Paolo Maldini, the technical director of the Italian Football Federation, is in talks with a new name to take charge of the Azzurri.
The hunt for a new Italy coach goes on after Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola both turned down the role. Andrea Pirlo's candidacy then collapsed amid the controversy over his position as an ambassador for a brand tied to a Russian betting site.
Several other names have entered the frame in recent weeks. Among them are Antonio Conte, Roberto Mancini, Raffaele Palladino and Stefano Pioli, along with the former Fiorentina coach Paolo Vanoli.
"La Gazzetta dello Sport" reports that the compass is now swinging towards Thiago Motta, confirming that Maldini and the Italian-Brazilian coach are currently in negotiations.
Motta, the belief goes, would satisfy the wish of Maldini and Leonardo to bring a fresh, different approach to the football, while also meeting the demand of Malagò, the president of the Italian Federation, for a figure with more experience than Pirlo.
He turns 44 next month. Motta previously played for Italy, having landed in Serie A through Genoa in 2008 before moving to Inter Milan and then joining Paris Saint-Germain in January 2012.
His coaching career has brought mixed results. Spells with Genoa and Spezia came first, before he left a clear mark across two years with Bologna, steering the club to Champions League qualification.
Motta walked away in the summer of 2024 to take on a new job at Juventus. They sacked him in March 2025 after 18 wins, 16 draws and eight defeats.