Manchester United accepted defeat over ‘ideal’ Julian Naelsmann in manager hunt

Manchester United would have loved to appoint Julian Nagelsmann as manager this summer, but have been forced to accept that he would not want to leave Bayern Munich to take up the job at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils’ search for a new manager continues, with Ralf Rangnick nearing the end of his stint as interim boss, although they do not look especially close to finding his successor.

Ajax’s Erik ten Hag and Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino remain the leading candidates, while Spanish pair Julen Lopetegui and Luis Enrique are still in the running but less likely prospects.

It would have been Nagelsmann ahead of all four men, though, if Manchester Untied thought they could attract the 34-year-old sensation away from Bayern.

A source told Sky Sports: ‘In an ideal world, Julian Nagelsmann would walk into the club this summer.’ However, he only joined Bayern last year and would have no interest in leaving Bavaria for a club in the unstable state United find themselves.

The Sky Sports report that Nagelsmann may well end up in the Premier League after a stint at Bayern, but replacing Pep Guardiola at Manchester City or Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool would be more likely options.

Naglesmann was linked with United back in 2020 as a possible replacement for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, while he also has a relationship with Rangnick having both worked at RB Leipzig.

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