If the Spaniard were to succeed at United, that could well make him the greatest manager of the modern era
Manchester United have begun their hunt for a new permanent head coach in the summer, after appointing Michael Carrick to an interim position until the end of the season.
A number of names have been linked to the Old Trafford job, including established coaches like Carlo Ancelotti and Thomas Tuchel, others with some strangely good reputation, such as Mauricio Pochettino and even Gareth Southgate, and other highly rated managers currently in the Premier League, including Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner, Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, Newcastle’s Eddie Howe, and Fulham’s Marco Silva.
There are two other names that have also been linked. One is Marseille’s Roberto De Zerbi, and the other is, unsurprisingly, Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique, but could United actually get him?
Enrique’s contract runs until the summer of 2027. If he sees it out, he will have completed his fourth season in charge of the club. It’s worth noting that Enrique has never spent four years at any job in his career, not at Roma, Celta Vigo, Barcelona or Spain, where he resigned after a year before then taking up the position again four months later and staying in charge for three years.
But the PSG job might be different. It is of course where he “will continue to try to conquer the footballing world” after helping the French side to a historic first Champions League title with much aplomb. PSG have not had the same level of performance as they did last season but that is only natural. It remains to be seen how the season will turn out, as the feeling between the coach and the club could go a long way in determining whether he will continue for what would be an individual record of a fourth straight year.
Of course, a lot of that may also hinge on how attractive the United project is. The club are in a financially sticky position and fighting to make Europe, which may go a long way in drawing talent in the transfer market. But if United somehow played their cards right, perhaps Enrique could also be drawn to the challenge of succeeding with the greatest sleeping giant of the modern era.
If the 50-year-old were to succeed at United, perhaps bringing the Premier League or Champions League back to Old Trafford, combined with his successes at Barcelona and PSG, that could well place him as arguably the greatest manager of the modern era.
But of course, all signs point to Enrique being perfectly happy in Paris, and there is no clear indication that he would consider a change or that United are even looking in his direction.
