Manchester United are pushing to install an interim head coach before this weekend's FA Cup clash with Brighton, following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim earlier this week. The club's immediate focus is on securing leadership for the remainder of the 2025/26 season, with former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer emerging as the leading candidate.
No Rashford Return to Old Trafford
Marcus Rashford's chapter at Manchester United appears definitively closed. The England international, who was loaned to Barcelona last summer alongside Jadon Sancho, Andre Onana, and Rasmus Hojlund after falling out of favour with Amorim, is not expected to wear the red shirt again. Reports indicate the loan departures were sanctioned by club hierarchy above the former manager, and no U-turn is anticipated.
Rashford has registered seven goals and eight assists for the Catalan giants this season. Barcelona hold a £30 million option to make the move permanent this summer, a deal that is widely expected to be triggered. The situation is described as unlikely to change, regardless of who is appointed as the new United boss.
Solskjaer's Ambition for Permanent Role
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is the frontrunner to take temporary charge at Old Trafford. The Norwegian legend, who was sacked in 2021, has held discussions with the club about the interim position. He faces competition from former United players Michael Carrick and Ruud van Nistelrooy for the short-term role.
However, the club's plan is understood to be appointing a caretaker for the rest of the campaign before securing a permanent manager in the summer. Solskjaer harbours ambitions to secure the job full-time, should his potential interim stint prove successful. He famously revitalised the team as caretaker in December 2018, winning 14 of 19 games and masterminding a famous Champions League comeback against Paris Saint-Germain.
Transfer Strategy in Flux
The managerial upheaval leaves United's January transfer strategy in a state of uncertainty. The club invested over £200 million last summer to bolster Amorim's squad, but with a new interim coach imminent, any mid-season targets are now under fresh consideration. The immediate priority remains resolving the dugout situation ahead of the weekend's cup tie at the Amex Stadium.
