Manchester United approaches Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Michael Carrick to take over as interim coach

Manchester United has approached Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick in its search for an interim coach to take over until the end of the season, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The person spoke on the condition on anonymity because the recruitment process has not been made public. United is considering a short-term replacement for Ruben Amorim, who was fired on Monday, with a view to a long-term appointment in the summer.

Talks were being held with former players Solskjaer and Carrick. United youth coach Darren Fletcher has been installed as interim for Wednesday’s game against Burnley and may also put himself in contention if he impresses. “Honestly, it’s not something I’ve thought about. I’m focusing on Burnley,” Fletcher said in his pre-game news conference. He said discussions about his potential candidacy were for after the game.

“There’s been that much going on, it’s all happened so quickly, all my concentration and efforts and thoughts are going into Burnley,” Fletcher said. It is not known if other names are being seriously considered, but former striker and coach Ruud van Nistelrooy, who was interim before Amorim took charge in 2024, was reportedly another option.

Solskjaer, who managed United between 2018 and 2021 and is a club icon after scoring the winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final, has the strongest managerial pedigree of that list. He led United to a second-place finish in the league in 2021 and was also a losing finalist in the Europa League that same season.

Solskjaer was fired by Turkish club Besiktas in August. Carrick was on the coaching staff at United after retiring as a player and was briefly caretaker when Solskjaer was fired. He was in charge of second-tier Middlesbrough from 2022-25 where he earned a reputation as a rising coaching talent. Solskjaer would be a surprising appointment — even on a temporary basis — after leaving the club more than four years ago.

The Norwegian initially took over as interim when Jose Mourinho was fired, but inspired such an uplift in atmosphere that he was given the job full time. He came closer than anyone to delivering a first Premier League title since club great Alex Ferguson’s retirement when the team finished second five years ago, 12 points behind Manchester City. Since leaving United, Solskjaer has spoken openly about his disappointment after failing to sign stars like Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham that would have boosted his chances of delivering success.

Mourinho also steered United to second — but was 19 points behind champion City in 2018. Under Ferguson, United dominated the Premier League since its inception in 1992 — winning 13 titles — but has not been champion since his final season in 2013. Amorim was fired on Monday after only 14 months in the job and a slew of unwanted records such as United’s worst season in the Premier League era last term.

But he departed with United still in a strong position to secure Champions League qualification for next season, with the club believing a change would enhance its chances of rising up the standings. “Everyone expects Manchester United to be on the top and winning,” Fletcher said. “That’s the standard. That’s what we all have to try to achieve. That’s a standard that’s set for everyone at the club and I just do my best in whatever role I’m in to help make that happen.”

Sporting director Jason Wilcox is leading the search for an interim and the next long-term appointment. By waiting until the end of the season for a full-time replacement for Amorim, United would likely have more options when potential candidates are out of contract or rival clubs are more open to releasing coaches. Names speculated so far include Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner, Fulham’s Marco Silva and Marseille’s Roberto De Zerbi.