Paul Scholes finalising deal to manage Oldham - but could face conflict of interest with Salford City  

BT Sport pundit Paul Scholes before the Emirates FA Cup, Quarter Final match at Old Trafford, Manchester.
Paul Scholes is co-owner of Salford City and could face issues if they are promoted to the same league as Oldham next season Credit: PA

Paul Scholes may have to clarify what he intends to do with his stake in Salford City if, as expected, he is appointed as the new manager at Oldham.

Scholes is expected to sign an 18-month contract at Boundary Park within the next week, and could be announced as early as Monday. 

Talks are ongoing to finalise the deal between the League One club - who sacked Frankie Bunn just after Christmas - and Scholes. Oldham owner Abdallah Lemsagam is expected to fly into the UK on Monday to make a final decision. Other candidates have been spoken to but it is understood Scholes has emerged as the firm favourite.

It is hoped that Scholes, 44, will be in charge for Oldham’s FA Cup fourth round tie away to Doncaster Rovers on Saturday. He is an Oldham fan and has strong links to the club, attending their 2-1 defeat to Macclesfield Town, managed by his former England team-mate Sol Campbell. Scholes’ nephew Ryan is also at the club’s academy.

However, Scholes' position as a co-owner at Salford City, who are third in the National League and chasing promotion to League Two, could need clarifying. If Oldham and Salford are in the same division next season it will become an issue under the EFL’s rules on dual interest.

Manchester United coach Paul Scholes before the match
After retiring he initially joined the Manchester United coaching staff Credit: Action Images

It is covered by the EFL’s Regulation 104 which states “except with the prior written consent of the Board a person, or any associate of that person, who is interested in a Club cannot at the same time be interested in any other football club.” That includes any financial involvement.

Scholes was briefly joint caretaker manager of Salford, with Phil Neville, in 2015, two years after his retirement as a player, but his Oldham job will represent his first full foray into management. He also worked with Ryan Giggs on United’s coaching staff for a short period of time following David Moyes’s sacking in 2014.

Scholes has been interviewed for the Oldham post in the past, when Richie Wellens was appointed in October 2017, and has been working as a pundit for BT Sport. He has made no secret of the fact that he wants to eventually go into management and Oldham is the club he used to watch growing up in nearby Middleton. He is tempted by the link.

Oldham sacked Bunn, a former player, who had only taken over last summer, last month following their 6-0 defeat by Carlisle United. Academy manager Pete Wild has been in caretaker charge at Boundary Park and will return to his previous role. Wild won two of his five league games in charge, with Oldham currently 12th, five points of the play-offs, and also knocked Premier League Fulham out of the FA Cup to set up the Doncaster tie.

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