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Manchester United to MISS OUT on Zidane AND Juventus CEO as Marotta targets Milan
MANCHESTER UNITED’S hopes of appointing Beppe Marotta as their new CEO may have already gone up in smoke.
A report in Italy this morning suggested departing Juventus CEO Marotta could end up at Old Trafford in the near future.
The official is leaving Juve at the end of the month and United have been linked as a possible destination.
Corriere dello Sport have claimed Marotta could join forces with Antonio Conte to take over the CEO and manager roles at United.
But it already appears as though a double deal is unlikely to happen.
Italian newspaper Tuttosport are reporting that Marotta is all set to leave Juventus - but not Italian football.
They claim the 61-year-old wants to move to Milan and is ready for either AC Milan or Inter to snap him up.
Tuttosport claim Inter are ahead in the battle to appoint the official, having already tried to poach him in the summer.
For United to appoint Marotta and Conte, they would have to axe executive-vice chairman Ed Woodward and boss Jose Mourinho.
That seems highly unlikely, as it is understood United’s shareholders are on the whole happy with the progress the club is making off the field.
Manchester United remain one of the richest football clubs on the planet and continue to draw millions of fans each year, so Woodward’s post seems safe for now.
Yet Jose Mourinho’s position is more perilous, with Zinedine Zidane rumoured to be a frontrunner for the United manager position if the Portuguese gets the boot.
Ironically, it appears as though United may also miss out on Zidane, as he is supposedly Juventus’ No 1 choice to replace Marotta as their CEO.
Conte, however, could well take the job at Old Trafford if it became available.
The Italian was sacked by Chelsea in the summer after two years in west London, where he steered the Blues to the Premier League title and FA Cup glory.
Conte is supposedly biding his time, waiting for a top job in Italy to appear.
But a move to Old Trafford may appeal if no opportunities open up in Serie A.