Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is facing the axe at Besiktas just eight months after taking the job. The Super Lig club crashed out of the Europa League in the second preliminary round this week, knocked out by Shakhtar Donetsk.

They trailed 4-2 after the first leg in Krakow. They failed to overturn the deficit on Thursday and were beaten 2-0, as the players were jeered at the final whistle. Solskjaer is now reportedly on the brink of the sack despite having only signed an 18-month contract in January.

The uncertainty facing Man Utd's 1999 Champions League hero is at odds with the positive start to his reign. He guided the team to eight wins and one draw in his first 12 games in charge, including a shock 2-1 derby win over previously undefeated Galatasaray.

The Black Eagles ended up fourth in the table, just two points off third-placed Samsunspor. The Norwegian has also been active in this summer transfer window, bringing in Benfica duo Orkun Kokcu (loan) and Joao Mario.

To rub salt into Solskjaer's wounds, a former Liverpool player is in line to replace him. According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Nuri Sahin is the club's No.1 target if the 52-year-old does depart.

The ex-midfielder is best remembered in England for his five-month loan spell at Anfield in the 2012/13 season. He played 12 games under Brendan Rodgers, scoring three times, before returning to Real Madrid.

After retiring in 2021 following a short stint at Antalyaspor, he managed the Turkish side until December 2023. He then took over at his former club, Borussia Dortmund, signing a one-year contract.

However, there was no fairytale homecoming for Sahin, who won 52 caps for Turkey at the international level. The club sacked him the following summer, citing poor results.