The 'two demands' Zinedine Zidane will make if he is asked to take over from Ruben Amorim at Man Utd

Zinedine Zidane would only join Manchester United if two conditions were met, according to a former teammate.

Zidane, 53, has been tentatively linked with the Man United head coach’s job for some time, but as things stand, Ruben Amorim remains in charge of the Red Devils despite a tough start to life at Old Trafford.

The Portuguese has picked up just 28 points from 29 Premier League games he’s managed, with the latest disappointment coming against Fulham on Sunday, as United drew 1-1 at Craven Cottage.

The draw did allow the Red Devils to register their first point of the 2025/26 Premier League, meaning they are 16^th in the league after two matches.

And despite welcoming four players - Benjamin Sesko, Diego Leon, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo – Amorim’s side, so far, have not looked much better than they did in the previous campaign, during which they finished 15^th in the Premier League as well as losing the Europa League final against Spurs.

And for now, at least, Amorim’s job appears to be safe despite his side’s consistently poor performances and results.

Ruben Amorim on the touchline during Fulham vs Manchester United (Credit:Getty)

But results must improve sooner rather than later, or Amorim’s position could be under threat.

Several names, such as Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner and former England manager Gareth Southgate, currently lead the odds to become Man United’s next manager.

Meanwhile, Zidane, who is out of work, is joint-fifth favourite alongside Fulham boss Marco Silva and Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery.

And if ‘Zizou’ were to take charge of United, he would require two conditions to be met, according to former France teammate Emmanuel Petit.

Speaking in 2024, Petit said: "I'm not sure that he speaks very good English as well. And communication is very important in the dressing room.

"Honestly, I know a little bit, Zizou [Zidane], and he needs to get guarantees if he wants to sign over there in Manchester United.

Zinedine Zidane has been out of work since 2021 (Credit:Getty)

"At the moment, the environment at Manchester United for years has not been good. The stability of the bench, the level of the players as well, the expectation of the club is not the same that it used to be."

Petit added: "United is still a huge club, but not on the pitch anymore.

"And Zizou is very conscious and very careful about that, the quality of the players.

“At the moment, when you look at the team, I'm not convinced at all about the level of some players. If he takes the job at Manchester United, that means he's got solutions."

Zidane has been without a managerial role since leaving Real Madrid - where he won three Champions Leagues and two La Liga titles - in 2021, but has been heavily linked with the soon-to-be vacant France job as current head coach Didier Deschamps is due to step down from the role following the 2026 World Cup.