Manchester United eye former Bayern Munich coach Niko Kovač as long-term replacement for Ruben Amorim

According to Sky Sport Germany, Niko Kovač has emerged as a leading candidate to succeed Ruben Amorim, as the club seeks to move from an interim arrangement to a long-term managerial appointment.

Manchester United’s leadership, with technical director Christopher Vivell at the forefront, are said to have a “short line” of communication with Kovač. Vivell’s strong familiarity with the German market is thought to have played a major role in the enquiry, with United having reportedly “inquired about Kovač’s situation” as they weigh up options for the Old Trafford post.

The 54-year-old was also strongly considered by Chelsea prior to the appointment of Liam Rosenior, with the interest spearheaded by Blues sporting director Laurence Stewart, who is well acquainted with Kovač from their time together at Ligue 1 team AS Monaco.

The former Bayern Munich midfielder, who earned 83 caps, has previously managed Croatia, Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayern Munich, Monaco and Wolfsburg before taking charge at the Westfalenstadion. 

In the past, Kovač turned down an approach from Tottenham while he was in charge of AS Monaco. At the time, the north London club had just parted ways with José Mourinho and were keen to appoint the Croatian coach as his successor, but Kovač opted to honour his contract with Monaco and declined to leave mid-project.

The Croatian coach is believed to have little desire to depart Dortmund during a strong run of form, having overseen just one Bundesliga loss in 18 games. Across all competitions, Dortmund have suffered only two defeats since early November, against Manchester City in the Champions League and Bayer Leverkusen in the German Cup.

Dortmund are second in the Bundesliga, trailing defending champions Bayern Munich by 11 points, and sit tenth in the Champions League.

Manchester United, the focus of this report, currently sit fifth in the Premier League and have appointed Michael Carrick as interim head coach until the end of the season following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim. The Red Devils recently claimed a significant victory over city rivals Manchester City in Round 22 of the Premier League, marking Carrick’s first win in his opening match in charge.