Thiago Motta considered for Manchester United head coach role

Manchester United are enjoying life under caretaker manager Michael Carrick as he’s steadied the ship following the departure of Ruben Amorim.

The Portuguese manager took over at Old Trafford in November 2024 after Erik ten Hag was sacked, lasting just over a year before getting the boot in January 2026.

Now, the Red Devils are once more looking for a new head coach, with a permanent appointment expected in the summer.

Whislt Michael Carrick is making himself a strong candidate for the role, the job isn’t his just yet as the club initially set out to find an elite manager to take on the role.

While a whole host of names linked, like Carlo Ancelotti and Thomas Tuchel before he signed a new contract with the England national team, another name has now emerged, although as a historical option.

Talking to the Talk of the Devils podcast, Andy Mitten revealed that Thiago Motta was considered to replace ten Hag in place of Ruben Amorim.

The Athletic journalist explained: “People didn’t know that Thiago Motta for example, before Ruben Amorim got the job, was being put forward to Manchester United as the next big thing in coaching.”

He continued: “No-one knew this was going on at the time. Nobody got any wind of this. Manchester United took him really, really seriously.

“Ruben Amorim wasn’t even in the first batch of hopefuls; he came as an outside, an outlier, but there are also the big names, the obvious ones, your big hitters, your star quality.

“The proven Champions League, the people who do give big value in the press conferences cause they’re so sure of themselves that they’re not afraid to say exactly what they think, for better or for worse.”

Whilst it was known at the time that Thiago Motta was linked with the job, the news that he was offered to the club and taken seriously changes the light of Ruben Amorim’s appointment.

At the time, he hadn’t long started at Juventus, having a ten-game unbeaten run with The Old Lady, winning six of them.

However, Motta was soon let go by the Turin-based side, departing in March 2025 after the Italian side crashed out of the Champions League and Coppa Italia, despite holding 5th in Serie A.