Manchester United held talks to appoint Roberto De Zerbi as a replacement for Erik ten Hag but both parties could not agree on a salary, according to The Athletic.
Following one league win in eight matches back in May 2024, the decision-makers at Man United opted to bring in a new manager to the Old Trafford club.
The Red Devils eventually identified Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, De Zerbi, Thomas Frank, Marco Silva and Graham Potter as options to replace Ten Hag.
Man United settled for Tuchel and De Zerbi as their prime candidates, but the German was not ready to return to coaching having just left Bayern Munich at the time.
De Zerbi became the frontrunner for the job, and financial terms were discussed with the 46-year-old Italian in line with what Man United felt was fair.
However, the former Brighton & Hove Albion boss rejected those terms, and the Red Devils chose not to improve them.
He ended up joining Marseille in June 2024, helping them to a second-place finish at the end of the 2024-25 Ligue 1 campaign.
Man United eventually decided to stick with Ten Hag, but a poor start to the season cost the Dutchman his job and Ruben Amorim was appointed as his replacement exactly a year ago today.
The 40-year-old was unable to hit the ground running upon taking over, with Man United finishing 15th in the Premier League table at the end of last season.
2025-26 started on an underwhelming note for the Red Devils, and it culminated in their exit from the Carabao Cup at the hands of League Two club Grimsby Town.
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