RB Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann is reportedly on Manchester United’s list of potential replacements for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, amid the mounting pressure regarding the Norwegian’s future at Old Trafford.
The current United boss has overseen a shaky start to the new season for United, with his side currently 15th in the table having won just two of their opening six Premier League fixtures.
The Red Devils had appeared to have turned things around after the international break, with a thumping win over Newcastle United, as well as impressive Champions League victories over Paris Saint-Germain and Leipzig quietening the doubters somewhat.
That all changed over the past week, however, with United putting in another drab performance at home in the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at the weekend, before they succumbed to a shock midweek defeat to Champions League newcomers Istanbul Basaksehir, with the Turkish champions running out 2-1 winners after some schoolboy defending from the visitors.
Such form has once again put Solskjaer under pressure, with reports this week suggesting that former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has been sounded out over a move to Old Trafford.
The Argentine doesn’t appear to be the only candidate on United’s radar, however, with ESPN reporting that Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann is also under consideration, despite having seen his side fall to a 5-0 defeat in Manchester just a few weeks ago.
The report does suggest that the United hierarchy remains firmly behind club legend Solskjaer, but a continuation of the side’s current form would no doubt alter the situation.
If the Red Devils were to turn to Nagelsmann they would be getting one of the most prominent and exciting managers in world football, with the 33-year-old attracting attention for his success in the Bundesliga at both Hoffenheim and now Leipzig, whom he took to the Champions League semi-finals last season.
The German’s attacking and expansive style of play has endeared him to many onlookers in recent seasons, while his use of a host of young talent has also been admirable and a factor that would suit the United ethos well.
If United were to dispense with Solskjaer during the current campaign, a move for the out of work Pochettino would perhaps be more straightforward, with Nagelsmann unlikely to be able to leave his current job midway through a season.
