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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Marc Mayo

Julen Lopetegui eyes Premier League return amid Manchester United manager rumours

A job in the Premier League is the priority for Julen Lopetegui.

The former Real Madrid, Spain and Wolves manager is just one of the names recently touted to potentially take over the Manchester United hot seat when Sir Jim Ratcliffe arrives at Old Trafford.

Lopetegui, 57, won the Europa League with Sevilla and went unbeaten in 20 games as Spain coach, before being booted out on the eve of the 2018 World Cup having agreed to manage Real Madrid - where he lasted less than four months.

But a return to LaLiga is not his priority, because he wants a new job in the Premier League.

"I would like to stay here in England," he told Sky Sports News. "I feel like our team here is just starting and we want to achieve our dreams.

"The way the country lives football here is special - it's the best league in the world, the most competitive league in the world, the best environment for the players, coaches and fans too.

"I have fought for titles, I have fought for different aims but of course for the most important thing to feel like you have a project you can put your stamp on it, where you can work and improve the performance of the whole club - if you ask me, I'd like this kind of challenge and to be able to achieve each aim the club has."

Lopetegui's name has come up in reports regarding a potential new manager coming in at United, with former Chelsea boss Graham Potter and Brighton's Roberto De Zerbi also linked.

The weekend's goalless draw at Liverpool served to keep Erik ten Hag out of imminent danger of the sack but the upcoming minority takeover by INEOS billionaire Ratcliffe could change things, according to reports.

One potential job opening for Lopetegui, at Nottingham Forest, is set to go to another ex-Wolves coach in Nuno Espirito Santo after Steve Cooper's exit was rubberstamped.

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