The Norwegian manager has, as most people know before, managed Manchester United and could return on a deal for the rest of the season.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer faces a potentially embarrassing reunion if he returns to Manchester United, with two players still at the club from his first spell as manager.
Read: Wants to bring goal machine Tammy Abraham back and create competition for Ollie Watkins
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick are the two main candidates to become interim manager at Old Trafford for the rest of the season, following the sacking of disastrous Rúben Amorim. The Portuguese was sacked the day after a 1-1 draw against Leeds United at Elland Road, following a rupture in his relationship with sporting director Jason Wilcox behind the scenes.
The plan is to bring in an interim manager and push the issue with a permanent one until after the season.
Darren Fletcher is currently in temporary charge of the team and oversaw United’s 2-2 Premier League draw against Burnley at Turf Moor in midweek. The former midfielder will be in charge again tomorrow at Old Trafford when United face Brighton & Hove Albion in the third round of the FA Cup.
Manchester United’s next game after this one is on January 17 against Manchester City at Old Trafford, when an interim manager could be in place.
Both Solskjaer and Carrick have previously been in charge of United for varying periods. Carrick led United for three games after Solskjaer’s dismissal at the end of 2021, before Ralf Rangnick’s tenure as interim manager.
Solskjaer initially took temporary charge of United in 2018 following Jose Mourinho’s departure, which was later made permanent in March 2019. In his two full seasons as manager, Solskjaer led United to third and second place in the Premier League, as well as to the final of the Europa League, which Villarreal won on penalties.
Read: Real Madrid want to ‘rob’ one of Tottenham’s best players
The 52-year-old was sacked in November 2021 after a poor spell, and has since had a spell as manager of Turkish club Beşiktaş, where he was sacked in August 2025 after failing to qualify for European football.
Last year, Solskjaer said that he had only heard from three United players since he left the club.
Two of those three are still at United in the form of Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire, as well as defender Victor Lindelöf who is now at Aston Villa after his Old Trafford contract expired last summer.
That could mean potentially embarrassing reunions with players like Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw, who are still permanent fixtures at Manchester United and are going back to Solskjaer’s first spell as manager.
Dalot was sent out on loan to AC Milan during Solskjaer’s tenure in the 2020-21 season, but has since returned and become a first choice on either the right or left wing.
Shaw has had well-documented injury problems during his time at Old Trafford, but has started all 21 of United’s Premier League games so far this season.
In May 2025, he told BBC Sport: “For me, Harry Maguire has always been a leader and a giant. I was never in doubt when I signed him. He walked in the door that he wanted to be captain. Of course, there is another captain there, Bruno.
“So those two, top people. Those two and Victor are probably the only ones I’ve heard from at the club since I left.”
Carrick is said to have already met the United bosses earlier in the week, and Solskjaer met them face-to-face today.
