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Football

05th Mar 2019

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can’t move back into his house because Virgil Van Dijk lives there

Marc Mayo

The United boss wants a permanent place to stay in the north-west but has a famous tenant to contend with

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is planning a long stay in the Old Trafford dugout but the Manchester United boss cannot move back into his Cheshire property – because Virgil Van Dijk is living there.

It’s reported that the Norwegian already owns a five-bedroom property in the north-west, worth around £4 million, which he failed to sell once his playing career ended. As a result, it was rented out and the Liverpool defender is the current tenant, with little sign that he’ll be leaving his club anytime soon.

“The property is the one Ole and his family lived in since his time at United and when he moved away it was eventually put up for sale,” The Sun quote a source as saying.

“But when no takers came it was offered for rent – and when Van Dijk signed for Liverpool he came to see it and loved it.

“Ole probably never thought he would be coming back to Manchester but now he is it really is ironic he can’t move back into his old place which he still owns. There are a few grins from people who know that Van Dijk is the tenant.”

Solskjaer had been living in Manchester’s Lowry Hotel since joining on an interim basis, the same pad Jose Mourinho infamously holed up in during his ill-fated spell in charge of the Red Devils. However, he is said to want a more comfortable option for the long-term.

Since returning his side to the battle for a top-four finish, albeit with only a slim chance of progressing past Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, Solskjaer has been described as a shoo-in for getting the manager’s job on a permanent basis.