Man Utd turned down chance to get Zinedine Zidane because it may have upset key player

Manchester United could have brought Zinedine Zidane to the club but opted against it because of the impact it could have had on a key player.

The Red Devils continue to be linked with former Real Madrid manager Zidane, who is being tipped as a potential replacement for under-fire manager Erik ten Hag.

It is not the first time Zidane has been linked with a move to Old Trafford.

During his playing days, the World Cup winner was tipped to join Sir Alex Ferguson's side but the Premier League club eventually opted against the move, given the stature Eric Cantona was held within at the Theatre of Dreams.

Zidane won countless honours during his playing career, which including titles in both Italy and Spain.

His managerial career has also followed in the same suit, despite being out of work since 2021.

Zidane won three UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid and has not returned the dugout since he left the Bernabeu.

Former United chairman Martin Edwards revealed in 2017 why United passed up on the chance to bring one of the most star-studded players of all time to England.

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"When Zidane was at Bordeaux, Les Kershaw, the chief scout, was telling me we should be interested in him and I mentioned it to Alex,'' he told Manchester United's website in 2017 (via The Independent).

“Alex said that Eric [Cantona] had also mentioned Zidane to him but Alex felt Zidane played in the same position as Eric.

“Having gone over to France to persuade Eric to re-sign for us, after the Crystal Palace incident [when Cantona was banned for eight months after clashing with a football fan at Selhurst Park in 1995], he felt that, if he had brought Zidane in, it may have affected Eric's position, so he stuck with Eric.”