Ancelotti's Old Trafford Dream: The Elite Manager Who's 'Always' Fancied the United Job

Manchester United's managerial merry-go-round has taken another spin following Ruben Amorim's departure on Monday, and the rumour mill is already churning with potential successors. With Amorim having lasted just over a year at the helm—during which he'd started to implement his vision, guiding United to sixth in the Premier League after their dismal 15th-place finish the season prior—his exit appears to stem more from a breakdown in relations with the board than tactical shortcomings.

The messaging debacle that ultimately cost Amorim his job has opened the door for a fresh approach, and transfer insider Duncan Castles has thrown an intriguing name into the conversation: Carlo Ancelotti.

According to Castles, the Italian tactician has long held a special place in his heart for the Old Trafford job. Speaking on The Transfers Podcast, Castles revealed: "I heard a long time ago – in fact, when he was Chelsea coach – from someone close to him, that he has always coveted the Manchester United job and wanted an opportunity to do that before he retired."

That Chelsea spell feels like an age ago now. Ancelotti departed Stamford Bridge in 2011, at a time when United still reigned as one of England's footballing elite. Sir Alex Ferguson's side had just claimed the Premier League that year, finishing runners-up to Ancelotti's Chelsea the season before. How times have changed. Since then, United have managed just one league title—the 2012/13 triumph—and have fallen outside the top four in seven separate campaigns.

The landscape has shifted dramatically, yet Ancelotti's stock has only soared. His spell in the Spanish capital yielded three of his five Champions League triumphs, and he now commands Brazil's national team. By any measure, he's operating at a rarefied level that seems to transcend a United rebuild project.

Still, there's one significant voice advocating for precisely such a move. Gary Neville, the club's legendary former captain, has made his position crystal clear. Neville stated: "You have got to be pretty special to tick all four of those boxes, and as such, the outstanding candidate for me would be Carlo Ancelotti, even if it would mean potentially delaying his arrival until late July if Brazil reached the World Cup final."

Meanwhile, the club has already been linked with a host of Premier League alternatives, including Unai Emery, Andoni Iraola, and Oliver Glasner, though none carry quite the same cachet as Ancelotti.