Roberto Mancini has emerged as a surprise candidate for the Manchester United job when interim manager Ralf Rangnick steps down in the summer.
Mancini is currently in charge of Italy, whom he has led from disaster to European Championship glory since taking over in 2018.
However, more recent times have not been so good. First, the Azzurri crashed out in the UEFA Nations League Finals at the first hurdle and they then missed out on automatic qualification for the 2022 World Cup after slipping to disappointing draws against Switzerland and Northern Ireland.
Italy must now navigate a tricky playoff route to make it to Qatar with a semi-final clash with North Macedonia likely to be followed by a one-off game against Portugal for a place at the showpiece event next winter.
According to the Telegraph, United are weighing up an approach for Mancini amid Italy's struggles. At present, the 57-year-old is committed to the national team, but if they fail to qualify he could become available.
The report does not rule out the possibility of Mancini having his head turned if United come calling when he's still under contract.
One stumbling block in a potential deal would be the Italian's past relationship with bitter rivals Man City, whom he managed between 2009 and 2013. However, it is not seen as so much of a problem as to rule Mancini out of the running completely.
90min understands that the former Inter manager is not United's top choice, though. That remains Mauricio Pochettino, who is currently in charge of Paris Saint-Germain. PSG turned down the club's initial advances as they do not want to let their head coach depart without formulating a backup plan.
United were also interested in Leicester City's Brendan Rodgers, but Pochettino is very much their priority for the time being.
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Source : 90min