Ex-Premier League boss edges closer to Manchester United job as current players expect departure

Few would have been surprised by the Manchester United hierarchy’s decision to relieve Ole Gunnar Solskjaer of his duties on Sunday, after a dismal start to the new campaign. 

The Red Devils were defeated 4-1 by newly-promoted Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday, their third league defeat in their last four games and fifth of the season so far.

Solskjaer had overseen his side win just six of their 16 games since their opening day victory over Leeds United, and those in charge at the club ultimately decided they had seen enough after the humiliating defeat to the Hornets.

Now, talk has turned to who might replace the Norwegian in the hot seat at Old Trafford.

Former United midfielder Michael Carrick has been placed in interim charge of the club, while Ajax boss Erik Ten Haag emerged as the early favourite for the job in the long term.

Carrick has been put in caretaker charge.

Now, a former Premier League boss appears to be in line for the role, and it is now being reported that he could be on his way to Manchester sooner than expected.

As per Spanish outlet Marca, Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino is expected to leave his current side and join United, with Zinedine Zidane expected to replace the Argentine in the French capital.

The report suggests that the PSG players are expecting their head coach to depart for United, while The Mirror reports that the Premier League side could have to pay as much as £8.4 million in compensation to prise the manager away from his current side.

The French giants are currently top of the Ligue 1 table, and will be confident of regaining the title after losing out to Lille last season, with summer recruits Lionel Messi, Gini Wijnaldum and Gianluigi Donnarumma strengthening their cause.

Pochettino first arrived in the English top flight in January 2013 when he became Southampton manager, and then joined Tottenham Hotspur just over a year later.

After five years in North London, the Argentine left Spurs in 2019, having guided the club to the Champions League final less than a year earlier.

He then joined PSG in January 2021, and won his first major honour as a manager within a fortnight of taking over, beating Marseille 2-1 in the Trophee des Champions.

Now, however, it appears that the former Espanyol manager could be edging closer to a return to England.