Gary O’Neil would decline a job offer from Manchester United that would effectively serve as a demotion from his current role as Wolves manager.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS are overseeing major changes to United’s football operations with Omar Berrada set to take over as chief executive and Dan Ashworth waiting in the wings as sporting director.
The new-look hierarchy at the club will reportedly oversee changes to United’s coaching set-up. Erik ten Hag has come under pressure during various stages of his second season in Manchester with possible alternatives being considered, with England boss Gareth Southgate among them.
Whether ten Hag stays or goes, United want to build a new coaching structure led by a head coach focusing primarily on what happens on the pitch, rather than a traditional manager role overseeing multiple departments as Sir Alex Ferguson did for so many years. The club are eager to speak to Wolves boss O’Neil about a role in that set-up.
In such a set-up, O’Neil could be offered an assistant coach or an alternative coaching role, a step down from his current position at Wolves. Convincing the Wolves boss to accept such a role could prove very difficult, talkSPORT report.
Wolves also plan to offer Gary O’Neil a new contract to fend off interest from Old Trafford.
The 40-year-old has done an exceptional job at Molineux after being sacked by Bournemouth at the end of last season with Wolves currently sat in ninth place, just six points adrift of United.
United are still fighting for Champions League qualification having secured their place in the FA Cup semi-finals after their thrilling win over Liverpool before the international break.
With questions still remaining over ten Hag’s future, former captain Gary Neville is sceptical over some of the names being linked with the United job, including O’Neil and Southgate.
‘I would rather stick with Erik ten Hag and believe in him. If he has another season like this he obviously won’t still be there but we could still win the FA Cup and we could sneak into the Champions League.’
‘As well as Gareth has done with England, I’ve never seen that as a fit with Man United,’ Neville added.
‘I don’t see Graham Potter as a fit and that’s been a strong rumour too. I don’t see the fit between Gary O’Neil and United.
‘Instinctively as a fan you hear a name and you feel it or you don’t feel it. It’s not a feeling I’ve had. I’ve not woke up and thought they look like a Manchester United manager.’
