While his former United teammate, Michael Carrick, has made an excellent start as interim boss, Ferdinand has his sights set on former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, who reportedly held secret talks with the club in 2024 before taking charge of Marseille. ‌Ferdinand spoke of his respect for the Italian in January as he discussed who should replace the sacked Ruben Amorim. Speaking on his Presents podcast, he said: "Someone who's free right now; not free [but] someone who's gettable. ‌"More than someone like [Thomas] Tuchel, because Tuchel would be one of my biggest picks as well, is De Zerbi. Challenged on whether United need a confrontational boss, Ferdinand was unmoved, adding: "I'd bring fire to the party, I'm telling you.

Source: Daily Mirror February 14, 2026 12:22 UTC