As Oliver Glasner continues to catch the eye with his fine work at Crystal Palace, it seems it’s not Manchester United that fans should be wary of, but another top European club.
Since taking over from Roy Hodgson in February 2024, the footballing world has witnessed one of the most impressive projects taking shape at Selhurst Park under Oliver Glasner.
With an FA Cup and Community Shield win under his belt and a strong showing in the early stages of the Europa Conference League, it’s no wonder Crystal Palace are revered as one of the top teams on the continent right now.
Indeed, Palace go into today’s game with Everton on a 19-game unbeaten run. However, Eagles fans are naturally starting to worry that their manager will be lured elsewhere before too long, with Man Utd known to be admirers.
Report claims Oliver Glasner wants Bayern Munich job
In a report from Alan Nixon on Patreon, there is a suggestion that Glasner would not be interested in taking the Manchester United job due to the fact he has his sights set on the long-term goal of bagging the Bayern Munich job.
Nixon describes the switch to Bayern as a “dream move” for Glasner. He also states this is oddly a blessing in disguise for Palace.
The fact is, if Glasner is intent on heading to Germany, it will not be happening any time soon. As speculation linking him to Man Utd intensifies, it seems he would snub that interest and stick around at Palace until the top job at Bayern becomes available.
That role is not available right now, and is unlikely to be any different come the summer. It’s said Glasner was in the running for the Bayern Munich job before Vincent Kompany got the nod, and he may now need to wait a while until the Belgian moves on.
With Glasner being “the hottest property” in the managerial world right now, Crystal Palace fear he will not sign a new deal and will depart Selhurst Park in the summer. But, if he is indeed keen to wait for Bayern, there is a chance the Austrian will stay put and potentially sign a new contract.
While any new deal would likely include a release clause, it’s thought that would only be there to clear the path for a Bayern approach if and when that comes. Palace want Glasner to commit by January, but it remains to be seen whether he will do that.
Either way, the Man Utd job is not Glasner’s “first choice” right now. Nixon implies that, if the job at Old Trafford did become available within the next month or so, it’s not something the Palace boss would jump at.
As things stand, United would have to pay around £4m in compensation for Glasner. After their extensive outlays on coaching changes in the recent past, perhaps the Red Devils hierarchy would think twice about that option now, too.
Oliver Glasner would be crazy to leave Crystal Palace for Man Utd
Obviously, those fears that Glasner will leave Crystal Palace are not unfounded. The departures of Michael Olise and Ebere Eze, and rumours surrounding Adam Wharton and Jean-Philippe Mateta, indicate Palace will always be vulnerable to the giants of the game.
The key to keeping Glasner will be matching his ambitions, at least in the short-term. Steve Parish and co. have done a great job of that so far, and it should be enough to leave Manchester United looking elsewhere.
The fact of the matter is, no matter how grand the legacy of United is, taking that job right now would be a foolish decision for any manager.
You only have to look at how Ruben Amorim’s stock has dropped in the last year to see the toll such a job takes on a coach. At the moment, Palace have incredible momentum, a happy squad, and a positive atmosphere around the fanbase.
Leaving all of that behind for the cauldron of bitterness at Old Trafford would be unthinkable for Glasner, surely.
