Roberto De Zerbi reportedly spoke to Manchester United before accepting the managerial role at Tottenham Hotspur.The Italian was announced as the new Spurs boss on March 31 on a bumper five-year deal.De Zerbi will be handsomely compensated by SpursGettyDe Zerbi succeeded Igor Tudor, who was axed after just seven games in charge as interim manager.Tottenham’s desire to land De Zerbi was reflected in his salary, which is the third-highest among Premier League managers and lower than only Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta.However, Tottenham may never have had the opportunity to appoint De Zerbi, who was a free agent having departed French outfit Marseille in February.Speaking on Friday’s edition of White and Jordan, talkSPORT’s chief football correspondent Alex Crook revealed De Zerbi had sounded out Manchester United.However, the Red Devils spurned De Zerbi’s advances in what may be a clear sign they intend to keep caretaker manager Michael Carrick on board in a permanent capacity.“Do you know what I find interesting about Michael Carrick,” Crook said.“We’ve got to Easter Weekend and they’ve not spoken – as I understand – to any other candidates.“That’s not to say Carrick has been interviewed for the job. I don’t think they’ll need to interview him. I think they either give it to him or they don’t.“Speaking to people in Italy this morning… They were telling me that Roberto De Zerbi – before taking the Tottenham job — sounded out Manchester United and was told he wasn’t in the reckoning there. “Is that because they have already made their mind up without making it public?”De Zerbi wouldn’t have been at Tottenham if he got his wayShutterstock EditorialIt is not the first time De Zerbi has been linked with the Red Devils.A sensational report emerged in November 2024 claiming De Zerbi received a contract offer from United but instead of acting upon it, the Italian displayed it to Marseille’s players during a team talk prior to their first match of the season.In the report, De Zerbi is alleged to have said: “This is where I could have been, but I put my passion before my money. I came to Marseille for the passion.”At the time of De Zerbi’s reported pre-match rev-up, Erik ten Hag was in charge of the Red Devils.However, the Dutchman was axed in October 2024 and replaced by Ruben Amorim.While there was fanfare surrounding Amorim’s arrival, his tenure failed to live up to the hype and he was removed in January, which paved the way for Carrick’s caretaker appointment.Carrick has lost one of 10 matches since he became United’s caretaker boss in JanuaryGettyIt proved to be a shrewd call from United’s decision-makers as Carrick has the club firmly in contention for a return to the Champions League.The Red Devils sit third in the Premier League table on 55 points, six clear of fifth-placed Liverpool with seven fixtures remaining.As for Tottenham, De Zerbi needs to hit the ground running given they are 17th and only out of the relegation zone by one point.