but we believe it’ll be a pleasant change of pace for the English club.
#1 Mauricio Pochettino
With Zinedine Zidane being heavily courted by Paris Saint-Germain, Mauricio Pochettino’s time at the Parisian dugout could come to an end in less than six months.
The former Tottenham Hotspur boss has recently seen his team crash out of the French Cup and very few are impressed with PSG’s playing style under the Argentine tactician.
Going deep into the Champions League could be his salvation but it’s not likely to be straightforward. With Real Madrid standing in their way in the Round of 16, Pochettino will have to produce something extra special to take PSG through to the quarter-finals.
Even the tiniest of missteps could prove to be fatal for the Argentine. If things don’t go in his favor and PSG miss out on Champions League glory, the 49-year-old could be sacked at the end of the season.
Pochettino has long been interested in working with Manchester United, and the club, too, are fond of his tactics. The work he has done with Tottenham Hotspur, especially in promoting youth talent, currently makes him a front-runner for the United hot seat.
If the club make him a formal offer in the summer, Pochettino could very well be on the next flight back to the Premier League.
