Club legend Ruud van Nistelrooy, who returned to Old Trafford as Ten Hag’s assistant in the summer, will take on temporary duty.

So who could be next to try what David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ten Hag have struggled to do since Sir Alex’s departure?

This will be United’s first managerial appointment since Ineos took sporting control of the club.

Here are some of the contestants…

The Sporting head coach is highly rated after being linked with previous vacancies at Liverpool and West Ham earlier this year.

Amorim’s stock is high after winning the Primera Liga title last season, but could he wait for a different job at Manchester City in England’s north-west?

If asked, does the Manchester United job sound very attractive? There have long been rumors that Southgate will return to manage the club for the first time since leaving Middlesbrough in 2009.

In many ways, this could be the ideal environment for him. Southgate had his critics as England boss, but he was widely praised for his role in the complete overhaul of the FA’s youth development (dubbed ‘England DNA’), which he co-led with Dan Ashworth, now sporting director at Old Trafford.

The move to United will reunite a successful partnership.

Another prospect with strong links to Ashworth laid the foundations for Roberto De Zerbi to guide the club to Europe for the first time after their time together at Brighton & Hove Albion.

There are mitigating factors though; The ownership, vision and direction were new and Mauricio Pochettino struggled with similar problems last season. But now, in the third season of his post-Roman Abramovich project, things are starting to look up under Enzo Maresca.

Potter is a smart coach with clear ideas and has been putting himself back in the spotlight with recent media appearances. At Brighton, he often talked about making the most of slim margins; This was something Sir Dave Brailsford would have liked. His ability to thrive within a clear structure could make him an attractive appointment for Ineos.

Big name Xavi, who has been unemployed since leaving Barcelona in the summer, recently excited some Red Devils fans by posting a photo on Instagram of his son wearing a Manchester United jersey.

Although this means absolutely nothing, it contributed to the legendary midfielder’s name being mentioned as a contender.

Xavi, who was appointed by Barça in November 2021 following the dismissal of Ronald Koeman, won La Liga in his first season as coach and lifted the cup in 2023 despite financial constraints.

Having achieved a string of victories as a player, there is no doubt that Xavi will earn the respect of the United dressing room.

-0 Speaking of respect, how about a man who won the UEFA Champions League three times and La Liga twice in his only managerial tenure at Real Madrid?

Zinedine Zidane has been out of work since leaving the Bernabeu in 2021, but has previously been heavily linked with Manchester United and reports suggest he has been approached before.

He is highly regarded by punters, but it is understood Zidane does not speak English fluently, which has the potential to affect working within the Ineos structure.

Perhaps the next few weeks will serve as an audition for Van Nistelrooy to become fit to accept the job.

Only 10 players have scored more goals for United than the Dutchman, who scored 150 times in five seasons at Old Trafford. He has the love of many fans but does not have an impressive management record.

Van Nistelrooy won the Dutch Cup with PSV Eindhoven last year but there were reports that the players were unhappy with his methods.

It is unknown how many games he played for United; He has games against Leicester (twice), Chelsea and PAOK before the next international.

Solskjaer has transformed the caretaker role into a longer-term position; Could the same thing happen again, or will the hierarchy be postponed due to this trend?

Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna is one of the highest-rated coaches in UK football and knows Solskjaer-coached United well; Edin Terzic was also linked after leaving Borussia Dortmund at the end of last season, despite guiding the club. To the Champions League final.