‘Identified’—Man Utd Make Contact Over Bundesliga Manager

As it stands, the Red Devils have only planned up to the end of this season.

Michael Carrick won his first game in charge of Manchester United. | James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images

Manchester United have explored the possibility of hiring Borussia Dortmund boss Niko Kovač, reports in Germany claim, as the club consider options to become the next permanent manager from the summer of 2026 onwards.

Michael Carrick has been handed the gig until the end of the season, following Ruben Amorim’s dismissal and Darren Fletcher’s two-game arc as caretaker, and got off to the absolute perfect start with a 2–0 win in the Manchester derby.

Carrick, who leaned into his deep understanding and connection with the ‘United way’ to bring out such a performance, is effectively auditioning to land the job full-time. But the club’s senior leadership team are expected to consider a range of options.

After the Amorim experiment hit the wall 14 months into his appointment, United are under pressure to get the next one right if ‘Project 150’—winning the Premier League title to coincide with the club’s 150th anniversary in 2028—is to have any chance of being achieved.

Sky Germany claims that Kovač is “on the shortlist” at Old Trafford after impressing with Dortmund since taking over a team in turmoil a year ago.

Seen as “clear and pragmatic”, the Croatian inherited a side sat 11th in the Bundesliga midway through last season, but steered them to fourth place and Champions League qualification—they also reached the last eight of that competition and were only eliminated by Barcelona.

Kovač joined Borussia Dortmund at the start of 2025. | Ralf Ibing/firo sportphoto/Getty Images

This season, Dortmund are second in Germany behind domestic juggernaut Bayern Munich and are well placed to once more reach the knockout rounds in Europe’s premier club competition.

Dortmund saw fit last summer to extend Kovač’s contract until 2027, although the report suggests managing a club in England is on his career bucket list. He is said to have turned down Tottenham Hotspur in 2021 when José Mourinho was sacked, at Monaco at the time, and was an apparent consideration for Chelsea earlier this month before they turned to Liam Rosenior.

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Does Niko Kovac Fit What Man Utd Want in a Manager?

Berlin-born Kovač enjoyed a relatively modest playing career that peaked with two years at Bayern Munich from 2001–2003. He had been a late bloomer, not arriving in the top flight until a 1996 transfer to Bayer Leverkusen when he was almost 25 and later playing a bit-part role at Bayern, before rejoining hometown club Hertha BSC. Signing with Red Bull Salzburg at the age of 34 yielded only his fourth trophy after Bundesliga, DFB Pokal and Intercontinental Cup successes at Bayern.

After three years coaching in Salzburg’s setup, Kovač became a manager when he took over Croatia U21s in 2012, promoted to senior team boss in 2013. He later guided Eintracht Frankfurt to a first trophy in 30 years with a DFB Pokal in 2018, and then steered Bayern to a domestic double during the 2018–19 campaign. However, a poor start to the following season resulted in Kovač’s departure, after which Hansi Flick took the same team to the club’s second-ever treble.

Kovač enjoyed highs as Monaco manager, twice beating Paris Saint-Germain, but he was sacked by the principality club in 2022 and then by Wolfsburg in 2024 upon returning to Germany—losing more games with the latter than he won over a two-year spell. Ultimately, it’s no trophies since 2019.

It’s seven years since Kovač last won a trophy. | Matthias Hangst/Bongarts/Getty Images

Although there has been recent speculation that Manchester United are not so keen on Luis Enrique—the man who finally steered PSG to Champions League victory after many others had tried and failed—because of his lack of Premier League experience, the Manchester Evening News reported last week that “winning pedigree” is a critical feature of the club’s search.

Kovač also has no Premier League experience and it’s also highly debatable whether he actually ticks the “winning pedigree” box given a singular league title in his club managerial career. Arguably very few actually do in the way that Enrique does—even Mauricio Pochettino, someone United have tried to get several times in the past over many years, cannot boast much silverware.

Oliver Glasner will be available in the summer and does have Premier League experience from his time at Crystal Palace, but he has never led a top-tier team, has won only two trophies as a manager and never a league title. His playing career delivered just two Austrian Cups.

Didier Deschamps has won the World Cup as both a player and manager, arguably the ultimate “winning pedigree”, and is leaving his post after the 2026 tournament. But whether he would want to re-enter club football, either straightaway or at all, 14 years after his last job is unknown.

Carlo Ancelotti, winner of a Premier League and FA Cup double with Chelsea in 2009–10 in addition to his historic Champions League feats with AC Milan and Real Madrid, could be available should Brazil perform poorly at the World Cup and the Seleção not extend his contract beyond July.

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