Ralf Rangnick makes Man Utd coach request to 49-year-old, but answer is no

New York Red Bulls manager Gerhard Struber says he has turned down the chance to join old pal Ralf Rangnick at Manchester United.

Rangnick, 63, was appointed as interim manager at United last week. And in his first press conference he revealed he was looking for some new staff members. Michael Carrick’s decision to step away from Old Trafford has left the German’s coaching staff depleted and he has been given permission to add a few new faces.

And, according to The Sun, he has used his contacts from his links with Salzburg and Leipzig to go after Austrian coach Struber.

Struber and Rangnick formed a strong working relationship in the Red Bull environment. Rangnick was sporting director at RB Salzburg between 2012 and 2015, while in an identical role at Leipzig until 2018. Struber meanwhile joined Salzburg as a youth coach in 2014 before becoming assistant manager in 2015 for one season.

Furthermore, Struber then went back to the youth teams at Salzburg in 2018.

It means the pair have genuine respect for each other. But Struber does not look like he is coming to Manchester.

Chris Armas is set to take a role at Old Trafford. The 49-year-old worked as an assistant coach at Chicago Fire and New York Red Bulls.

He was then promoted to head coach in New York and reached the play-offs twice. He then worked alongside Rangnick in the Big Apple.

However, Struber will not be arriving, he does not believe now is the right time to leave New York.

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Struber reveals ‘request’

“There was a request. It’s no secret that Ralf Rangnick and us know each well, and appreciate each other,” Struber told Sky Sport Austria’s ‘Talk & Tore’ via the Manchester Evening News.

“I am very honoured by the request from England. At the same time, the situation for me in New York is such that it allows me to look to the future with great hope. I don’t want to give up on the path with New York overnight,” Struber explained.

“I am very committed to the team in New York and we have big plans. And I have a long-term contract in New York that I want to keep. And I have big goals with an ambitious team.

“I settled in very well in New York and went through difficult times with my team and we really grew together. It would be the wrong time to say goodbye here.

“I feel very comfortable in my current role as head coach and believe that I can achieve the greatest impact in this role. And that’s why I want to continue on this path.”

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