EXCLUSIVE
Wolves will try and get Gary O’Neil tied down to a new contract to fend off interest from rival clubs.
O’Neil has been mooted for a coaching role at Manchester United but talkSPORT understands it is highly unlikely he would sacrifice his position as a manager, even for a move to Old Trafford.
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West Ham have also taken note of the work ex-Hammer O’Neil has done at Wolves and Bournemouth as they consider potential replacements for David Moyes.
O’Neil only took over at Molineux days before the season started and has led them to ninth in the table and an FA Cup quarter final. The value of their squad suggests they should be 16th and in a relegation battle.
His current deal expires in the summer of 2026 but Wolves are plotting a possible extension as a reward for the impressive job he has done so far.
Wolves were expected to struggle this season but it has been anything but that, resulting in O'Neil being linked with a move to Old Trafford.
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His achievement is all the more impressive due to the tight budget at his disposal compared to United’s riches.
Wolves sit just six-points adrift of the Red Devils and qualifying for European football next season is not entirely out of the question.
Last season’s heroics in steering Bournemouth to Premier League safety has not gone unnoticed by senior figures at Old Trafford, who see O’Neil as a solid candidate to join the club’s coaching staff.
However, a move to United would pose the question of what specific role he would take up, with current boss Erik ten Hag’s future reportedly unclear ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
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O’Neil could be offered an assistant manager position or an alternative role, but it would be a lesser position to what he currently holds at Molineux, which could prove difficult for the 40-year-old to accept.
Speaking about his future earlier this month, O'Neil said: "No, not aware of any jobs I've been linked with.
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"I'm not available so I shouldn't be linked with any other jobs. I'm doing the job I want to be doing, love what we're trying to achieve. I hate the fact that people keep asking me about manager of the year stuff because I've got over a quarter of it left.
"If I lose the next 12 games, I'll be nowhere near it. It's just not even a consideration so as much as I understand the questions and I get that we have to answer them, it's very premature to discuss things about how the season's gone and what might happen after it.
"There's still such a lot of work that needs doing and it's a real difficult part of the season for us. As I've already spoken about it, I'm really excited to get stuck into, I really want to keep the focus on the group and what we try to do."