Manchester United see Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner as a top candidate to succeed Ruben Amorim, as they currently lean towards a summer appointment of a permanent coach.
Ineos’s football leadership now have another big decision to make, after a series of missteps that have left the club facing up to another restart.
The club will assess some of the names they looked at back in the summer of 2024, including Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna, although there is also appreciation for the job that Enzo Maresca has done at Chelsea.
The manner in which Glasner has made Crystal Palace one of the toughest teams in the Premier League, to go with the euphoria of winning their first-ever trophy in the 2025 FA Cup, had already captured attention.
There are some stylistic questions over how suited he is to a team that would seek to dominate possession, not to mention the use of three at the back, but a key to the Austrian’s rise has been a far greater adaptability than Amorim.
The timing could also work for United if they wait until the summer, since the 51-year-old is widely expected to leave Selhurst Park then.
Glasner has actually faced his own tensions this season, having publicly bristled against Palace sales, while demanding more signings. There is nevertheless a feeling that he would prefer to see the season out and win the club their first European trophy, in the Europa Conference League.
United will make clear to any candidate that the head coach sits within a wider structure, terms that suddenly became a flashpoint for Amorim given his controversial last press conference. McKenna and Maresca may particularly appeal for such a role.
Some sources also maintain that Julian Nagelsmann could have a chance, as the increasingly influential United recruitment director, Christopher Vivell, knows his work well from Red Bull Leipzig. Nagelsmann may also want a return to club football after the 2026 World Cup with Germany.
Much will depend on how quickly minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants a permanent appointment, but the feeling as of Amorim’s departure is that the club will wait.
