Zinedine Zidane next job already 'set' as Manchester United receive clear message

Manchester United news as Zinedine Zidane's likelihood of moving to Old Trafford is explained with his return to coaching already planned for 2026

Zinedine Zidane is one of the names linked with replacing Ruben Amorim at Manchester United if the Portuguese head coach is sacked after another poor result this weekend.

Pressure mounted on Amorim on Saturday after falling to a 3-1 defeat to Brentford. Two first-half strikes from Igor Thiago punished United following a slow start.

Benjamin Sesko netted his first goal for the club before Bruno Fernandes missed from the penalty spot to level the score with 15 minutes to go. Mathias Jensen made sure of the three points for Brentford to compound another miserable afternoon for Amorim.

Not for the first time this season, Amorim's future at Old Trafford is now facing intense speculation, with United currently sitting 14th in the Premier League table on just seven points.

Reports have suggested that Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola and Crystal Palace's Oliver Glasner join Gareth Southgate on Ineos' shortlist should they reluctantly sack Amorim. Zidane has previously been tipped to move to Manchester, and his name has re-emerged.

Zidane has been out of work since 2021 and linked with nearly every top club vacancy since leaving Los Blancos. However, United face an uphill task in convincing the Ballon d'Or winner to come to England for a number of reasons.

The French national team job is one of the biggest stumbling blocks in a potential appointment to replace Amorim. Didier Deschamps has been in charge since 2012, leading Les Bleus to victory in the 2018 World Cup, reaching the final in 2022, and at Euro 2016.

Deschamps has confirmed that he will step down from the role following next summer's World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. France has won both of its qualifying games so far and is a heavy favourite to top its group.

French outlet L'Equipe has claimed that Zidane is set to take over as France manager after the World Cup. The 53-year-old has previously admitted that he'd have great pleasure in taking the job.

"There's a coach in charge, there's a team, and you have to respect everything, and that's what we do," he told Marca. "I've always respected football and the people, so it's not the right time.

"But when the time comes, it will be a great pleasure if the opportunity arises. I've put my career on hold for a while, but I fully feel like a coach."

Whilst it does mean that Zidane is available until the end of the season, it's difficult to comprehend both United and the former midfielder agreeing to a short-team deal for less than one year.

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