The candidates to permanently replace Jose Mourinho at Manchester United
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Manchester United are searching for a new manager. The Red Devils have confirmed that they have finally parted company with Jose Mourinho and will replace the “Special One” at the end of the campaign. Michael Carrick has been installed as a temporary coach before a further interim manager will see out the season. A host of names have already been linked with the job, so we’ve taken a closer look at the candidates that could permanently replace Mourinho, for the long term, in the summer.
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane is likely to be among the favourites to replace Mourinho after he left Real Madrid last summer.
He remains out of work and is taking his time before deciding on his next move.
After his success at Real, he has been heavily linked with both United and Bayern Munich.
Mauricio Pochettino
Mauricio Pochettino would undoubtedly be United’s first choice.
The club have been long-term admirers of the Spurs boss and philosophies make him look like the ideal candidate to replace Mourinho.
Pochettino is willing to bring through young players, build a harmony within a squad, all while not kicking up too much of a fuss in the transfer market.
Convincing Tottenham into letting him go may be where they struggle, however.
Antonio Conte
Antonio Conte may not be the long-term option, but in the short-term, he could be the ideal person for the United job.
The club lacked any form of identity under Mourinho and the Italian would certainly change that.
His time at Chelsea did not end well, but short-term success could be on the cards with Conte.
Eddie Howe
Eddie Howe looks like he could be the only British coach vying for the United job this summer.
Many have tipped the Bournemouth boss to make the step up as he continues to impress at the Vitality Stadium.
Given his relative inexperience away from Bournemouth, this would certainly be a huge gamble from United, who may be wary about reliving another David Moyes episode.
Massimo Allegri
Allegri may look to move on from Juventus at the end of the season if they finally get their hands on the Champions League trophy.
Following Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival, the Old Lady are among the favourites to lift the trophy and the Italian may feel he has done all he can in Turin should they go on to win the big one this season.
Leonardo Jardim
Leonardo Jardim could be an outside contender for the United job after leaving Monaco earlier this season.
He earned rave reviews for the job he did with the Ligue 1 side, guiding them to a historic title win.
Jardim had to deal with a constant turnover of squads and always managed to develop youth.
Diego Simeone
Diego Simeone is perennially linked with Premier League jobs and it is easy to see why United would be keen when you see the job he has done at Atletico Madrid.
However, if United are looking to expand their style of play, Simeone may not be the wisest of appointments.
Didier Deschamps
The France boss is often linked with moves away from the national team and there may not be a better time to step down after winning the World Cup.
He has not managed a club since 2012, something that could be a concern for United.
However, Deschamps did something with France that Mourinho could not manage at United and that was bringing the best out of Paul Pogba.
Laurent Blanc
Blanc is another candidate who continuously finds his names linked with jobs, without anything ever coming to fruition.
He has been out of work since leaving Paris Saint-Germain and would certainly be a risk for United.
Could well be considered as a ‘safe pair of hands’ until a better option becomes available.
Roberto Martinez
Roberto Martinez’s stock as a manager has never been higher.
After his success at the World Cup with Belgium, he has been linked with a number of high-profile jobs.
The former Everton man was even touted as a potential Real Madrid manager over the summer.
Michael Carrick
Michael Carrick has been given a caretaker role following Mourinho’s dismissal.
It would be foolish to rule him out taking the job full time if he can impress enough during his short stint in charge of the club.
He has enough to time make a mark on the club before the end of the season.
