Manchester United hope to be in a position to confirm their new manager by the end of next month at the latest.
The timeline United are currently working towards in their ‘thorough process for the appointment of a new manager’ significantly increases the prospect that their pick will still have a job to finish elsewhere when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s permanent successor is announced.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Mauricio Pochettino and Ajax’s Erik ten Hag are the leading, though not the only, contenders.
Pochettino’s future at the French league leaders is in doubt though after their Champions League collapse and exit against Real Madrid this week.
Sportsmail reported yesterday that amid the links with other managers including Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti, Pochettino wants United to convince him that he is their No.1 choice before he would agree to accept the job.
Current interim boss Ralf Rangnick has also not given up on securing the role long term.
The European club campaign does not conclude until the Champions League final on May 28 while the summer transfer window opens on June 9.
The plan United have mapped out will allow their next manager greater scope to be involved in their preparations for the forthcoming window, with the uncertainty over who will be in charge currently impacting transfer, contract talks and squad planning, and also the 2022/23 season.
It is also an indication of the determination of United’s new hierarchy, including CEO Richard Arnold and football director John Murtough, to give their next manager every opportunity to hit the ground running.
Should everything run according to schedule United’s next will be the earliest summer managerial appointment they have made since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013.
David Moyes was confirmed as Ferguson’s successor on May 9 but did not start work officially until July 1.
Louis Van Gaal was announced on May 19, 2014 but had to wait until after that summer’s World Cup, where he was in charge of the Netherlands, before he begun.
Van Gaal’s departure two years later was an open secret but was not confirmed until two days after he won the 2016 FA Cup.
Jose Mourinho was then announced as Manchester United manager on May 27.