Next Manchester United manager odds: Glasner and Southgate favourites to replace Amorim

Manchester United have endured yet another disappointing opening to a new season in 2025/26, with Ruben Amorim already finding himself under pressure after a humiliating exit to League Two side Grimsby in the Carabao Cup.

And with rumours circulating around Amorim’s future, Oliver Glasner and Gareth Southgate are the top picks on the best betting sites to take over in the Old Trafford hot seat.

Despite United spending over £200m this summer, their new-look side has failed to click so far, with some fans blaming the Portuguese manager and his insistence on using his favoured formation.

United registered their first win of the season with a late 3-2 win at home to Burnley on Saturday, but the unconvincing nature of their start to the campaign - which opened with a 1-0 home loss to Arsenal and a 1-1 draw at Fulham, before Wednesday’s shock Carabao Cup exit - leaves lingering questions over the manager.

If performances continue on the same trajectory then Amorim may not have long left at Old Trafford, with football betting sites already offering prices on his successor.

FA Cup winning Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner is the early favourite along with ex-England boss Gareth Southgate, with betting apps offering odds as low as 4/1 on either manager to take over from Amorim.

Note that according to the terms on most betting sites, “caretaker and interim managers completing at least 10 consecutive competitive games will be deemed the permanent manager”.

Glasner and Southgate have been installed as the early betting favourites, with the latter reportedly considered for the Old Trafford hot seat before Amorim took over.

While Southgate saw success with England in successive tournaments, he has not managed since the Euro 2024 final, in stark contrast to Glasner, who has recently won an FA Cup and Community Shield as he leads Crystal Palace into their first major European campaign.

But while Glasner would no doubt be looked at, he could prove very difficult to prise away from Palace, with Southgate’s immediate availability perhaps helping his case, alongside the obvious benefits he brought to the England squad.

Joining that pair on shorter odds are former Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez and ex-United midfielder Michael Carrick, who had a brief period as interim manager at Old Trafford before taking charge of Middlesbrough.

While Carrick was unable to secure promotion for the Championship side during his time at the Riverside, he impressed at points in his tenure and is seen as a promising manager for the future, though the step up could be too large for the 44-year-old.

As for Xavi, his managerial career has not seen the same level of success as his playing career, though he did win a La Liga title with Barca in 2022/23.

He has also not managed since leaving the Blaugrana in 2024, and with his only other spell having been at Al Sadd in Qatar, he remains something of an unknown quantity at the top level, especially with the adaptations needed in English football.

A string of current and former Premier League managers make up the next few candidates, with odds of 6/1 on Fulham boss Marco Silva taking over. The Portuguese gave a fairly damning breakdown of how his side managed to draw with United on 24 August, and he certainly has plenty of experience in English football, having also managed Hull City, Watford and Everton.

Next up is Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth at 8/1 on football betting sites, with the Spaniard having impressed many last season as the Cherries finished in ninth with their record points total. Having managed in La Liga with Rayo Vallecano, the former Bilbao player is another one who could be seen as risky, despite his exploits in 2024/25.

Also in the running is ex-United assistant Kieran McKenna, offered at 10/1. The current Ipswich boss impressed when gaining back-to-back promotions but his team failed to deliver and were relegated from the Premier League last season, though there is optimism that his ideas could translate into success at a top-level side.

Mauricio Pochettino is priced at 12/1, and though the ex-Spurs boss is currently struggling as manager of the USA national team, his achievements with Tottenham means he remains admired throughout the league, even if his stint at Chelsea was less successful.

There’s a raft of interesting names priced at 16/1 in the latest Premier League odds, including current Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo. While there were rumours he may be forced to leave Forest due to disagreements with the hierarchy, it now seems like things have settled for now at the City Ground.

Far more interesting are the next three names on the list: Zinedine Zidane, Antonio Conte and Diego Simeone. The latter currently has a contract with Atletico until 2027, having managed the Madrid-based club since 2011, and though he’d be difficult to prise away from the Metropolitano, his success speaks for itself.

As for Conte, it seems a ridiculous notion that he would leave a Serie A-winning side to move to a dysfunctional United, though the size of the club and the temptation to return to England could prove enticing.

Zidane is a name that has been linked with United for years – ever since the Frenchman left Madrid in 2021 – though the former Madrid midfielder is yet to take another role since leaving the Bernabeu and it has previously been reported that he is waiting for a different type of role.

Plenty more names are in the ‘running’ after that trio, including Unai Emery, Lee Carsley and even Darren Fletcher, though three stand out.

Eddie Howe is priced at 20/1, with the Newcastle manager likely unhappy with his current situation having endured a difficult transfer window. He reportedly has a low release clause, though is obviously very unlikely to leave the club at this point.

And fresh off being sacked by Fenerbahce, Jose Mourinho is a now just 10/1 to return to Old Trafford having been backed in from 25/1 before the weekend.

In terms of the dream arrival for United fans, it couldn’t get much better than Luis Enrique, who is priced at 33/1. However, the Spaniard enters 2025/26 off the back of winning the treble in Paris, and would surely fancy a crack at defending the Champions League title before considering a move anywhere, let alone a club in the state that United are in.

Bettors should always practice responsible gambling. When using gambling sites be aware that sports betting can be addictive. Please take steps to remain in control of your time and budget.

The same applies if you’re using slot sites, poker sites, casino sites, casino apps or any other gambling medium.

Even the most knowledgeable punter can lose a bet, so always stick to a budget and never chase your losses.

It’s particularly important not to get carried away by any free bets or casino offers you might receive, both of which are available in abundance on gambling apps, but must be approached with caution.

You can stay in control by making use of the responsible gambling tools offered, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs.

You may also want to visit the following free organisations to discuss any issues with gambling you might be having:

We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.