Michael Carrick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have emerged as the frontrunners to become Manchester United’s caretaker manager until the end of the season.
The former players have both previously managed United – very briefly as caretaker in Carrick’s case – and are set for face-to-face talks with the club’s leadership.
It is not out of the question the pair could also work together because Carrick was a significant part of Solskjaer’s coaching team when he replaced Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford in 2018.
Darren Fletcher, United’s current under-18s coach, who has also been spoken to about the job, will continue as interim manager until a caretaker is appointed.
Former United captain and pundit Gary Neville said the club were on familiar ground appointing a former player.
He told Sky Sports: “It is almost like a cycle, like a movie we have all seen before and Groundhog Day.
“What I do think is Ole is someone who absolutely loves the club, he knows the job, he has been in the job.
“The other names that have been mentioned – Michael Carrick, Ruud van Nistelrooy – these are really fantastic people.
“I trained with those guys for a lot of years. They love the club intensely, they get the club, but still they are going to come under a lot of pressure in this next four or five months if results don’t go their way and they are going to have to be ready for that.
“Whoever is going to get it out of those three who are being mentioned, I wish them all the best because it is a tough role.”
Former midfielder Fletcher took charge of his first match on Wednesday, a 2-2 draw at Burnley in the Premier League, while he will also remain as interim manager for Sunday’s FA Cup tie against Brighton.
The recruitment process was paused in the build-up to the Burnley match, but will resume on Thursday.
Van Nistelrooy, the ex-United striker, is also believed to be a contender.
Amorim was sacked on Monday after a turbulent 14 months in charge.
United plan on naming a permanent successor for Amorim in the summer.
One player has told BBC Sport they felt it was possible the role could be shared by more than one of the contenders, or that Fletcher could even stay in the job until the end of the season if the next two matches are positive.
Solskjaer initially took charge in a similar fashion when United sacked Mourinho in 2018, and he subsequently became the full-time manager for three years before he was sacked in November 2021.
Carrick then had a three-game stint as temporary boss after Solskjaer’s dismissal before he left the club in December 2021.
The former England midfielder has been out of work since he was sacked by Championship club Middlesbrough last June after after two and a half years in charge.
Solskjaer was sacked by Turkish club Besiktas in August.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner and former Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi – now at Marseille – are understood to be early contenders for the full-time job.
Glasner, who won the FA Cup with the Eagles last season, was asked about the link during his news conference on Tuesday.
He said: “I am Crystal Palace manager and it makes no sense for you to ask me any more questions about it.”