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Manchester United remain steadfast in their commitment to manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but have been looking at options to replace the Norwegian, should his position become untenable. Mauricio Pochettino heads that shortlist, but it is now being reported that RB Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann could be a potential target.
Solskjaer bought himself some more time in the job with a big win over Everton in the Premier League on Saturday. A brace from Bruno Fernandes and Edinson Cavani's first Manchester United goal gave the Red Devils a 3-1 win.
It was a much-needed win for Solskjaer at the end of a tough week, that saw Manchester United lose to both Arsenal and Istanbul Basaksehir by one-goal margins.
After flying high with the 5-0 win over RB Leipzig at Old Trafford, Solskjaer was brought back down to earth last week. Even though Manchester United had said that the Everton game was not make or break for Solskjaer, the pressure on him would have been immense if they had lost.
According to ESPN, Solskjaer still had the faith of the Manchester United board even after the loss to Istanbul Basaksehir. They also reported that there has been an acceptance within the club hierarchy that recent results have not been good enough.
Julian Nagelsmann highly regarded by Manchester United hierarchy
ESPN are also reporting that former Spurs manager Pochettino would be the obvious alternative, if Manchester United decide to pull the plug on Solskjaer, but that Nagelsmann will also be in consideration.
The ESPN report also states that Nagelsmann's development of young players, and his teams' attacking style of football have caught the eye of the decision-makers at Manchester United. They believe that those two factors are central to the Manchester United philosophy, which is why Nagelsmann is in consideration.
Nagelsmann only joined RB Leipzig at the start of the 2019-20 season, having made his name as a Bundesliga coach during his time with Hoffenheim, where started off as the youngest head coach in the German top-flight.
After a successful period at Hoffenheim, that included even taking them into the group stages of the UEFA Champions League, Nagelsmann's first season at RB Leipzig ended with a semifinal appearance in Europe's premier club competition, beating Tottenham Hotspur and Atletico Madrid in the knockout stages.
If Solskjaer is sacked mid-season though, ESPN are reporting that an approach for Nagelsmann could be made complicated by his existing contract at RB Leipzig, and whether they would be willing to let him go.
