Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is about to make his long-awaited return to the sidelines.
The former Manchester United manager is reportedly on the verge of taking over Turkish giants Besiktas.
This move will mark Solskjaer’s first managerial role since leaving Old Trafford in November 2021.
As reported by Turkish journalist Sercan Dikme, Solskjaer has been identified as Besiktas’ top choice following the departure of Giovanni van Bronckhorst in December.
Interim coach Serdar Topraktepe has been filling in, but the club is eager to secure a permanent leader.
If the deal goes through, Solskjaer will join the competitive Turkish league, where he will face a familiar opponent in Jose Mourinho, now managing Fenerbahce. It’s a storyline that adds extra intrigue to Solskjaer’s new chapter.
Besiktas confirm negotiations with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
In an official statement, Besiktas announced they are in talks with Solskjaer to make him their next head coach. The Norwegian is expected to arrive in Istanbul soon to finalize the agreement.
During his two-and-a-half-year tenure at Manchester United, Solskjaer managed 149 games, achieving notable successes like a second-place finish in the Premier League and a Europa League final appearance.
However, his stint ended on a low after a heavy defeat to Watford.
Now, he is set to take on the challenge of revitalizing Besiktas, a club looking to reclaim its dominance in Turkish football. Solskjaer’s ability to motivate and connect with players could be key to his success in this new role.
Diallo joins Solskjaer in unique Premier League ‘club’
On Thursday, Amad Diallo’s late heroics for United against Southampton made him only the second EPL player to begin and finish a hat-trick from the 80th minute since the concept began in 1992/93.
Solskjaer’s incredible four-goal rush at the tail end of United’s 8-1 hammering of Nottingham Forest in 1999 was the first.
Only one other player has scored three that late in one game, with those goals actually being the 2nd, 3rd and 4th for him. He also did this for Manchester United, incredibly. Read more about that here.
