Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand believes Paris Saint-Germain head coach Mauricio Pochettino will be interested in taking the vacant manager’s job at Old Trafford but not before the end of the season.

The former Tottenham boss is reportedly unhappy at PSG, due to the fact his family still live in the UK but, even though he would be open to a move back to the Premier League, Ferdinand thinks he won’t abandon his current team midway through the campaign:

“I don’t think that Pochettino leaves PSG during the season. He’s a man of integrity, he’s a man of respect. I think he’s grateful for the opportunity to be at PSG and as a man, I think he’ll just say: ‘If they want me that bad they’ll wait.’ I think from the media that we saw over the last couple of years when he was out of work, that for him Man United is the pinnacle, is the club he’d love to get to, get his hands on and guide the club.”

“He’s got a lot of stuff going on at PSG so you have to be respectful in that sense. It’s about what PSG want as well because they’re not the kind of club that will just relinquish their manager. I’m putting money on Pochettino, for the end of the season, start of next season, my money’s on Pochettino being manager.”

United seem to have accepted that the best coaches will only be available in the summer so they are currently seeking an interim appointment. Football Director John Murtough is said to be a big fan of Ralf Rangnick, while the likes of Steve Bruce and Laurent Blanc have also been suggested as possible candidates.

Ferdinand, quite bizarrely, suggested former assistant manager Carlos Queiroz for the position. The Portuguese coach is currently managing Egypt but he has not been put forward as a credible option by anyone else.