Solskjaer 'Could Receive Huge Bonus' If Man Utd Qualify for Champions League

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is reportedly in line for a huge bonus if he takes the Manchester United job and qualifies the club for next season's Champions League.

The Norwegian is in talks with United over becoming the club's new interim manager following the sacking of Ruben Amorim on Monday.

Fellow former players Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher and Ruud van Nistelrooy are also said to be in the frame for the role, with a permanent successor set to be sought in the summer.

Solskjaer took the interim role at United after Jose Mourinho was sacked in December 2018.

He was given the managerial job permanently in the following summer, and guided United to a Europa League final and a second-placed finish in the Premier League in 2020.

But he was sacked in November 2021 following a poor start to the 2021/22 season.

Solskjaer was sacked by Turkish club Besiktas in August (Image: Getty)

The Norwegian remains popular among United supporters, although there has been a mixed reaction to the possibility of him returning to the club for a second spell.

According to Norwegian outlet Nettavisen, Solskjaer is reportedly willing to take a pay cut from his previous United contract in order to take the role.

It is claimed that he would likely earn between £50,000 and £60,000 per week in the interim role at Old Trafford.

The report adds that, should Solskjaer qualify United for the Champions League, he would earn a staggering sum of between £3 and £4 million as a bonus payment.

Solskjaer was in charge of Man Utd between 2018 and 2021 (Image: Getty)

While the figure is significant, it perhaps reflects just how important elite European football is at Manchester United, with financial limitations said to affect how they operate in the transfer market.

Minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has triggered a series of cost-cutting measures since arriving at the club in 2024.

Ratcliffe argued that the club would have gone bankrupt 'by Christmas' last year without the measures, which included around 450 job cuts.

The club's accounts showed that United paid around £36 million in compensation during the 2024/25 financial year, including a combined £14.5 million to manager Erik ten Hag and sporting director Dan Ashworth.