Manchester United Step Up Managerial Search With 'Four Names In The Running To Succeed Ralf Rangnick'

Manchester United have reportedly drawn up a four-man shortlist of candidates to be the next permanent manager at Old Trafford.

Interim boss Ralf Rangnick was placed in charge of the side until the end of the season after former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked in November.

Rangnick will move into a consultancy role at the end of the campaign and United are currently searching for his successor.

Spain head coach Luis Enrique is on the four-man shortlist (Image: Alamy)

According to The Athletic, United have identified four candidates for the role: Mauricio Pochettino, Erik ten Hag, Luis Enrique and Julen Lopetegui.

United are keen to appoint a manager with European experience, which all four candidates possess.

Former Tottenham manager Pochettino, the only name on the list with Premier League experience, was strongly linked with the United job earlier this season.

Pochettino was reportedly considering leaving Paris Saint-Germain to take charge of United, prior to Rangnick’s appointment.

PSG head coach Mauricio Pochettino has been consistently linked with United (Image: Alamy)

Instead he remained at the Parc des Princes and has guided PSG to the top of Ligue 1.

Ajax head coach Ten Hag has also been consistently linked with United and has suggested he would be willing to leave Dutch football for the right opportunity.

"I think I'm ready for it," Ten Hag told Dutch outlet De Volkskrant last month.

"I would be happy to take up that challenge, but I'm not chasing it. If it turns out that that step will never come, I will not say that my coaching career has failed.

Sevilla head coach Julen Lopetegui is also being considered (Image: Alamy)

"But I think I have sufficient qualities to take on that challenge."

Former Barcelona head coach Enrique is also being considered after impressing with the Spanish national side.

Enrique led his nation to the semi-final of Euro 2020 and the final of Nations League, where they lost to France.

Former Real Madrid boss Lopetegui was Enrique’s predecessor with Spain and has been in charge of Sevilla since 2019.

Lopetegui has guided the Spanish club to second in La Liga this season, four points behind league leaders Real Madrid.