Manchester United reach agreement with former Leipzig boss to become new interim manager

• United have reached an agreement with Ralf Rangnick to take over as coach on interim basis
• This comes three days after the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
• Ralf Rangnick has previously managed Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig, and has had success as director of football
• United will possibly hand him a role in the consultancy department at the club once his six-month contract runs out

Manchester United have reached an agreement with former Leipzig and Hoffenheim manager Ralf Rangnick to become the club’s next manager on interim basis according to stunning new reports.

Rangnick, 63, is considered the godfather of modern coaching in Germany and inspired the likes of Jurgen Klopp.

According to The Athletic, the agreement is now subject to the manager’s current club Lokomotiv Moscow, allowing him to depart.

The German currently works with the Russian club as their head of sports and development.

Rangnick has agreed to a six month deal as interim boss at Manchester United, before taking up a role in consultancy at the club for a further two years.

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It is only a matter of time before an official announcement is made, although it is unlikely the German will be in charge of the Sunday clash against Chelsea as he may not have gotten his work permit yet.

United parted ways with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on Sunday, November 21, after the side’s fifth league defeat in seven games at the hands of Watford.

After Solskjaer’s departure, the Red Devils made it clear they were looking for an interim manager, who would see out the season.

Names including former Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde, Paolo Fonseca and Zinedine Zidane were among those tossed around in the rumour mill to replace Solskjaer at Old Trafford.

Who is Ralf Rangnick?

Rangnick is largely considered as one of the pioneers of the German style of football.

While his playing career was not very eventful, he began his coaching career at the tender age of 25 in 1997, and rose up the ranks fast.

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After initial managerial stints with his former club Ulm 1846 as well as Stuttgart and 1899 Hoffenheim, Rangnick took charge of Schalke in 2011 for a second stint and guided the club to the 2011 DFB-Pokal.

He also reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League with Schalke.

When he first started his coaching career, he made a now-famous appearance on TV where he discussed the tactical approach dubbed 'gegenpress' which, in modern football terms, is known as “the press”.

Rangnick is a huge believer of pressing opponents, a tactic that is crucial in the modern game.

United through to last 16 of UEFA Champions League

If an agreement is reached, Rangnick will have to juggle the Premier League and Champions League, as United are through to the knockout stages of Europe's elite club competition.

Under the guidance of interim boss Michael Carrick, United completed the double over Unai Emery’s Villareal in a game which could have gone either way on Tuesday, November 23.