Anshuman Joshi
Bologna not interested in letting Thiago Motta go anytime soon
According to a Mirror report, the new Man United sporting owners are considering Thiago Motta as a possible successor to Erik ten Hag should they decide to dismiss him come the end of the season.
The Dutchman has had an underwhelming second season at Old Trafford, and a change in ownership further sets the odds against him.
Motta, on the other hand, has emerged as one of the hottest managerial prospects over the last couple of seasons owing to his attractive brand of football, which is currently set to take Bologna to Champions League nights next season.
Amid the Man United interest, Bologna CEO Claudio Fenucci has had firm words to say for any potential suitors for their highly-rated coach.
“Thiago is working like he had a long-term contract with us. It’s not a problem that he hasn’t yet confirmed his journey with us for the coming years. What bothers me a little is the continuous rumours and the noise around our players. I am not okay with it.
“We are a strong club, one of the most solid in Serie A and we don’t want to change this group in the future. It’s very annoying to see many of our players linked with other clubs, it’s not a nice feeling. However, I am sure this has a limited effect on them as they are all focused on our target and happy to be at Bologna.
“Our club is solid financially thanks to our owner [Joey Saputo], and we have long-term plans for the club’s growth, sporting results, and organisation. We have a long-term vision and financial solidity to continue on this journey.”
Fenucci speaking about the outside interest for Motta, as quoted by Mirror.
For Ten Hag, up next is a season-defining match as United travel to Wembley to face Championship side Coventry City in the FA Cup semi-final.
Bologna will find it hard to resist Motta interest in the summer
We have seen this dance before.
Club administrators would never want to come out and openly declare, “Yes, this highly rated player and/or manager of ours is free to leave,” in an attempt to retain asset value for as long as possible, unless things really go south.
Thiago Motta at Bologna has been remarkable and clearly looks to have a bright managerial career ahead of him. Sticking around at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, especially if Bologna make the Champions League for next season, wouldn’t hurt his chances of a bigger move one bit.
More Manchester United News-
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- Pundit urges Premier League club to give struggling Raphael Varane an escape route from Manchester United
That said, there are many big clubs across Europe who could find themselves looking for a new manager come summer. If and when they come calling for the 41-year-old, expect Bologna to do what any other club in their situation would do: get the best value possible for their asset and move on.
