Premier League: Zinedine Zidane ‘wants to be Man Utd manager’

Zinedine Zidane wants to return to football club management - and has reportedly set his sights on the Premier League and Manchester United.

The Daily Mirror, citing French media, reports that the former Real Madrid coach “wants to succeed Jose Mourinho at Manchester United as early as next season”.

After leading Real to three successive Champions League titles, the 46-year-old Frenchman is out of work, having departed the Bernabeu in May.

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He had been linked with the French national team job, but Didier Deschamps looks set to stay in that role after leading the national team to victory at the World Cup in Russia last month.

The pressure is on current United boss Mourinho to close the gap on rivals Manchester City, who won the Premier League title last season by a 19-point margin.

Old Trafford boss Mourinho has “been at odds with United’s hierarchy this summer”, after a frustrating pre-season, says Metro. The Red Devils failed to sign a centre-back despite being linked with a number of defenders during the summer transfer window.

The Sun reported in July that Zidane was top of United’s shortlist should Mourinho leave the club. And according to the bookies, Mourinho is the second favourite at 6/1 to be the first Premier League manager to leave this season.