Manchester United are looking for a new manager after Jose Mourinho’s spell at Old Trafford came to an end today.
Mourinho won the League Cup and the Europa League in 2016/17, his first season in charge, but the cracks soon began to show after a second-placed Premier League finish last term.
Here we look at some of the contenders to replace the Portuguese at the club.
Zinedine Zidane
The former Real Madrid manager has been heavily linked with United since leaving the Bernabeu in May. The 46-year-old made the rare journey from great player to great coach in under two-and-a-half years in charge of Real. In that time he became the first manager to win the European Cup or Champions League in three consecutive seasons while playing an exciting brand of football.
Zidane’s appointment would create a huge buzz at Old Trafford.
Mauricio Pochettino
Tottenham manager Pochettino has been on United’s radar ever since he lunched with Ferguson at a Mayfair restaurant in 2016. Not winning any trophies has been the stick to beat 46-year-old Pochettino with during his time in north London.
But the Argentinian plays bright, attacking football and was high on United’s list of targets to replace Louis van Gaal. Influential figures at Old Trafford are said to be big fans of Pochettino, who throughout his career has blooded young players in the United way. But prizing him away from Spurs chairman Daniel Levy would prove extremely difficult, if not impossible.
Didier Deschamps
United fans of a certain vintage will recall Deschamps being described by their former favourite Eric Cantona as a “water carrier” and a Juventus foe playing against Ferguson teams of the 1990s. The 49-year-old might not have been the most stylish of players, but his France team which won the 2018 World Cup had it in spades.
Deschamps has club experience at Monaco, Juventus and Marseille. He will also be a good fit with Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial, the French contingent who he has worked with at the national team. But could he be tempted away from the France national team where he has a contract until 2020?
Who would you prefer to be the next Manchester United Manager?