Over the course of the last week, the direction of travel appears to have changed somewhat with regards to Erik ten Hag’s future at Manchester United.
And not only because of that FA Cup final triumph over Man City at Wembley, two teenagers the Dutchman blooded into the Red Devils first-team – Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo – scoring the goals.
Seven days ago, Kieran McKenna, Hansi Flick and Thiago Motta – three managers reportedly under consideration by Manchester United – all appeared to be, at the very least, ‘gettable’.
Since then, however, Flick has been unveiled as Xavi’s replacement at Barcelona, McKenna is closing in on a new contract at Ipswich Town, and Motta is on his way to Juventus.
What a difference a few days can make.
Manchester United linked manager set for Juventus job
According to reporter Romeo Agresti, Motta will put pen to paper with the Serie A giants next week. He takes over from Massimiliano Allegri having guided an unfancied Bologna outfit into the Champions League for the very first time, finishing above Juventus in the table along the way.
And Juve legend Gianlugi Buffon believes that, while Motta is a ‘risk’, he is one that could reap pretty substantial rewards if his remarkable impact at Spezia and Bologna is anything to go by.
“Juve are probably trying to inject new spark into an ambitious project,” the iconic goalkeeper said at the Globe Soccer Europe Awards, via Football Italia. “And, in my view, they have had the courage to take a risk.
“I see this as a calculated risk, though. Considering what he has shown so far in his career, Thiago Motta is proving he has something special. I would say that even before Bologna, it was something of a small masterpiece at Spezia.”
Motta, one of the most underrated midfielders of the modern era, is displaying the intelligence and the poise in which he played the game at Barcelona, Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain from his new vantage point in the dugout these days.
Motta twice kept Spezia safe from the drop. The former Italy international then took over at Bologna, leading the Rossoblu to a record points tally in Serie A before gatecrashing the Champions League spots a year later, departing the club a living legend last week.
Erik ten Hag future at Old Trafford unclear
“In these two years, I have met a prepared and winning coach,” disappointed president Joey Saputo sighed when bidding farewell to the man who made the seemingly impossible anything but at Bologna.
“(Motta) has given the team a brilliant playing identity.
“The achievement of qualifying for the Champions League consigns him and all the players to the history of our Club. I would have liked him to stay at Bologna, but I can only thank him and his staff for these wonderful seasons and wish him the best for the future.”
Man United’s new Ineos decision makers are yet to publicly announce what the future holds for Erik ten Hag. But with an unexpected FA Cup triumph ending 2023/24 on a high note – and with a number of potential successors either staying put or moving elsewhere – the chances of the Dutchman sticking around for at least one more season appear to have increased considerably.