Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could make 3 January signings to get gang back together at Man Utd | Other | Sport
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been linked with a remarkable return to Manchester United following the sacking of Ruben Amorim. The Portuguese coach was shown the door on Monday following a falling out with sporting director Jason Wilcox, with under-18s boss Darren Fletcher being placed in charge on a temporary basis.
United are understood to be weighing up their options and plan to start talking to potential candidates imminently. An interim appointment until the end of the season is possible, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer one of the names in the frame. The club legend previously spent nearly three years in charge, first on a caretaker basis and then permanently, between December 2018 and November 2021. While his reign was maligned in some quarters, Solskjaer guided United to third and second in his two full seasons in charge, a far cry from the recent seasons of turmoil and underachievement. If he does return, here are some of the players he could potentially bring back to Old Trafford this month…
Scott McTominay
A player who was trusted by Solskjaer and who, in hindsight, should have been retained. Even before Amorim’s sacking, there were rumours that United would be interested in re-signing the Scotland international, given the team’s need for midfield reinforcements.
Due to his excellent form in Serie A, Napoli have no desire to sell McTominay, although according to reports, they would be willing to listen to offers in the region of £60m, double what United sold him for. Solskjaer would certainly welcome him back to the club, having been critical of the decision to offload to the homegrown star.
David de Gea
The decision to let the club legend leave still rankles with some United fans, especially given the goalkeeping issues the club has experienced with Andre Onana and, to a lesser extent, Altay Bayindir.
Senne Lammens has settled in well since arriving last summer, so De Gea, 35, now of Fiorentina, wouldn’t expect to be number one again straight away. However, having such an experienced and respected figure around the club would bring numerous benefits, whether he plays or not.
Marcus Rashford
Rashford, of course, is still a United player, having joined Barcelona on loan in the summer. However, reuniting him with Solskjaer would be akin to signing a new player.
Rashford generally flourished under Solskjaer, scoring 55 goals in 135 appearances, the most games by any player under the Norwegian. That’s a far cry from his relationship with Amorim, which disintegrated within a matter of weeks, leading to him being ostracised from the first-team squad. It was impossible to see Rashford playing for United again under Amorim, but under Solskjaer?
There is no mechanism for United to recall Rashford this month, so Barca would have to play ball. A summer return would be more likely but the England forward’s United future has taken on a completely different complexion since Amorim’s sacking.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka
The right-back was a regular starter under Solskjaer, making more than 100 appearances and earning the nickname ‘The Spider’ due to his exceptional tackling reach and knack for winning back possession.
His Old Trafford career took a turn for the worse under Erik ten Hag before he was sold to West Ham for just £15million, a third of what United paid Crystal Palace for him. Wan-Bissaka was excellent as the Hammers secured a 1-1 draw against United recently, while the current interim boss, Darren Fletcher, is a fan, having previously hailed his attributes.
Having been one of the Hammers’ best performers in a trying season, he is attracting interest from elsewhere, including from Inter Milan. But would a return to Old Trafford under Solskjaer appeal?
