Manchester United are looking for a new manager after the sacking of Ruben Amorim, but Rio Ferdinand has sensationally claimed he would consider taking the job if Mikel Arteta contacts him.
Rio Ferdinand sensationally claimed that despite his long-term ambitions at in-form Arsenal, Mikel Arteta would consider taking the job if Manchester United came along.
The Old Trafford side are searching for a new manager for the second time in less than 18 months, after sacking Ruben Amorim on Monday. With tensions rising in the North West, the Portuguese head coach was given his marching orders and an explosive post-match press conference at Leeds was his final act.
Darren Fletcher took charge against Burnley in midweek and will remain interim manager until the end of the season, with plans to aim to take over as permanent manager in the summer.
Speculation is mounting over who will be United’s next manager, with the likes of Oliver Glasner and Xavi already being linked as options. And although Arteta, who is currently living a fulfilling life at his former club Arsenal, has not been part of the conversation, Ferdinand was approached with the idea that Arteta would turn down the Red Devils, but the former United defender did not accept that. “No, I won’t buy it, I won’t buy it,” he said on the latest episode of Rio Ferdinand Presents. “He’ll never say it, he’ll never say it out loud. But I’ll tell you, Mikel Arteta will sit there (and consider it).”
read more: Manchester United manager on collision course over personal disagreement over Ruben Amorim’s replacementread more: Ruben Amorim suffers second setback after being sacked as Manchester manager over high demands
Arteta has overseen a major restructuring of Emirates since taking over more than six years ago. He has not won a trophy since 2020 but has helped the Gunners re-establish themselves as a force domestically and in Europe. His team includes some of the best players in the world, including Declan Rice and William Saliba.
He has no intention of leaving north London and with Arsenal six points clear at the top of the table, he looks poised to finally chase the monkey off his back. Silverware appears to be within reach, but United will need to embark on a new rebuild with a team miles away from title challengers.
Arteta outscored Amorim on the opening weekend of the season as Arsenal left Old Trafford with all three points, but the hosts were certainly competitive. The Portuguese head coach leaves the team with three points outside the top four, but there are still issues with their performance.
Amorim’s outspoken nature ultimately worked against him. Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel: “I watched his last two press conferences and thought, ‘There’s something different’…This guy, one of his best traits, one of the most likable things about him, is his ability to be very punchy, upbeat and upbeat in press conferences. His last two press conferences looked depressing.”
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