Former Barcelona manager Xavi has reportedly not ruled out the possibility of taking over at Manchester United in the summer, in the event that Ruben Amorim is sacked.
Amorim has endured a difficult first four months in charge at United since replacing Erik ten Hag at the end of October. The Portuguese coach has won just four league games, lost eight and drawn three from the 15 games he has overseen.
United were close to suffering another defeat on Sunday at Goodison Park after going down 2-0 by half-time. However, Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte struck back in the second half to ensure the spoils were shared between themselves and Everton.
In his post-match presser, Amorim admitted that the Red Devils were non-existent. He also suggested he doesn’t know how to solve the problems currently plaguing his side.
There have been murmurs that the 40-year-old could be sacked if performances and results don’t dramatically improve soon.
A report covered by The Peoples Person relayed that Brentford’s Thomas Frank is in pole position to replace Amorim in the Old Trafford dugout.
Now, Relevo state that Xavi is also a contender for the hot seat, having turned down United in the past.
The Spanish news outlet states that United “sounded out” Xavi while he was still at Barcelona, to potentially replace Erik ten Hag.
It’s understood that United contacted him again in the immediate aftermath of Ten Hag’s departure. The legendary midfielder turned United down on both occasions.
Relevo state that the second time United reached out to him, Xavi was under the impression that interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy would be given until the end of the season, at which point he would assess his options.
The report further notes, “Xavi Hernandez is preparing to return to the bench for the next campaign. Without obsession or haste. The idea is to be able to take on a competitive project in the long term and that allows him to return to the elite to fight with the best.”
“Manchester United is not ruled out. The poor performance offered by Amorim leaves him on the tightrope despite having a contract until the summer of 2027, with the option of another year.”
Xavi has been on a sabbatical since parting ways with the Blaugrana in May last year. As Barca gaffer, he led the side to a La Liga title in the 2022/23 campaign.
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Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
