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18th December 2018
11:10am GMT
It seems Michael Carrick could be named as caretaker boss, but United will need someone with greater experience to carry them forward. Here's a look at six men who have been mentioned as possible replacements, with the odds coming from Paddy Power.
Although what he's achieved in a short space of time in Madrid demonstrates that he's certainly no mug when it comes to management, there's also no denying that the calibre of the Real squad he inherited was markedly better than the one which would await him in Manchester. This, should United turn to him, would be a very different challenge to his last job.
Pochettino has considerably improved the players he has inherited and signed during his time at Spurs, something which may also appeal to United given the amount of talented youngsters they have on the fringes of the first team.
Although he's likely to be one of the favourites to be United's next manager, prising him away from a Premier League rival may prove a difficult and expensive task: Pochettino signed a new contract with Tottenham in May that runs until 2023.
In truth though, it's difficult to see this one happening. Not only does the Argentine's loyalty to Atleti make it a non-starter, but it also seems his brand of football isn't too dissimilar from Mourinho's - placing plenty of emphasis on being a defensively solid unit. Although he's been successful with this playing style throughout his time as a manager, it's not the kind of free-flowing attacking football craved by many United supporters.
Conte is young and would be able to implement his own playing style at Old Trafford, but rumours of strained relationships with some of his former players might make United think twice if they're looking for a manager to bring a new sense of harmony to the dressing room.
Although he might appear to be a good fit for the United job, trying to persuade him to leave Italy may prove problematic.
Strongly linked with the Arsenal job after Arsene Wenger's departure earlier this year, Allegri has stated that he is settled at Juve. And with the club adding Cristiano Ronaldo to their squad, it's likely he'll want to stick around for a shot at winning the Champions League.
Martinez spent three years at Goodison Park after winning the FA Cup with Wigan Athletic in 2013 (and getting them relegated in the same season). Despite a promising start on Merseyside - leading Everton to a fifth-place finish with a record points tally - things deteriorated with the fans calling for his dismissal towards the end of his final season.
Although he guided Belgium to a respectable third-place finish at the World Cup in Russia, it's hard to imagine why Gray - or anyone - would think Martinez replacing Mourinho at Old Trafford would make sense.
