Former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is reportedly a surprise contender to be the next permanent Manchester United manager.
The Telegraph claim that United figures are monitoring his situation with the Italian national team.
Mancini of course led his country to victory in the final of Euro 2020 but they are facing the prospect of failing to qualify for World Cup 2022.
They must go through the play-off process, where they are on a collision course with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal.
But it is his City connections which will be the big talking point if United’s interest firms up.
He was the man who oversaw City’s first Premier League title in the most dramatic of circumstances in 2012.
There is also a disconnect between the style of football Mancini likes to play and Ralf Rangnick’s idealogy.
The German wants his teams to press high and play attacking football, where Mancini is more of a pragmatist.
Mancini is also an intense character, who fell out with some players in the dressing room at City.
United have tried to move away from that kind of manager after Jose Mourinho’s departure, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tasked with restoring harmony and belief to the club.
Rangnick and Mancini would be an awkward fit in terms of conflicting ideas and perhaps the amount of control they would want over the direction of the club.
Here is how the links with a former City boss went down with some United fans on Twitter.
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