Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been fired following a “embarrassing” 4-1 loss at Watford, with Mauricio Pochettino of Paris Saint-Germain the club’s top target to take over next summer.

United have revealed that Solskjaer’s assistant Michael Carrick would be appointed interim manager till the end of the season, as well as appointing an interim manager until the end of the season.

Pochettino is the club’s first choice to replace Solskjaer on a permanent basis, with the former Tottenham manager being more achievable in the summer than he is now. United’s second choice is Ajax head coach Erik ten Hag, according to reports.

Solskjaer signed a new three-year contract in July, but he will quit after leading the club to five defeats in their previous seven Premier League games, putting them 12 points behind leaders Chelsea.

Following a devastating 5-0 loss to Liverpool and a 2-0 derby defeat to Manchester City in early November, the Old Trafford leadership had rebuffed growing calls to relieve Solskjaer of his duties.

However, United officials considered his position on Saturday evening following the humiliating defeat at Vicarage Road, before announcing his departure on Sunday morning.

“Manchester United announces that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has stepped down as manager,” the club announced in a statement.

“Ole will always be a Manchester United legend, and we regret having to make this painful decision.” While the last few weeks have been frustrating, they should not overshadow the three years of work he has put in to re-establish the foundations for long-term success.”

Following his firing by Spurs in November 2019, Pochettino was extensively linked with United, but he eventually joined PSG in January 2021. His team is presently 12 points clear at the top of Ligue 1 and on track to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages.

When Pochettino joined PSG, he signed an 18-month deal, but there was an option for an additional year, which the French club has subsequently exercised. His family still lives in north London, so he is now staying in a hotel in Paris.

Ajax are said to be unwilling to let Ten Hag, who is under contract until 2023, go in the middle of the season, but Sky Sports News has learned that the Dutchman is “100% interested in the job” in the summer.

The United leadership believed Solskjaer had earned the chance to turn his team’s fortunes around, but the sting of Saturday’s defeat convinced them that a change was required.

Following a second-place finish in the Premier League last season and the summer arrivals of Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane, and Jadon Sancho, United bosses are hoping for even better results this season.

The club is pleased. Solskjaer has left them in a significantly better situation than when he took over in December 2018, with the recent signings of Darren Fletcher as technical director and John Murtough as football director seen as critical in reducing the impact of a mid-season managerial change.

United also stated: “Ole leaves us with our heartfelt gratitude for his diligent efforts as manager, as well as our best wishes for the future. His place in club history will always be safe, not just because of his achievements as a player, but also because he was a fantastic guy and a manager who provided us with many memorable moments. He will always be welcomed back as a member of the Manchester United family at Old Trafford.”

At full time at Watford, a handful of United fans in the away end booed Solskjaer, however midfielder Bruno Fernandes looked to try to channel their anger towards the teammates.

The defeat was described as “embarrassing” and “unacceptable” by goalkeeper David de Gea.

After the game, Sky Sports analyst Jamie Carragher called Solskjaer’s position “untenable,” but the club’s players’ performance “scandalous.”