Ralf Rangnick ‘set to become new Man Utd interim manager’

Manchester United could be closing in on appointing a new interim manager, with reports on Thursday saying Ralf Rangnick is set take charge of the club.

The Athletic claims that the former RB Leipzig coach “has reached an agreement” with United and that the club do not anticipate his current employers Lokomotiv Moscow blocking the move.

The report also says Rangnick will be given a six-month contract and will have a further two-year consultancy role upon its conclusion.

The 63-year-old isn’t expected to be in charge for United’s game against Chelsea this weekend due to work permit reasons, which means the team will be taken by Michael Carrick. Therefore Rangnick’s first game in charge could come against Arsenal on 2 December.

Journalist Miguel Delaney has tweeted to say the deal is not 100% finalised but is “on it’s way”. He also said Rangnick was first mentioned by the club in October.

Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano claims the consultancy role will have “power on club choices”.

The Manchester Evening News also report that Rangnick flew to Manchester earlier this week and rejected United’s first offer, before accepted a second on improved terms.

Rangnick’s coaching background

The German is currently working as Lokomotiv’s Head of Sports and Development, but his coaching experience comes exclusively in Germany, having managed Stuttgart, Schalke, RB Leipzig among others.

Rangnick is often credited with advances in the pressing system over the last decade and is seen as a major influence on the career’s of several esteemed coaches such as Jurgen Klopp, Thomas Tuchel and Ralph Hassenhuttl.

It was at Leipzig where he first moved into a more non-coaching role and he revolutionised the club’s scouting network, while working towards a more holistic view of how they were run, with scouting, transfers and playing style all aligned.

Rangnick last managed in 2018/19, a season in which he led Leipzig to third in the Bundesliga.