Still pushing to find their next manager, Rangers have now reportedly held talks with another candidate who Pep Guardiola once praised as “incredible”.
Latest on Rangers' manager search
It’s been a search full of twists and turns, but one that is ultimately still going. Rangers remain without a manager and will return to action against Dundee United with former defender Steven Smith in the dugout on a temporary basis.
Between now and then, those at Ibrox will be desperate to fill their vacancy and get their project back on track, but they’ve already been rejected by lead candidate Steven Gerrard and watched on as Danny Rohl pulled out of the race to take them back to the drawing board.
Now, it seems as though Kevin Muscat has emerged to become the new favourite for the job. The 49ers are reportedly advancing talks to hire the Shanghai Port manager, despite rumours that he may only arrive once the Chinese Super League season comes to an end on November 22.
Already 11 points behind unexpected leaders Hearts in the Scottish Premiership, some will be questioning whether Rangers can afford to play the waiting game for Muscat or whether they should be looking elsewhere.
The former Ibrox player has won everywhere he’s been as a manager and has been on the Gers’ radar in the past before they hired Philippe Clement, but the current circumstances are far from ideal.
There could also be further twists to the tale if Rangers fail to hire Muscat, and that’s where a former Premier League manager could come in.
Rangers hold talks with Solskjaer
According to Sky Sports, the 49ers and Rangers have now held talks with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer about the vacant position at Ibrox. Having already made initial contact with the former Manchester United manager, the Gers have now taken one step further to open talks ahead of potentially welcoming him to Scotland.
Amid the chaos of their managerial search, Solskjaer stands out as one of the strongest candidates. He’s managed at the highest level of European football with his 4-2-3-1 system and was only recently in the dugout at Besiktas. Whilst some will be quick to remember how his time at Old Trafford ended, it’s worth noting that he initially transformed the Red Devils.
His start to life at United sparked Rio Ferdinand’s infamous call that for Solskjaer to be handed an instant contract from his caretaker position and it also drew praise from Guardiola.
“His start is much better than mine, I lost my first game and drew the second [after being appointed in 2016]. He won all the games. He is a young manager, getting incredible results. I saw a few minutes of games they played and they played good.”
A free agent who has experience at the very top, Solskjaer is certainly someone for Rangers to seriously consider.