Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has reportedly drawn up a shortlist of five names to be the next full-time manager at Old Trafford.
However, while the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Zinedine Zidane, Laurent Blanc and current interim boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer feature in the quintet of candidates, there's a shock new name to enter the picture and it's Red Bull Salzburg's manager Marco Rose, who has impressed the United hierarchy in recent months.
The Sun reported on New Year's Day that Pochettino is still the number one candidate, but if Tottenham Hotspur continue their progression under the heralded Argentine gaffer then he may not be willing to switch Premier League clubs and may remain at the north London club.
If Pochettino elects to stay at Spurs then Woodward and the United board will need to look elsewhere and it's Salzburg boss Rose that has shone at the Austrian club and the 42-year-old could throw his hat into the ring as a potential candidate for one of the biggest jobs in football.
Solskjaer has excelled in his short time at Old Trafford with three wins on the bounce bringing some positivity to the club, so if he can continue to maintain the recent upturn in fortunes then he will be towards the top of Woodward's list, while former Real Madrid boss Zidane is still yet to take up a job in the dugout since departing the Spanish giants, and he would prove a popular choice amongst fans.
Former defender Blanc is another man rumoured to be in line with a chance of grabbing the United job, but Rose masterminded Red Bull Salzburg's surge to the Austrian title and the semi-finals of the Europa League and could be the young, vibrant manager United need to see them return to challenge for the Premier League title. At the moment, the Red Devils have plummeted down the pecking order behind the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City, so the next full-time boss will need to be the right choice after Jose Mourinho's exit left the fans in the doldrums.
