After two years away from the bench following his departure from Manchester United, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is set to return to the world of football, as advanced discussions take place with Turkish Super Lig club Besiktas . The Istanbul side are looking for a new head coach following the departure of Giovanni van Bronckhorst last month, and appear to have set their sights on the former Manchester United boss.
According to several sources, Solskjaer has traveled to Istanbul to finalize negotiations regarding an 18-month contract. Besiktas officially acknowledged these discussions in a terse statement: “Negotiations have started with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for the position of coach of our football team.” It represents a significant return for the Norwegian tactician, who previously managed Molde in his homeland and had a brief spell at Cardiff City in 2014.
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If the deal goes through, Solskjaer will take the reins of a struggling Besiktas side, currently ranked sixth in the league. The challenge will be to energize a squad that has a rich history, with 21 league titles, as they aim to climb the rankings.
-Interestingly, if Solskjaer takes charge, he will find himself in direct competition with his old rival on the bench, José Mourinho, who currently manages Fenerbahçe and sits in second place, just behind league leaders Galatasaray.
Looking ahead, Solskjaer is unlikely to be in charge of the team for Saturday’s home game against Samsunspor, with caretaker coach Serdar Topraktepe expected to take charge. However, all eyes will be on the Europa League group stage match against Athletic Bilbao in midweek, where the Norwegian could make his return as manager.
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