Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 'Not Quite Sure' on Molde Contract Situation

Manchester United interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said the "plan is to go back" to Molde, but he is unsure what his contract situation is with the Norwegian club.

Solskjaer succeeded Jose Mourinho as United boss back in December. He was appointed until the end of the 2018-19 season, and Molde, where he has been in charge since 2015, stated at the time they were only "lending" the 46-year-old to the Red Devils.

After overseeing a run of 12 games unbeaten in the Premier League, though, there is widespread belief Solskjaer will be given the United job full time:

And now Molde have taken down a statement on their website that reported Solskjaer had signed a new three-year deal with them before his move to United.

When asked by Fotballklubben podcast (h/t Sky Sports) why his Twitter bio still described him as "manager of Molde," Solskjaer was unable to fully clear up his current contractual situation:

"I'm not quite sure how it works. I think the contract has expired and that now I only have contract with Manchester United. There may have to be another contract for that [return to Molde].

"Let's see what it says here. No, I am...'manager of Molde.' It's not what I am doing at the moment, but the plan is to go back there."

Molde CEO Oystein Neerland then told TV2 Norway (h/t Sky Sports): 

"Before Christmas we signed a new agreement with Ole Gunnar for three years, until the end of the 2021 season. Afterwards Ole Gunnar has taken over as temporary manager at Manchester United, a job that goes on until the summer. Ole Gunnar is now employed at Manchester United, and plans to return to Molde after the season."

The 2019 Eliteserien season does not kick off until the end of March, so Solskjaer will only miss the opening two months of Molde's new campaign if he does go back.

It is looking increasingly likely, though, that Solskjaer will be named permanent United boss, with ESPN FC's Mark Ogden describing him as "the only serious candidate."

That is far from surprising given the remarkable effect he has had at the club.

The former striker has overseen 13 wins in 16 matches in all competitions, with United's only defeat under Solskjaer coming against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League.

Perhaps most significantly, the 1999 treble winner has also re-established the exciting style of play that used to be United's trademark under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Barring a severe slump in form between now and the end of the season, United are surely planning to offer Solskjaer the permanent position in the dugout.

There may be some negotiations to be had with Molde about compensation, but United have more than enough financial clout to work the situation out even if Solskjaer is still contracted to the Norwegian club.