Former Bayern Munich and Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn says Julian Nagelsmann would be taking an “enormous risk” going to Manchester United where “every manager fails sooner or later”.
Nagelsmann is one of the leading candidates to take over should United dispense with Michael Carrick, who is on shaky ground with the club currently enduring their worst start to a league season in 40 years.
Wednesday night’s 4-1 hammering at Como in the Champions League was another awful result and performance with captain Bruno Fernandes not helping Carrick by questioning his manager’s tactics in the media afterwards.
Nagelsmann is believed to be on a shortlist that also includes Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler, Aston Villa’s Unai Emery as well as Antonio Conte and Eddie Howe.
But Kahn, who worked as CEO at Bayern when Nagelsmann was head coach, believes the 39-year-old should consider a move to Old Trafford very carefully if he was offered the job.
He told German TV show Triple – der Hagedorn Fußballtalk: “From his point of view, it’s not an easy situation. He isn’t someone with a great deal of experience, particularly when it comes to foreign teams.
“He has to ask himself: What is my next step? Does it have to be the right one? Or do I immediately associate it with an enormous risk like Manchester United, where essentially every manager in recent years has failed sooner or later? You should look very carefully at where you’re going.”
Nagelsmann cannot afford another failure, says Kahn
Nagelsmann’s stock has fallen in recent years. After bursting onto the scene with impressive stints at Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig, his progress has stalled. A two-year spell at Bayern resulted in one Bundesliga title while with Germany he reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 and the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup.
Kahn believes he needs to find a project that would enable him to get back on track.
He added: “Bayern Munich and the national team were already big blows for him. You have to think carefully: Where do my strengths lie? Which club can I really help? I think Julian is someone who can develop a club and a team and take them further. Whether Manchester United are the right next step for that is something only he can know.”
Howe and Conte are both out of work and would jump at the chance of taking over at United.
Nagelsmann is believed to be slightly more reticent while both Hurzeler and Emery are tied into contracts that would make it difficult, and hugely expansive, to extricate them from.
