Massimiliano Allegri wants to be considered for the Manchester United manager’s job when it becomes available at the end of the season.
Mauricio Pochettino, the Tottenham Hotspur manager, remains United’s first choice but other candidates, including the Juventus manager, have not been ruled out.
United are committed to conducting what club officials have described as a “thorough and extensive” recruitment process when it comes to determining who should succeed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the caretaker manager, at the end of the season.
Allegri, 51, led Juventus to four successive Serie A titles and took the Italian club to the Champions League final in 2015 and 2017. He is understood to have been taking English lessons over the past year and would like to work in the Premier League. He has let it be known that he would be keen on taking the job at Old Trafford, which is vacant after the sacking of José Mourinho.
Diego Simeone, the Atletico Madrid manager, has also been mentioned as a possible successor to Mourinho among the United hierarchy, although Pochettino is the clear favourite for the job because of the work he has done at Tottenham in the past four and a half years.
Solskjaer has claimed comprehensive victories over Cardiff City and Huddersfield Town in his first two matches in charge but it is understood that the chances of the Molde manager being given the job full time are slim, even if United go on an exceptional run under his stewardship.
The Norwegian club have insisted that the former United striker will return to his role in May.
Marcus Rashford has played well in Solskjaer’s first two games, scoring the first goal of his reign against Cardiff and nearly setting up Diogo Dalot for a goal on Boxing Day had the full back not missed the chance.
Still, Solskjaer believes that Rashford can improve and, having scored 126 goals for the club himself, intends to give some advice to the 21-year-old on how he can become more ruthless.
“I don’t think the team is used to his pace,” Solskjaer told TV2, the Norwegian broadcaster. “We must look for it earlier.
“The speed is his strength. I’m going to work on his finishing. He just has to calm down a bit. He has a good shot from outside the box. Within the box he must work to keep calm and just aim to put the ball past the goalkeeper.”
Solskjaer, who scored 126 goals for United, intends to help Rashford improve his record in front of goalSIMON GALLOWAY/PA
Solskjaer will reveal today whether Anthony Martial, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sánchez will be fit enough for United’s match at home to Bournemouth on Sunday.
Martial has been out with illness and Lukaku has been on compassionate leave, while Sánchez returned to Manchester this week after undergoing treatment on a hamstring injury he sustained last month.
Solskjaer is expecting a far tougher challenge against Bournemouth and next Wednesday’s opponents, Newcastle United.
“With all due respect to Huddersfield, the two battles against Bournemouth and Newcastle will be more difficult,” he said.
Paul Pogba is almost certain to keep his place in the team after his man-of-the-match display against the Yorkshire club.
The Frenchman, who had a turbulent relationship with Mourinho, has found a new lease of life under Solskjaer.
Nemanja Matic, the United holding midfielder, said that Pogba’s confidence is growing under his new manager. “He’s very important for us and when he plays at his best, he can make the difference in every game,” he said.
“He played very well against Huddersfield but I think that he can do even more. Slowly, game by game [he can improve]. It was very important for him to score some goals.
“The confidence for the next one is going to be bigger and he needs to know that he still can improve.
“He needs to know that he’s very important for this team.
“His quality can make the difference every game and I hope that he will continue like this.”
