Manchester United will give Ralf Rangnick a say over who succeeds him as manager at Old Trafford, while it is possible that he could land the job himself.
United have agreed a deal for the German to take over the reins as interim head coach, though he will not be in the dugout for Sunday’s game with Chelsea as he is still waiting for a work permit.
The Red devils will also hand Rangnick a consultancy role once his tenure as manager at the club is over, which will last until 2024.
As part of that role, The Telegraph claim that Rangnick will be key in the decision-making process when it comes to appointing who takes over from him.
Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino and Ajax’s Erik ten Hag are the leading candidates for the role and United hope Rangnick will be able to decide the perfect coach after working with the players for six months and determining what is needed.
The more impressive Rangnick’s tenure is, the more significant his say will be – though there is a possibility he could emerge as a contender himself at the end of the campaign.
Although United’s intention remains to sign a top-class permanent manager in the summer, were Rangnick to excel and win a trophy then he could be given the job beyond the end of the season and his consultancy role scrapped.
The German’s preference is to coach in the Premier League, despite having worked behind the scenes in sporting director roles over the last decade.
There have been claims that Rangnick’s influence in his new consultancy role could put off some coaches from taking the United job, with the former Leipzig chief a controlling figure.
Pochettino might be reluctant to work under such a demanding figure and would not want his role to be limited to simply coaching the players.
United’s players are reported to be intrigued by the prospect of working under Rangnick, though they could have to wait a little longer with a delay to his work permit application meaning Michael Carrick could remain as caretaker boss for the clash with Arsenal.
