Manchester United's plan to bring PL club's manager to Old Trafford in coaching role hits stumbling block: Reports
Manchester United are reportedly unlikely to persuade Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Gary O'Neil to join the club in a coaching role.
talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook reports that O'Neil is unlikely to accept a coaching role with the Red Devils. This is because it's effectively a demotion from his current position as head coach of Wolves.
O'Neil has impressed at Molineaux since replacing Julen Lopetegui in the dugout last summer. He's overseen 16 wins in 35 games across competitions, including a 4-2 win away at Chelsea.
The English coach has been linked with joining Manchester United as Sir Jim Ratcliffe looks to start a new era at Old Trafford. ESPN reports that they've lined the former Bournemouth boss up for a job although the role on offer is unspecified.
Erik ten Hag is currently in charge of the Red Devils but his future has been the subject of speculation this season. The Dutchman has a year left on his contract but his side have endured topsy-turvy form this term.
However, Ten Hag is confident that he has time to prove to Ratcliffe he's the right man for the job. His side are in the FA Cup semifinals against Coventry City (April 21) and still in contention for UEFA Champions League qualification.
Ratcliffe and his INEOS team want to make changes to the entire coaching team. O'Neil has just over two years left on his contract and West Ham United are also tracking him with David Moyes expected to leave at the end of the season.
Gary Neville doesn't think Gary O'Neil 'feels' like a Manchester United manager
O'Neil's stock is rising amid a superb reign thus far at Wolves and this has come after an admirable spell at Bournemouth. He ensured the Cherries stayed in the Premier League last season after they wrestled with the threat of relegation.
However, Gary Neville raised concerns with Manchester United potentially targeting O'Neil as a potential Ten Hag replacement. The Red Devils icon said (via TBR Football):
"I don't see the fit between Gary O'Neil and Man United. Instinctively, as a fan of a club, you feel it or you don't, it's not a feeling I've had. I've not had a feeling that, that (person) feels like a United manager."
O'Neil started his managerial career with Manchester United's arch-rivals Liverpool. He coached the Merseysiders' U23s before stepping into senior management with Bournemouth in November 2022.
The Red Devils have appointed several high-profile names to try and get back to their dominant era under Sir Alex Ferguson. But, the likes of Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal have failed to take the 13-time Premier League champions back to the top of English football.