Manchester United have reportedly added another manager to their shortlist of potential Rúben Amorim replacements amid poor results in the Premier League.
Rúben Amorim is facing growing pressure at Manchester United after a difficult opening to the 2025/26 season.
The club’s promising pre-season tour in the United States raised expectations, but an opening-day defeat to Arsenal set an early setback. A draw with Fulham followed by a shock Carabao Cup exit to Grimsby Town quickly deepened frustration.
Amorim registered his first league win with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Burnley, secured by Bruno Fernandes from the penalty spot in stoppage time.
Since the September international break, though, United have endured a 3-0 loss to rivals Manchester City, a narrow win against 10-man Chelsea, and a 3-1 defeat to Brentford, results that have intensified scrutiny on the head coach.
United monitoring De Zerbi situation
According to UnitedInFocus, United’s hierarchy continue to rate Roberto De Zerbi highly and see him as a potential option should they decide to move on from Amorim.
Amorim is under growing pressure at Old Trafford, and while he still has the backing of the club and sporting director Jason Wilcox, the board are carrying out due diligence on alternative candidates.
Other managers to have caught United’s eye include Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola and Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner, both of whom have impressed in the Premier League.
De Zerbi, who was strongly linked with United before Amorim’s appointment, is now firmly back on the radar. After leaving Brighton, the 46-year-old took charge of Marseille in 2024 and guided them to a second-place finish in Ligue 1, significantly reshaping their squad.
This season, De Zerbi’s Marseille have already beaten Paris Saint-Germain, underlining his credentials as a future elite coach. United are said to value Premier League experience in any prospective new appointment, making De Zerbi a serious candidate.
Could De Zerbi work at United?
The Italian football coach certainly made waves at Brighton during his stint in the Premier League, transforming some of their talented players into genuinely brilliant ones, helping to develop the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo.
As mentioned above, his Marseille team are also playing some very high-quality football in Ligue 1 and the Champions League, with some analysts stating his side must be taken very seriously across European competition.
However, De Zerbi is not without his faults, too. The former Shakhtar Donetsk boss is known to have a temper at times and can clash with those above him if their ideologies aren’t aligned.
He left Brighton in 2024, primarily due to irreconcilable differences with chairman Tony Bloom regarding the club’s transfer strategy and overall methodology, which United may be wary of should he become a serious candidate for appointment.
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