Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers is reportedly the leading contender to replace under-pressure Ole Gunnar Solskjaer amid Manchester United’s search for a new manager
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reviews Manchester City defeat
There was no admission of flattery, no cheeky glimmer in his eye.
Instead, Brendan Rodgers responded to claims he is Manchester United’s priority target to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with a withering put-down before branding the speculation “not real”.
The startling moment in the Leicester City boss’ press conference on Thursday laid bare the difficulties United are having identifying a replacement for the under-pressure Norwegian.
Old Trafford chiefs passed up newly-appointed Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte, Zinedine Zidane is proving hard to persuade and Erik ten Hag appears perfectly content at Ajax.
In contrast, Rodgers would allegedly “jump” at the opportunity to take over at United due to the vast “attraction” of the job and the “great squad” which would await him.
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Indeed, reports last week even suggested the club’s hierarchy are confident of luring the highly-rated Northern Irishman away from the King Power as they prepare to make a change in the dugout.
After all, which manager would not want to work with a veteran Cristiano Ronaldo still scoring goals for fun, a talismanic playmaker such as Bruno Fernandes and a £200million starting defence?
Well, if Rodgers is secretly ecstatic about leaving his Leicester project to take charge at United, he hid it very well in midweek when quizzed by a reporter about the possibility of replacing Solskjaer.
The former Liverpool boss retorted: “Firstly, it’s really disrespectful for you to ask the question when there is a manager in place – a good manager and a good man – who’s working at the club.
“And secondly, I can’t really comment on it because it’s something that’s not real. I’m here as the Leicester City manager; proud to be here, privileged to be here and fully committed to the players, the club and the ownership.
“And that’s about it, really. All the other noise around that, is something we can’t control.”
How should Manchester United approach the January transfer window? Give your verdict below…
While United are undoubtedly one of the world’s biggest clubs, few could hold it against Rodgers if he decides to see out at least another full season of his Foxes contract, which runs until 2025.
The Red Devils have not won a trophy since 2017, whereas Leicester clinched the FA Cup last season and finished in the Europa League spots for the second successive campaign, just one point behind fourth-placed Chelsea.
Rodgers’ next aim is to lead his gifted squad to the Champions League; United’s increasingly-chaotic managerial search shows they are a club lacking such clear direction.
