Six candidates who could be the new Manchester United manager after Ruben Amorim is sacked by club

The never-ending drama at Manchester United continues as we roll into the first week of 2026, with the club announcing the departure of boss Ruben Amorim. 

United decided to remove the Portuguese from his post after his outburst in the aftermath of his side's 1-1 draw with Leeds on Sunday. 

Amorim made a point of stating he was there to manage the club and not just coach, despite his official title being 'head coach', and that after his contract ends in 18 months, he would leave the club. 

However, it seems those comments, along with the Red Devils' erratic performances during Amorim's time in charge, have seen the club decide to sack their manager ahead of the game with Burnley on Wednesday. 

DAZN News looks at six possible names who could be next in line for the Old Trafford hot seat... 

Darren Fletcher 

The man given the reins on an interim basis in the aftermath of Ruben Amorim's departure, who now gets an audition to see if he has what it takes to be the long-term replacement and if he actually wants the role. 

What Fletcher has in his favour is the obvious huge connection with the club, having first joined Manchester United as an 11-year-old. He'd go on to make nearly 350 appearances for the club and win five Premier League titles at the back end of United's glory years. 

Since retiring, he's exclusively coached at the club, with spells as the manager of the under-16s and under-18s, as well as a brief stint as technical director before Jason Wilcox took on the role. 

It's doubtful that right now he's seen as the long-term option, but the former Scotland international spent a lot of his playing career trying to prove people wrong, and that could extend into his first managerial post. 

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Oliver Glasner 

With his contract up at the end of the season, Glasner could be an option for United if they wait until the summer - although that wasn't an option when they appointed Amorim last year, despite the Portuguese initially wanting to wait until the end of the season before making his move to Manchester. 

However, his achievements at Crystal Palace have firmly put his name in the frame for a bigger job at some point. The Austrian led the Eagles to their first-ever major trophy in 2025 with their FA Cup win and followed that up with a Community Shield at the start of the campaign. 

His style of play may not go down well with some at United, but Glasnar has definitely earned his chance further up the Premier League food chain. 

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Gareth Southgate 

There's a lot of what Gareth Southgate did as England boss that would go down very well at Old Trafford, but as well as he did internationally, the jury is still out on him as a club manager. 

The unity and man management Southgate brought to the national set-up changed the perception of the Three Lions and gave fans a team to like and get behind once again after years of disconnect. Something that, let's be honest, would ideally be replicated at United. 

It's no secret that he's highly thought of by Jim Ratcliffe and the decision makers at the club, and it feels like the right time for him to make a comeback following the end of his England reign last summer. 

However, the lingering doubt in his record at his only other club job at Middlesbrough, where he failed to keep the club in the Premier League. 

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Enzo Maresca 

A job swap that only football could seem to throw up, but would Enzo Maresca want to jump from the frying pan of Chelsea into the fire at Old Trafford? 

One of the Italian's main gripes at Stamford Bridge was the lack of control over certain areas of his job, and it's likely he'd walk into the same situation in Manchester, too, which could see the club in the same position at some point. 

There's also still a view that it's hard to know if Maresca is a 'top' manager. Despite winning promotion with Leicester and delivering both the Europa Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup for Chelsea, neither fan base seemed too unhappy when he left the club. 

At the Bridge, there were concerns over his playing style and his ability to make changes when it mattered, so his next choice of job really needs to be a right fit for him to showcase how good a coach he really is. 

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Laurent Blanc 

A former Manchester United player, having won the Premier League title with them in 2003, Blanc has carved out a curious managerial career, which means he no longer gets linked with some of the 'bigger' jobs. 

However, he would be an easier option as the World Cup winner is currently without a job, having left Al-Ittihad in September despite leading the Saudi side to the domestic double last season. 

As well as his success in the Middle East, Blanc has also coached in Qatar and won league titles in his homeland with both Bordeaux and PSG. 

He may not be the most attractive option, given he's kind of dropped off the radar, but it could be a shrewd move with the former defender needing to prove a point in his coaching career. 

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Kieran McKenna 

The Ipswich boss cut his coaching teeth at Old Trafford and was linked with the post previously before they plumped for Ruben Amorim. 

After working under Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Ralf Rangnick at United, McKenna took on his first post as number one when he was appointed the Tractor Boys manager in 2021, when the club were in League One. 

With Ipswich, the Northern Irishman led the club to back-to-back promotions and a Premier League return for the first time in twenty-five years. 

And, although his first stab at life as a Premier League boss didn't go to plan, with Ipswich failing to survive upon their top-flight return, he is still highly thought of at the club. 

Whether or not he's ready to leave the safe structure at Portman Road, where the club are among the promotion chasers in the Championship, for the craziness of Manchester is another question. 

Ipswich Town

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