Zinedine Zidane wanted to sign current Man Utd player when he was manager of Real Madrid

Zinedine Zidane once tried to sign a current Manchester United player when he was the manager of Real Madrid.

Zidane has been heavily linked with taking up the managerial role at Old Trafford if United decide to part company with Erik ten Hag.

Ten Hag has presided over five defeats in United's last eight matches, and they haven't won away from home since November 26.

A lack of consistency has rocked United in recent weeks, with a case in point being Boxing Day's superb 3-2 comeback win over Aston Villa shortly followed by an insipid 2-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

And with a lack of options in both defensive and forward areas, and an anticipated lack of transfer business in January, it appears as if United are in for a difficult second half of the season.

United remain only five points off Tottenham in fifth, however, with that position potentially being enough to qualify for next season's Champions League depending on the performances of English clubs in Europe.

United themselves haven't exactly assisted in that ambition, finishing bottom of their Champions League group.

And with INEOS set to take control of the club's footballing operations, pending the completion of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's minority investment deal, Ten Hag could soon find himself under more pressure.

That is where Zidane, who has been out of work since leaving Real for a second time in 2021, could come in.

His former France team-mate Emmanuel Petit revealed earlier this year that the legendary midfielder has been learning English - which Zidane previously said was a stumbling block preventing him from taking jobs in the Premier League.

The arrival of Zidane would potentially worry a significant number of United players as to their long-term future - although one current squad player might be slightly more encouraged than others.

When Zidane was in charge at the Bernabeu, he reportedly tried to sign three players from United - with one of those still on the club's books.

The player in question is Anthony Martial, who produced an incredible display in a pre-season friendly against Real in the summer of 2017.

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And according to the Manchester Evening News, Zidane registered his interest in signing the Frenchman midway through the following season - months before his first departure from the club.

He also expressed his desire to sign both David de Gea and Paul Pogba, who have both since left Old Trafford on free transfers.

And while injuries have had a significant impact on Martial throughout much of the last six years since that interest, Zidane's clear liking for him as a player may hand him one more opportunity to shine if the Frenchman does get appointed.