Manchester United have been informed of what they must do if they are to hire Xavi Hernandez as their new manager for the start of next season.
Manchester United are searching for a caretaker manager to take charge of the first team until the end of the season after Rúben Amorim was dismissed last week.
Former United player Michael Carrick is reportedly the leading candidate over Ole Gunnar Solskjær, with both having already held virtual and face-to-face talks with CEO Omar Berrada and Director of Football Jason Wilcox.
In the interim, U18s head coach Darren Fletcher has overseen the senior side and was on the touchline for the 2-2 draw against Burnley and the FA Cup defeat to Brighton.
A final decision is expected within the next 48 hours, following Sunday’s loss to Brighton, as the squad prepare for this weekend’s meeting with Manchester City.
United must present Xavi with a project
While Carrick will likely take charge of United until the 2025/26 campaign ends, there is still the question of who will take over the club from the summer onwards, with one name being Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez.
Previous reports have detailed that Xavi would be interested in the United role, although his former Barcelona and Spain teammates Gaizka Mendieta has warned the Old Trafford club that they would need to present Xavi with a long-term project and idea to seal the deal
“Xavi would definitely understand what a club like Manchester United needs in terms of the history and how the fans demand trophies,” Mendieta told Boyle Sports.
“I think that’s probably in line with Barca when he joined them. Knowing Xavi, I think what would be a priority though, is the project. It’s a huge club, but he will need to see something that makes him really want to do it.
“It’s something that he needs to be excited about. He wouldn’t join just because it’s United, but because there’s a project behind it. It needs to be a project that aligns with his idea of the football that he wants to put in place.
“He would not go just for the sake of being Man United manager; he would need to be given the tools he needs to play his type of football.”
United need to make a smooth transition
What is imperative for United in the next few months is that, whoever they hire, the transition must be as smooth and carefully constructed as possible.
There is little doubt that Erik ten Hag’s first season in charge, when United finished third in the league and won the Carabao Cup, was one of the most successful for the club in a decade, and a big reason for that was the Dutchman’s ability to plan with time and space before the season started.
Read More: When new Man Utd interim boss will take first training session as Michael Carrick ‘favourite’
Ten Hag was appointed at United before the 2021/22 campaign had even finished, allowing him to assess the club in detail, work with the board at the time, and start the summer smoothly.
That did not happen with Amorim, but with a new United coach not appointed until the end of the season, they have the perfect chance to completely reset, realign, and push forward.
If United’s caretaker coach, likely Carrick, can also guide the squad to Champions League qualification, or at least European spots, for next season, that would also give the club significantly more funding.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 14:00 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.