November 26, (THEWILL) – Manchester United has agreed to hire Ralf Rangnick as an interim manager for the remainder of the season after reaching an agreement with Lokomotiv Moscow.
United and the former Schalke coach reached an agreement on personal conditions on Thursday, with the German tactician expected to take over for the next seven months before transferring to a two-year advisory role.
Only an agreement with Rangnick’s current employers, Lokomotiv Moscow, was missing, although that was never considered to be a serious impediment.
The transaction has now been finalised and Rangnick will travel to Manchester this weekend to sign his contract. Because he will next need to secure a work permit first, he will not be able to assume control in time for Sunday’s match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Michael Carrick will, therefore, continue to lead the team, with Rangnick hoping to get started as soon as possible.
The experience and knowledge of the 63-year-old are valued by United, and outgoing executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward is said to have personally campaigned for Rangnick to take up a consultant post once the 2021/22 season ends.
Rangnick will very certainly be involved in the hunt for a new permanent manager. The focus remains on Mauricio Pochettino of Paris Saint-Germain, who was the subject of a rejection earlier this week.
While Pochettino was identified as the ideal candidate, PSG were hesitant to let him go midway through the season and immediately sought to put an end to the rumours surrounding their Argentine gaffer, while simultaneously denying that they opened talks with Zinedine Zidane.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
