It had been reported as a possibility, but now it’s a reality: David Friio has jumped ship at Manchester United to join AS Saint-Etienne in France as part of their new recruitment project.
The former Red Devil scout announced five days ago on his Twitter that his time at Old Trafford had come to an end, although his next destination was yet to be revealed.
Reports in England revealed he was in talks with the Ligue 1 club, but Le Progrès on Wednesday claim the deal was now done, with the scout returning to his home country.
His new role with Saint-Etienne remains a mystery, but the French newspaper explain Friio will have a ‘very important role to play in the new setup put in place by the board’.
Helping Manchester United discover Paul Pogba and Gabriel Obertan in France, the 44-year-old also recommended a certain Raphaël Varane to Sir Alex Ferguson, who chose to join Real Madrid instead.
With Saint-Etienne going through a difficult period, coming off the back of a 4-0 thumping at the hands of Marseille last weekend, Friio is expected to get to work straight away and help the club find talent they can develop and then sell on, something that hasn’t exactly happened since the Zouma-Ghoulam generation.
