Manchester United have five names on their shortlist as the club moves to appoint a new interim manager who will see out the rest of the season.
Until a manager of Mauricio Pochettino's ilk becomes available, a new report indicates that a temporary appointment could be made in the meantime - of which there are five standout candidates.
The Daily Mail claim that Ernesto Valverde, Lucien Favre, Ralf Rangnick, Paulo Fonseca and Rudi Garcia have all been shortlisted to take on the head coach role until the end of the current season.
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However, as history shows with the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer back in 2018, circumstances can very quickly change if a temporary manager hits the ground running.
The most high-profile, and arguably sought-after name on the list is that of Valverde, who was most-recently in charge of FC Barcelona. During a three-year spell, he managed to win back-to-back La Liga titles, as well as a solitary Copa Del Rey trophy.
Rather unfairly, however, his tenure was defined by Barcelona's catastrophic Champions League Semi-final defeat to Liverpool, where Jurgen Klopp's side overcame a 3-0 first-leg deficit to progress.
Ralf Rangnick is another contender with a fine resume, having helped transform RB Leipzig into perennial Bundesliga title contenders.
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The German is also something of a footballing revolutionary, often credited with popularising 'Gegenpressing' in his home country.
Another manager on the shortlist with prior experience in the Bundesliga is Lucien Favre, who was last employed by Borussia Dortmund.
He departed as manager with a DFB Pokal trophy to his name, although it was his work with Borussia Monchengladbach previously that made the Swiss coaches' name.
Ex-Lyon coach Rudi Garcia could also be in line for the position. The Frenchman did a fine job of reinventing Lyon after several barron years, leading the side to a remarkable victory over Manchester City in the 2019/20 Champions League Quarter-final stage.
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He is also a former Ligue 1 winner, having led Eden Hazard's Lille to the domestic title in 2011.
Paulo Fonseca is a name that Spurs fans will be familiar with, as the former Roma head coach was heavily linked with their vacant managerial role back in the summer.
And yet, all five may ultimately be shunned if Michael Carrick can maintain his good start to life as caretaker manager.
The former midfielder was in charge for Tuesday night's visit to Villareal, which saw the away side win 2-0 thanks to late goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and a club first for Jadon Sancho.
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After Solksjaer's slightly opportunistic appointment previously, don't bet against the United board choosing to stick with Carrick until the end of the season - especially if PSG boss Pochettino cannot be poached until next summer.
Topics: Manchester United, Mauricio Pochettino, Ralf Rangnick, Premier League, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Old Trafford, Ernesto Valverde
