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Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's time at the club is clearly coming to an end following a run of disappointing results. There has been intense discussion about who could replace him if he gets the sack.
Antonio Conte is off the market now, having been signed by Tottenham Hotspur. At the moment, there are not a lot of world-class managers unemployed right now. So, not just Manchester United, any elite club looking for a top manager now would struggle to do so.
On that note, here's a look at the five best managers without a job right now:
#5 Nuno Espirito Santo
Nuno Espirito Santo's time at Tottenham Hotspur certainly did not go according to plan. The Portuguese was sacked after just four months in charge of the club.
While Spurs' football was not pleasing to watch under Santo, it is difficult to blame him for Tottenham Hotspur's deficiencies. The 47-year-old was not the first-choice preference of the club, so Spurs have to take responsibility for making a poor appointment in the first place.
In hindsight, it is evident that Santo was never going to last long at the club. The former Valencia boss has shown that he is much better than how he fared at Spurs, though.
Santo led Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Premier League. Wolves finished seventh in England's top-flight twice under him. The Portuguese prefers to play disciplined and structured football. While he enjoyed huge success with Wolves playing that way, it was never going to be received well by Spurs fans.
#4 Ernesto Valverde
Like Nuno Espirito Santo, Ernesto Valverde is not known for his charisma. The Spaniard prefers to let his work do the talking.
Valverde was regarded as a safe choice when Barcelona appointed him as their manager in 2017. He had big shoes to fill, replacing the much-loved Luis Enrique at the Barcelona hot seat. The Blaugrana's financial condition was starting to deteriorate at this point, and cracks were beginning to appear in the club's structure.
Nevertheless, Valverde won two La Liga titles with Barcelona. However, fans will bitterly remember his tenure due to stunning losses to AS Roma and Liverpool in the Champions League. Both times, Barcelona were in control, only to squander significant first-leg leads away from home.
The Barcelona manager was eventually sacked in 2020 by the club, and replaced him with Quique Setien.
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#3 Lucien Favre
Like Santo and Valverde, Lucien Favre is not a charismatic manager. However, he is one of the most highly experienced managers available in the market right now.
Favre was close to joining Crystal Palace this summer, but the move eventually did not materialise. The Swiss is renowned for his ability to get the best out of his team. His Borussia Monchengladbach and Nice teams performed above expectations, so it was not surprising to see Borussia Dortmund appoint him in 2018.
With the Bundesliga giants, the 64-year-old won the DFL Supercup. However, his time will be better remembered as a period when young and exciting talents played some attractive football. The likes of Jadon Sancho, Erling Braut Haaland and Giovanni Reyna all flourished under him.
Favre was sacked, though, after BvB's poor run of form in December last year.
#2 Paulo Fonseca
Paulo Fonseca was under consideration for the Tottenham Hotspur job this summer, before Nuno Espirito Santo got the nod.
It is evident Fonseca is keen to return to management as soon as possible. The Portuguese made his name as a talented young manager during his time with Shakhtar Donetsk. Roma appointed him as their manager in 2019, and he led them to fifth position in the league in his first season.
Roma finished seventh in his next season, and reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League. Fonseca's side play attractive football, and he has already been linked with a few Premier League jobs since leaving Italy.
#1 Zinedine Zidane
Who else? Zinedine Zidane is arguably the one world-class manager who is without a job right now.
Zidane, a world-class player during his playing days, has transitioned fairly comfortably to a world-class manager. The Frenchman enjoyed two stints as manager of Real Madrid. He led them to three consecutive Champions League titles, and also won the league twice.
Zidane continues to be linked with Manchester United. He was heavily linked following the sacking of Jose Mourinho. Fans are clamouring for the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. With Antonio Conte off the market, Zidane is an enticing option. However, it has been suggested that the Frenchman is waiting for the France job instead.
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