Esteghlal FC have now reportedly offered a former Premier League manager a contract worth $3.5 million (R66 million) to replace Pitso Mosimane; however, the manager in question is said to be demanding much more than that.
Things ended on a sour note between Mosimane and Esteghlal after just three months.
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The South African coach recently left the club, citing that his salary demands were not met after he joined in October 2024.
It is understood that the 60-year-old gave the Iranian club two weeks' notice to settle the amounts owed to him and his coaching staff, but that deadline was not adhered to, resulting in the termination of his deal.
Now, Esteghlal are in search of a new manager, with their former boss Andrea Stramaccioni linked with a return to the helm.
But according to the Iranian newspaper Etemad, Esteghlal recently launched an offer for another Italian, former Watford FC manager Walter Mazzarri.
The report claims that Esteghlal were willing to offer the ex-Napoli boss $3.5 million for a two-and-a-half-year contract, but the coach declined the proposal due to it being lower than his expectations.
Talks between the two parties are said to be still open, but Esteghlal are reportedly growing confident that they could find a cheaper alternative to Mazzarri.
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By Lukhanyo Mtuta
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