Manchester United is closing in on appointing Ralf Rangnick as the club's interim manager until the end of the season, according to multiple reports.
The Red Devils have held advanced talks with the 63-year-old, and it is expected he will soon be announced as a short-term replacement for sacked former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and current caretaker Michael Carrick, who was Solskjaer's assistant.
Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino has been on United's radar, but the Ligue 1 giants reportedly knocked back an initial inquiry. Rangnick would steer the ship until the end of the season.
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Pochettino, the former Tottenham boss, is keen to make the move to Old Trafford and would be open to leaving PSG in the middle of the current season. However, it is understood that intermediaries sounded out the French side over letting him go and were knocked back, with the Ligue 1 side not interested in allowing their head coach to leave during the season.
Consequently, the United board has been working through a five-man shortlist as it searched for an interim successor to Solskjaer.
It is understood that conversations with Rangnick have been positive and he is expected to take the position on a sixth-month basis. He could then stay on after the season in a consultancy role.
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Rangnick's career as manager
During his coaching career, Rangnick has managed five clubs in the Bundesliga, including Schalke and RB Leipzig.
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It was with Schalke that he enjoyed the most success, finishing runner-up in Germany's top flight in the 2004-05 season and claiming the DFB-Pokal and DFL-Supercup in 2011.
In 2012, Rangnick became director of football for both RB Leipzig and Austrian sister club Red Bull Salzburg, with the 63-year-old having played a significant role in helping Leipzig rise from the fourth tier of German football to the Bundesliga.
Rangnick is currently Manager of Sports and Development at Russian Premier League side Lokomotiv Moscow, where he was appointed to the role back in July 2021.
