Roberto De Zerbi reportedly showed his Marseille players a contract offer from Manchester United during one of his team talks, according to reports.

The former Brighton manager has led the French team since his appointment in the summer. He signed a three-year contract with Olympique de Marseille through 2027, and the team is currently in third place in Ligue 1.

De Zerbi’s arrival at the club came after he had been linked with potentially replacing Erik ten Hag at Manchester United at the end of last season. However, the Italian opted to join Marseille, while Ten Hag remained at Old Trafford until his recent dismissal.

According to L’Équipe, De Zerbi did indeed receive an offer from Manchester United and showed it to his new squad before the start of the season.

The report claims he told his players: "This is where I could have been, but I put my passion before money. I came to Marseille for the passion."

The motivation worked, as Marseille went on to win their first game of the season 5-1 against Brest. However, their performance has declined in recent weeks, with the recent loss to Auxerre leaving De Zerbi's team nine points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain.

Marseille has also won only two of their last six games, prompting De Zerbi to threaten to quit after their latest defeat.

In the post-match press conference, De Zerbi stated: "If I'm the problem, I'm willing to leave. I'll leave without the money; I don't care about the rest."

He went on to explain: "I came to Marseille for the Velodrome, to play at the Velodrome. And I can't get the players to give here what I see in training and away games. It’s my fault; it’s my responsibility. Playing at the Velodrome is a privilege. I want to convey to the people who work with me what I think about football, and I can’t do that."

Meanwhile, the position at United is no longer available following Ten Hag's departure, as Rubén Amorim has been appointed and will take charge after the international break.