Graham Potter now 'favourite' to take Nice managerial role but new job could depend on Man Utd takeover

Graham Potter is the surprise favourite to become Nice manager though his appointment could be affected by the Manchester United takeover saga, it has been claimed.

L’Equipe have reported that Potter, who has been out of work since being sacked by Chelsea in April, is the favourite to take over from Didier Digard at Nice.

The Nice hierarchy is allegedly split on who to bring in as manager, after a dismal campaign which saw Lucien Favre sacked mid-season.

Indeed, CEO Jean-Claude Blanc is interested in former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Thiago Motta, while sporting director Florent Ghisolfi is said to prefer both Franck Haise and Régis Le Bris.

Yet, the former can’t be prised away from the high-flying Lens this summer, whilst the latter is said to not be favoured by the club’s INEOS ownership, who instead want Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi.

There is allegedly unanimity over Potter, however, who is interested in taking the role, with meetings having already taken place.

Potter pursuit affected by Man Utd

According to the same publication, Nice’s manager search has been stalled by the ongoing Manchester United takeover.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the club’s Ineos owners are currently occupied by the potential purchase of the Old Trafford club, and in turn, Nice are not yet close to finalising a deal for Potter.

Ratcliffe, who is Britain’s second richest man, is among the favourites to take over at United, having made an offer for a majority stake in the club.

It’s been widely reported that the Ineos owner’s bid would controversially allow Joel and Avram Glazer to maintain minority ownership in the club.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Jassim has allegedly made a £5billion offer for a 100 per cent stake in the 20-time English champions.

However, the Qatari, who has made four bids for United, is still short of the Glazer’s £6billion asking price.