It’s looking increasingly likely that Pep Guardiola will leave Bayern Munich this summer.
The former Barcelona boss has yet to extend his contract in Bavaria, with speculation suggesting his next port of call will be the Premier League.
Although reports now claim that Roman Abramovic would like to appoint Guardiola as Chelsea boss in the summer, it’s still Manchester City who appear to be the favourites to land him.
But with growing uncertainty over the future of Louis van Gaal, Rio Ferdinand has now said that Manchester United should seriously consider a move for the Catalan, claiming that the opportunity to appoint him will not come around again.
“The thing with Manchester United is that he will go to one Premier League team and won’t be going to another [after that],” Ferdinand told The Guardian.
“There is one chance – you have one chance to get him. He won’t go to Manchester City and then to United; he is not going to go to Chelsea and then United.
“It won’t happen, so you have got one chance to get the best manager on the planet. Is Guardiola better than what they have got? That is what United and City should be asking. If the answer is ‘yes’ then you go for it, surely.”
Likening it to a move for Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, the former United defender thinks that his former club need to act decisively if they are interested in appointing Guardiola.
“It is like with the best players in the world – if someone like Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi becomes available, everyone is interested. I don’t think it is different with a great manager.
“The best manager in the world is definitely Guardiola and when he becomes available people are going to be interested, and I think United are no different.”
Despite being just 44, Guardiola’s managerial career is already impressive. He has two European cups to his name and five league titles.
