Who could be next United boss if they lose Mourinho to PSG?
Manchester United could have a bit of a headache in the coming months as speculation seems to grow that they face the prospect of losing manager Jose Mourinho to PSG.
The Sun recently claimed the French giants were confident of luring the Portuguese away, while Don Balon have since reported that talks are even underway with his agent Jorge Mendes.
READ MORE
Mourinho to PSG: United boss eyed to appease Neymar
Still, even if United were to lose Mourinho to PSG, they shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a top class replacement – after all, who would turn down the prestige that comes with the Old Trafford hot seat?
As well as that, United have rebuilt well since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, with an exciting young squad put together around big talents like Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.
We’ve put together five names who could be realistic targets for United, which will hopefully put their fans’ minds at ease…
Mauricio Pochettino (Tottenham)
The Manchester Evening News claim Pochettino met with Sir Alex Ferguson shortly before Louis van Gaal was sacked, even though a move for Mourinho already looked more or less done at the time.
MORE: Manchester United news
Still, the Daily Express has reported that the Argentine remains the bookies’ favourite to be the next United manager, in a move that would make plenty of sense.
We’ve discussed here why Pochettino would be ideal to continue United’s traditions of solid but ambitious football built around young players, as evidenced by his superb work since becoming Tottenham manager.
Surely the ideal pick, but can United get to him before another European super club snap him up? Or will he continue to show loyalty to his project at Tottenham ahead of their exciting move to a new stadium?
Diego Simeone (Atletico Madrid)
Another impressive Argentine tactician, Diego Simeone has worked wonders in his time with Atletico Madrid, though things have not proven so easy this season.
If Simeone is on the move any time soon, top clubs around the globe are bound to take notice, with the 47-year-old somehow masterminding a La Liga title win and two Champions League final appearances in his six years in charge.
Working on a shoestring budget to get the best out of players previously not regarded as world class, Simeone would surely have little trouble working with more established names at a club like United.
His hunger to win and his demanding nature are reminiscent of the legendary Ferguson, and the Red Devils should be in no doubt that he would be one of the ideal candidates if available.
Massimiliano Allegri (Juventus)
He’s won four Serie A titles and reached two Champions League finals, and yet somehow doubts still remain over Massimiliano Allegri.
Many will look at the end to his time with AC Milan as worrying, while he’s hardly faced that kind of challenge in his stint with Juve, where he inherited a side in superb shape after work done by his predecessor Antonio Conte.
Still, his record speaks for itself and there’s bound to be a queue of top clubs circling if he ever does leave his post in Turin, with the Sun claiming earlier this year that Arsenal had held talks with him about possibly replacing Arsene Wenger.
Leonardo Jardim (Monaco)
Despite not arriving as the biggest name in the world, Leonardo Jardim has seriously enhanced his reputation after a tremendous job with Monaco.
The Portuguese guided a youthful side to the Ligue 1 title last season playing an expansive brand of fast, entertaining, attacking football that would be very warmly welcomed at Old Trafford.
Jardim faces a challenge to keep Monaco competitive after seeing so many of their best players poached by bigger clubs this summer, so he could surely be tempted to take up an offer to manage a club like United, who would not have such problems.
Antonio Conte (Chelsea)
Finally, a bit of a rogue suggestion, but one that may well be worth considering if things pan out a certain way.
If Mourinho really could be lured away to PSG in the coming months, there’s also a decent chance Antonio Conte will soon be available after a difficult season at Chelsea.
Marca recently claimed Roman Abramovich has already decided on sacking Conte, while Yahoo Sport previously suggested the Italian was not keen on carrying on beyond this season anyway.
Given Conte’s success last season, United would be mad not to at least consider him as an option, with the 48-year-old a workaholic with great attention to detail, with proven success everywhere he’s worked.
Plus just imagine Chelsea fans’ reaction seeing another of their heroes lining up in the Old Trafford dugout!