Man Utd ‘make contact with Diego Simeone’ about becoming next permanent boss
United said to have sounded out Atletico Madrid boss as they look to cover themselves in case of missing out on Mauricio Pochettino in the summer
MANCHESTER UNITED have made moves to contact Diego Simeone about becoming their new manager, it has been claimed.
United are on the look-out for a top class boss to come in next summer and succeed Jose Mourinho as the permanent man in charge.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is currently in the role on an interim basis while Old Trafford bosses conduct their recruitment process.
And the say Atletico Madrid supremo Simeone is one of the names on their shortlist of potential candidates.
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino remains their No1 target, but executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward knows there are no guarantees they will be able to capture him.
First they have to prove to Pochettino that leaving Spurs to begin a new project at United is the best option for him - and then they would have to get Daniel Levy to agree to a deal.
Tottenham chairman Levy would demand huge compensation for the Argentine, and even £50million might not be enough to persuade him to do business.
So United have to look elsewhere for other potential options, with England boss Gareth Southgate said to be among the names identified.
And now it seems Pochettino's former Argentina team-mate Simeone is another who is of major interest.
The 48-year-old has 18 months left on his current deal with Atletico and is currently in the process of beginning talks over extending that stay.
Latest Man Utd news
But there have been times in the past when Simeone has considered quitting, believing he has done as good a job as possible with the club, faced with the huge resources of their Spanish rivals Real and Barcelona.
In seven years with Atleti, Simeone has led the club to the La Liga title, two Champions League finals and two Europa League trophies.
It is an impressive record, but that brilliant side is gradually breaking up and it is hard for them to rival Barca in particular in the domestic game.
Simeone would clearly fit the bill in terms of pedigree as a manager, though a perceived lack of experience working in the English game may be a concern.
Temporary boss Solskjaer himself remains desperate to prove himself worthy of getting the job full-time, and leading the club into a top four finish will considerably strengthen his case.