Former Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is reportedly among the four main candidates at the moment for the club as they search for a director of football.
The Red Devils are set to appoint the first DoF of their history and are described as casting the net wide, with Roma’s Monchi also listed as a favourite for the role, according to the Independent.
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The modern game has seen this model used more and more around Europe and increasingly in England these days, with managers now more like head coaches in terms of primarily taking care of the team and tactics instead of playing a major role in identifying and recruiting new talent.
The Independent note that Mourinho had been reluctant to work under such a system, but suggest he may be more accepting of it now.
The report also lists Juventus’ Fabio Paratici as an option, and Novara’s Domenico Teti.
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Loading ...The clubs mentioned have all done well with these key figures in place able to sign top talent on the cheap and often sell on at a considerable profit.
Van der Sar would surely be a popular appointment after his years at United as a player, when he was a key figure in some of their success in the latter part of the Sir Alex Ferguson era.
He’s also done good work at Ajax, so would combine good experience for the role with an important connection to the club.