Ralf Rangnick: Future consultancy role at Manchester United depends on new boss

Ralf Rangnick made clear the extent of his future consultancy role at Manchester United would depend on the club’s new manager.

The interim boss would not be drawn on reports that Ajax boss Erik Ten Hag had been lined up as the next permanent appointment at Old Trafford, saying his focus was purely on Saturday’s trip to relegation-battling Everton.

Rangnick was also asked about his own future at the end of a week in which the Austrian Football Association denied having spoken to the 63-year-old about their vacant manager’s position, and said he would discuss his two-year consultancy contract at the end of the season.

But asked if he would be offering thorough insight to the next manager, Rangnick said: “I have already done this, not to any managers, but inside the club.

“I have told them how I see the current squad and what needs to happen in my opinion. The rest I cannot answer now because it depends on the new manager. If he is interested and willing to speak about that and interested in my opinion, I will need to wait and see what happens.”

And asked what would be the most important advice he could offer a new manager, Rangnick added: “If the new manager has been announced, then if he wants to get my advice then I am more than happy to speak to the new manager about that.

“But right now it will be something in private and internally, that we need to discuss.”

United face a busy summer, not only with the arrival of a new boss, but also in rebuilding a squad which is set to lose six out-of-contract players – Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Edinson Cavani, Juan Mata, Tahith Chong and Lee Grant – while many others on the fringes face uncertain futures.

When Rangnick was hired, much was made of his role in creating the influential gergenpress amid hopes he could install a coherent philosophy at a club which has a bloated squad made up of players signed by five different managers.

But though he said he had spoken to the board “and they know what I think needs to happen in the summer”, Rangnick was clear the final decisions on several individuals would rest with his successor.

Answering a question on whether Donny Van De Beek, on loan at Everton but unable to face his parent club this weekend, had a future at Old Trafford, Rangnick said: “I will not be the manager next season.

“It also depends on how you want to play. Do you want to play more possession based or counter pressing, pressing kind of football? It depends on that and what other kind of players are coming.

“The squad needs to be rebuilt in the summer, that is clear.

“But again, those are questions that it doesn’t make sense to speak about right now.”

Luke Shaw is one of four players ruled out of Saturday’s lunchtime fixture – Raphael Varane, Scott McTominay and Edinson Cavani are also missing – with Rangnick revealing the England left-back needs an operation to remove metal screws from his leg dating to his double leg-break in 2015.

“To me it came quite unexpectedly to be honest and the same is true of our medical department,” Rangnick said.

“He told me in the international break when he was with the England squad that he had some problems there and he played against Leicester and five minutes before half-time he had an issue and had to be treated on the pitch.

“At half-time the doctor came to see me and said he could not continue and since then we have been discussing what is best and they decided to have the two bolts removed.”