Details of De Zerbi's contact with Manchester United revealed! Carrick's performance leaves him only Tottenham option, apologizes due to Greenwood incident.

Over the past few months, there have been rumors that Manchester United considered Italian Roberto De Zerbi as one of the candidates for next season's manager. However, Tottenham officially announced on Tuesday that he will coach the team, signing a five-year contract, ending all speculation. Yet, British media disclosed that De Zerbi indeed contacted the Red Devils before accepting Tottenham's offer, but was informed he was not under consideration, so he had to agree to Tottenham's invitation.

In January, when Ruben Amorim was dismissed, no one expected that his temporary replacement, Michael Carrick, would become a strong contender for the permanent managerial position at this stage of the season. At that time, Carrick was not even the top favorite for the interim role; Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was.

However, professional football speaks through results. Carrick has led Manchester United very close to returning to the Champions League. The 44-year-old club legend may still need to compete with other candidates for the permanent job, but at this moment, the club is not contacting any other coaches. Their focus is on successfully completing the season's objectives and creating the best environment for the team.

In February, De Zerbi was dismissed after Marseille's 0-5 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. Meanwhile, Carrick led Manchester United on a strong run, ranking third in the Premier League with seven rounds remaining. "talkSPORT" reported that due to Carrick's impressive performance, De Zerbi was no longer considered by the club.

Alex Crook revealed: "I've learned interesting details about Carrick's situation. It's now early April, and Manchester United has not spoken with any other managerial candidates. It's not that Carrick has already been interviewed; I don't think United needs to interview him further. They will either appoint him permanently or end his tenure; no further interview is needed. I spoke with people in Italy, and they told me that De Zerbi contacted Manchester United before accepting Tottenham, but was informed he was not within United's consideration."

Now, De Zerbi will focus on leading Tottenham to avoid relegation; they have less than a game's advantage over West Ham United in the relegation zone. Interestingly, less than a week after taking charge, De Zerbi had to publicly apologize. The 46-year-old Italian had to bow his head and apologize for comments he made during the Mason Greenwood controversy while coaching Marseille.

Due to his relationship with Greenwood, Tottenham's female fan groups expressed opposition to his appointment. Regarding this, De Zerbi explained in Italian: "I choose to answer this question in Italian because I want to respond in the clearest way. I never trivialized violence against women, or more broadly, I do not condone any form of violence. Throughout my life, I have supported vulnerable groups, people in difficulty, and stood up to speak out for those in the most precarious situations."

De Zerbi added: "Those who know me understand that I am absolutely not someone who would do anything to win or achieve trophies. If my views offended anyone's feelings, I deeply apologize. I also have daughters, and I have always been sensitive to such issues. I hope that over time, people can better understand me and realize that at that time, I did not intend to express any particular stance."

In January 2022, Greenwood, then playing for Manchester United, was arrested. The 20-year-old England international faced three charges including domestic violence. In February 2023, due to the "key witness," his girlfriend Harriet Robson, withdrawing her testimony and new evidence emerging, the UK Crown Prosecution Service decided to drop the charges, as convicting him became impossible.

Under external pressure, Manchester United first loaned Greenwood to La Liga's Getafe, then sold him to Marseille a year later. At the time, De Zerbi, who signed Greenwood, said: "I don't want to interfere in anyone's private life. Even my own children's private matters, I don't inquire, because I want to give everyone freedom. In my view, Mason (Greenwood) is a decent young man; he has already paid the due price for his mistakes. Now, he has found a suitable environment here; we give him care and extend our support."

De Zerbi further stated: "I treat Mason as a human being; I feel sorry for the various experiences he has gone through in life. However, I do not want to delve deeply into the details. The Mason I know here is completely different from what others describe, especially the British media."

De Zerbi's views were seen as downplaying the issue and portraying Greenwood as a victim. Regardless of right or wrong, De Zerbi's experience has reminded Manchester United, Tottenham, and other English clubs not to fantasize about signing the 24-year-old Greenwood. Although he scored 47 goals in 74 matches for Marseille, showing good efficiency, the controversy he brings will certainly affect the team.