LONDON: Thomas Tuchel and Roberto De Zerbi reportedly led a list of six candidates considered by Manchester United before the club changed course and finally appointed Ruben Amorim as their new manager.
The English giants initially wanted to give priority to candidates with Premier League experience, but after receiving information that the young Portuguese coach would be the “next great manager”, their stance changed.
This story takes place around May 2024 – before Erik ten Hag presented United with the FA Cup title.
After that, he was given a contract extension before finally being replaced by Amorim in November.
Interestingly, Amorim, who has been at United for almost a year now, might not be at Old Trafford today if some early talks with other candidates had come to fruition.
According to a report by The Athletic, apart from Tuchel and De Zerbi, four other names are also on the shortlist, namely Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Frank, Marco Silva and Graham Potter.
It is understood that United have begun discussions with several candidates, either physically or online, including after the FA Cup triumph, when Ten Hag’s future is still unclear.
The director of football, Jason Wilcox, also contacted Amorim and was impressed with his vision.
However, concerns have arisen about his ability to make the big leap from Sporting Lisbon to United, who are currently in a transitional phase.
Tuchel is said to have met with United’s top management in Monaco, but opted to take a break after leaving Bayern Munich before being appointed England head coach in mid-October.
The Athletic also reported that United made an offer to De Zerbi after he left Brighton, but the manager turned it down due to financial reasons.
He then accepted the position as Marseille manager in July 2024.
Another name also being monitored is Thiago Motta, who created a sensation at Bologna before joining Juventus.
Ultimately, United chose Amorim whose record in Portugal was quite impressive with two league titles with Sporting, three domestic cups and a 71 percent win percentage.
The decision in Amorim’s favor came after a five-hour meeting in Seville, Spain, on October 18, where he presented his plan and philosophy.