David Beckham targets Arsenal great Patrick Vieira for Inter Miami manager role
Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira is reportedly David Beckham’s number one choice to become the first head coach of Major League Soccer side Inter Miami.
The former Gunners midfielder is currently in charge of Ligue 1 outfit Nice, who he led to seventh place in his debut season last term.
But with Vieira’s side struggling in 15th place after a difficult start to the new campaign, the Telegraph has reported that the Frenchman has been headhunted to take charge of Beckham’s new venture.
Inter Miami are ready to fork out compensation costs to Nice in order to appoint the 43-year-old ahead of their inaugural season in MLS.
Belgium boss Roberto Martinez and River Plate’s Marcelo Gallardo are among the options to have come under consideration for the role.
But Vieira is understood to be the top choice, and he held talks with the Nice hierarchy this week to discuss the interest from Miami.
The potential move would mark a return to MLS for the 43-year-old, who led New York City for two-and-a-half years.
During that time, he took a club that had been struggling in 17th place before his arrival to fourth and second-place finishes.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
Arsenal has also been touted as a possible destination for Vieira, with doubts hanging over Unai Emery’s long-term future at the club.
Inter Miami will begin their debut MLS season in March, and will move into their £750 million Fort Lauderdale Stadium the following year.
Now read...
QUIZ! Can you name the top 32 all-time English goalscorers in the Champions League?
ANALYSIS Why Arsenal's patience with Unai Emery has to run out sooner rather than later
Alasdair Mackenzie is a freelance journalist based in Rome, and a FourFourTwo contributor since 2015. When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. An Italophile since growing up on a diet of Football Italia on Channel 4, he now counts himself among thousands of fans sharing a passion for Ross County and Lazio.