At a Glance
- Luis Enrique on Manchester United radar
- PSG boss was asked about the job
- The Spaniard’s future in the spotlight
Before he had even stepped out of the car at Campus Paris Saint-Germain—PSG’s training ground—Luis Enrique was already signing autographs through the window, leaning across the seat to meet the outstretched hands waiting for him.
Only once he had finished the last autograph did a voice cut through the crowd with the first question. The fan (translated into English): “I hope you stay at PSG for a long time.”
Enrique responded: “Me too.”
The fan replied:
“Not at United, though, huh?”
Enrique laughed in response to the question but didn’t downplay the possibility of a Manchester United appointment. There is a reason that question surfaced so easily.
Man United’s Enrique interest
Figures at and around Manchester United have long admired Luis Enrique. His name had been circulating quietly in conversations well before the current search for direction.
In 2022, Andy Mitten—a journalist who writes for The Athletic and the editor of United We Stand—facilitated contact between Enrique and United. The Spaniard controls his own future, choosing whether to walk away from the European champions and take the United job.
From Barcelona’s peak to Paris’ rebuild
Just 17 players have dared to cross the divide between Barcelona and Real Madrid.
A rivalry shaped as much by politics and identity as football itself, with Catalonia’s resistance embodied in Barcelona and the power of the Spanish capital centred in Madrid.
Luis Enrique was one of them, forging a distinguished playing career of over 500 appearances and multiple La Liga titles.
But whilst Enrique was a fantastic footballer, it pales in comparison to his work on the touchline that defines him.
Roma, Barcelona, Spain, and currently, PSG. A resume that even the greatest of managers would be jealous of.
Across roughly 15 years of first-team management, Enrique has accumulated 19 trophies, been named IFFHS World’s Best Club Coach twice, won two UEFA Champions League titles and, most notably, completed two European continental trebles—a feat achieved by only Pep Guardiola and himself.
You do not have to look far to understand why Manchester United want him.
Could Enrique answer the call?
The fact of the matter is that, regardless of how much Jim Ratcliffe and co. may want the Spaniard, he is under contract until 2027. As it stands, Enrique will have at least one more season at the reins of the European champions.
And would he really want to take the risk?
At PSG, he is guaranteed to win titles. Since Qatar Sports Investments took over the club in March 2012, the French side has won 11 out of a possible 14 titles, with that number expected to reach 12 by May.
At Manchester United, you do not have that certainty.
The Red Devils have built a 149-year, trophy-laden history. But they have gone 13 years without winning the league and 18 years without winning the Champions League.
Michael Carrick has eight games left in charge of the Red Devils — what happens next is anyone’s guess. The next manager does not inherit just the squad. They inherit history, expectations, and, most importantly, a scrutiny that spares no one.
