Manchester United: Zinedine Zidane has already opened the door to the manager job

Zinedine Zidane has opened the door to a possible move to Manchester United amid reported interest from Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

The three-time Champions League winner has been unemployed since 2021 after leaving Real Madrid, the only club he has coached, for the second time.

This week it was reported in France that Ratcliffe, who has just been confirmed as United's new co-owner and is in charge of all footballing affairs for the English giants, has secured Zidane his dream job as manager at INEOS and is ready to “do whatever it takes” to make the deal a reality.

Zidane had previously indicated that a move to an English club was out of the question as he is not fluent in English. In 2022, a year after leaving Real Madrid, he told L'Equipe: “If I go to a club, it's to win. I say that with all modesty. That's why I can't go anywhere.”

“There are other reasons why I can't go everywhere. What are they? The language, for example. Certain conditions make things difficult. When people say to me: 'Do you want to go to Manchester?', I understand English, but I don't fully master it.

“I know there are coaches who go to clubs without speaking the language, but I work differently. To win, many elements have to come into play. It's a global context. I know what I need to win.”

Some 18 months later, this week, Zidane, who was filming for a recent documentary about the life of Italian football legend Marcello Lippi, confirmed that he will return to management.

When asked if he would return as a coach, Zidane replied: “Why not? Anything can happen. But at the moment I'm doing something else.”

“I'm sure I'll return to the bench. I'd like to be a coach again.”