Manchester United are shortly whittling their permanent managerial shortlist down after appointing Michael Carrick as their interim boss - and that has seen Roberto De Zerbi emerge as a 'frontrunner' at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils saw Ruben Amorim depart early into the new year, and although Carrick has been brought to the fore for now, attention will turn to a new, permanent boss at some point in the summer.
And that could see De Zerbi come in as the new gaffer, due to a huge appreciation of his talents from the United hierarchy following his spells in charge of Brighton and Marseille in recent years.
Report: Roberto De Zerbi a 'Leading Candidate' for Man Utd Vacancy
roberto de zerbi
The report by iNews states that De Zerbi is a 'leading pick' for the United role, which could well become a vacancy over the summer.
Michael Carrick was given his United managerial debut ahead of the Manchester derby on Saturday, and massively impressed when it came to securing the bragging rights by blowing City out of the park in a 2-0 win, which could easily have been three or more.
However, he will need time to prove himself on the Old Trafford stage, and with Carrick only in an interim role, more prestigious and experienced gaffers are going to be considered over the summer months.
As a result, De Zerbi is under consideration. Senior Red Devils figures want a manager with bold, innovative ideas with Premier League games under their belt, and he fits the bill.
The 'genius' boss has been on United's radar ever since his Brighton days, where the Seagulls would outplay the Red Devils on a regular basis, and his attacking brand at Marseille would fit the mantra. He would be ready to quit his post at the Stade Velodrome in order to move to United, per reports earlier in the month.
De Zerbi's Brighton Development is Something to be Marvelled at
Marseille head coach Roberto De Zerbi on the touchline
De Zerbi took over Brighton when they were in fourth place in the Premier League under Graham Potter, after six games of the season.
Although De Zerbi couldn't muster a Champions League spot, his Brighton side excelled after the World Cup break, losing just two games from 14 to record a Europa League place.
But notably, it was Brighton's development of some real Premier League stars that could entice United. The likes of Facundo Buonanotte, Joao Pedro, Bart Verbruggen and Carlos Baleba were all signed under his guidance.
However, the likes of Robert Sanchez, Leandro Trossard, Levi Colwill, Alexis Mac Allister, Kaoru Mitoma, Moises Caicedo and Jack Hinshelwood were all brought through under De Zerbi before becoming Brighton mainstays or stars elsewhere.
That is a strong cohort of players and United fans will be over the moon if he can replicate that at Old Trafford.
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