Manchester United are reportedly set to battle Barcelona in pursuit of AS Roma Director of Football Monchi, who is unhappy at Stadio Olimpico
As reported by The Sun, Manchester United are stepping up their efforts to appoint a new Director of Football, with Monchi in their sights now. But, the Premier League heavyweights aren’t the only club in pursuit of the Spaniard, who is considering his position at AS Roma, with Barcelona are hotly pursuing a move for him.
It has long been an open secret that Manchester United are aiming to implement a number of changes at the board level. Calls for appointing a Director of Football had already been in place well before the debacle of the summer transfer window.
But, after a sub-par performance in the transfer market this past summer, Manchester United have stepped up their pursuit of a new sporting director. Several names have been thrown up so far, with former player Edwin van der Sar also reportedly in the mix. The latest person to be linked with the top job is AS Roma chief Monchi, although the Red Devils will have to battle Barcelona to land him.
Monchi is one of the biggest superstars as far as the profile of a Director of Football is concerned. The Spaniard first made a name for himself at Sevilla, where he made a number of brilliant signings while also unearthing several players that went on to become superstars in Spanish football and beyond.
After a seventeen-year stint at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, Monchi chose to call it quits and join AS Roma, where he has only gone on to rise in stature. But, this summer, he has been caught up in controversy, particularly in the transfer saga that saw Malcom join Barcelona.
Over the last few weeks, rumours of Monchi being unhappy at Stadio Olimpico have been running rampant, following an odd summer transfer window as well as a poor start to the 2018-19 season. The 49-year-old’s uncertain position at AS Roma seems to have piqued the interest of Manchester United and Barcelona.
At Manchester United, Monchi could help oversee a revolutionary shift in approach to transfers as well as youth development, with his stints at Sevilla and AS Roma providing the evidence of exactly what he would bring to the Red Devils, while easing off the pressure on Jose Mourinho.
The interest from Barcelona, on the other hand, seems a bit perplexing, with Eric Abidal the current technical secretary at the club. Nevertheless, if Monchi does end up joining from AS Roma, his arrival could help mitigate the problems at La Masia, which has seen en masse exits by the brightest prospects in recent years.
Manchester United or Barcelona, the options are appealing for Monchi, if he does decide to take up a new challenge in his career. AS Roma will surely be on their toes in the weeks and months to come, and it will not be a huge surprise if the 49-year-old does end up departing from Stadio Olimpico soon.
