Revealed: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's potential Man Utd salary with club legend willing to take pay cut to seal return as caretaker manager

They first turned to him in 2018 after seeing Jose Mourinho ushered through the exits. With a productive run enjoyed under the guidance of a temporary coach, Solskjaer was handed the reins on a permanent basis and ended up spending close to three years at the helm.

He vacated the Old Trafford hot-seat by mutual consent in November 2021 after overseeing 198 matches, with 91 victories being picked up along the way. The 52-year-old has since spent seven forgettable months in charge of Turkish side Besiktas, with that tenure being brought to a close in August 2025.

Various reports are now suggesting that Solskjaer is being lined up for another caretaker reign in Manchester. A prominent Premier League post has opened up again after United took the decision to sever ties with Portuguese coach Amorim just 14 months into that working relationship.

It is claimed that United’s failed experiment on Amorim cost them around £27 million ($36m) in wages and compensation packages - with one being paid to free him from Sporting and another to let him go.

Solskjaer’s departure cost them roughly £10m ($13m), but he is a relatively budget-friendly option to bring back. According to Nettavisen, he was paid £7.2m-per-year ($10m) when first appointed as United manager - with those terms carried over into a permanent contract.

It is pointed out that there is “no industry standard in the Premier League for temporary roles”, but Solskjaer is “willing to take the job for less money than the last time he took over”.

According to Nettavisen, the Norwegian will be paid between £50-60,000-a-week. That agreement will include considerable bonus clauses - such as qualification for the Champions League. That could be worth as much as £4m ($5m) to a man that that made 366 appearances for United as a player and scored 126 goals - including one memorable effort in the 1999 Champions League final that completed a historic Treble under Sir Alex Ferguson.

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With the Red Devils initially looking for someone to take them through to the end of the season, Solskjaer could be back at the wheel for 25 weeks. He will be given the chance to earn another extension.

United’s initial salary plan is considered to be a “starting point in the negotiations”, with there some room for manoeuvre, but financial gains are not said to be “decisive” in any discussions.

Nettavisen claim that talks have taken place between all parties, but other candidates are still being considered. One of those is Michael Carrick, who previously worked as one of Solskjaer’s assistants. He has since stepped out on his own as manager of Middlesbrough, but is currently without a club.

It is said that “a final decision will only be made after United management has met both candidates face to face”. Darren Fletcher, who has taken over first-team affairs on an interim basis after being promoted from his role with the U18s, is also in contention. He did, however, oversee a disappointing 2-2 draw at Burnley in his first match at the helm.

United want to move quickly as they have some big games fast approaching. They are sat seventh in the Premier League table as things stand, three points adrift of fourth-placed Liverpool and guaranteed Champions League qualification.

They will be in FA Cup third-round action against top-flight rivals Brighton on Sunday, before staying on home soil for a derby date with neighbours Manchester City on January 17. The following week they will head to table-topping Arsenal, while a meeting with Tottenham at Old Trafford will take place on February 7. It remains to be seen who will be calling the shots through those fixtures.