KEY POINTS

  • Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been under-fire following the club's poor run
  • The Red Devils are reportedly working on his dismissal and a replacement is already being eyed
  • Solskjaer insisted that he's focused on leading the team to victory again

Manchester United may have already decided on the future of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Following Manchester United’s disappointing run en route to the international break, fans have been calling for the firing of Solskjaer as the club’s manager.

An earlier report said that people “around” Manchester United were “shocked” by the club’s decision to allow the Norwegian coach to continue.

However, that is not what seems to be happening at the moment as the Red Devils have “privately decided” to replace Solskjaer, Manchester Evening News reported.

According to the report, “a change of manager will be required,” but the timetable for Solskjaer’s departure is yet to be finalized as Manchester United is still trying to work things out with the replacement.

Solskjaer is likely to continue as the club’s manager at least until the end of the season, the report said, citing “a senior club source.”

As things stand, the report added that Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers is still the favorite to replace Solskjaer.

However, the 48-year-old is still under contract with the Foxes until June 2023, and Manchester United would have to convince Leicester to agree to a deal for Rodgers’ release.

Moreover, the Old Trafford outfit would also need to “pay compensation” to Solskjaer should the club push through with his untimely dismissal.

Rodgers's revenge: Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers was sacked by Liverpool in 2015
Rodgers's revenge: Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers was sacked by Liverpool in 2015 AFP / Oli SCARFF

Aside from Rodgers, former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane is also heavily linked to a coaching job at Manchester United.

Recent reports claim that Zidane is now interested in replacing Solskjaer, but his wife Veronique is not liking “the idea of living in Manchester,’ per reputable insider Duncan Castles.

“According to a close friend, Veronique Zidane is not attracted to the idea of living in Manchester and would prefer her husband to take a longer break before returning to football,” Castles wrote.

Solskjaer has yet to provide any update about his current status with Manchester United, but he had insisted after the derby loss to Manchester City that the club still appoints him to lead the team.

“For me, it's about back to what we started to look like, we started to look like a proper team, we started to look like a team I like to see,” Solskjaer explained. "I have good communication with the club all the time which is upfront and honest. I work for Man United, I want the best for Man United. As long as I am here I want to improve this."