Arteta would consider taking Man Utd job, claims Ferdinand

Rio Ferdinand has boldly claimed that Mikel Arteta would consider leaving Premier League title contenders Arsenal to take over at Manchester United after Ruben Amorim’s sacking.

United announced the surprising news on Monday that they had “reluctantly made the decision” to let Amorim go after 14 eventful months in charge at Old Trafford.

Following United’s 1-1 draw with Leeds United on Sunday, it was thought that the 40-year-old’s position was under threat as he appeared to criticise the club’s hierarchy.

In his press conference, Amorim claimed he came in to serve as the club’s manager, not head coach, hinting that he should have a greater say over recruitment.

Former United midfielder Darren Fletcher is set to oversee Wednesday’s trip to Burnley in the Premier League, with the club reportedly keen to appoint a caretaker manager to the end of the season.

And Ferdinand believes there is only one current Premier League boss who would not even think about taking the reins at United.

“Unai Emery would be someone who would absolutely jump at the chance,” Ferdinand said on his Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel.

“Pep Guardiola’s the only manager in the league who I think would sit there and go, ‘I’m content where I am, I’m happy where I am, and I don’t need it’.

“He’s never gonna say it, he would never say it out loud. But I’m telling you, Mikel Arteta would sit there [and consider it].”

Club statement: Ruben Amorim.

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 5, 2026

Amorim oversaw 63 games in total in all competitions, winning 24 of those (D18 L21), and led the Red Devils to the Europa League final last term, losing 1-0 to Tottenham in the showpiece.

Amorim only achieved 15 victories in 47 Premier League matches at the helm, giving him the worst win ratio (32%) of any United boss in the competition.

This season, he has led United up to sixth in the league table, just three points behind fourth-placed Liverpool, with the club fighting for a place in Europe having missed out this season.

“I saw his last two press conferences, and I was thinking, ‘Something isn’t right here’. This guy, one of his best traits and most likeable things, has been his ability to be quite punchy in his press conferences, upbeat, jovial.

“The last two that he did looked depressing. I didn’t say it [at the time], but the last time I went there [Manchester United] and interviewed Bruno Fernandes, I saw the manager and Ruben, and I had a chat for 5-10 minutes.

“He was warm, he spends a lot of time with you, and he goes into detail. He’s open as you like; he’s an open book.

“But when I went there the last time, I noticed immediately that there was a coldness about him, and there was a real difference to what I’d seen before.

“Now I look back with hindsight, I think things were starting to cook before Christmas. This isn’t just an overnight thing in terms of his dialogue with the hierarchy and the way he’s been feeling about things.

“This coldness I saw in the last two press conferences, I saw it in him. The vibe in the training ground around the players felt good, but he just felt a little bit distant.”

Oliver Glasner and Gareth Southgate are reportedly the frontrunners for the permanent United job, with the former’s Crystal Palace contract running out at the end of the 2025-26 season.