Zinedine Zidane has already made feelings perfectly clear on taking Man Utd job

Zinedine Zidane has previously stated he would need to perfect his English before entertaining the Manchester United position. The French icon has been continually linked with the managerial hot seat at Old Trafford. Those whispers have emerged once more, with Ruben Amorim's job security appearing shaky following United's 3-1 defeat to Brentford.

The Portuguese chief has tasted defeat in 17 of his 33 Premier League encounters and is still to secure back-to-back wins at the club. With fifth-placed Sunderland arriving on Saturday, former Red Devils star Gary Neville reckons the embattled boss could get the chop should the newly-promoted outfit snatch all three points.

Though Amorim is believed to retain support from the Old Trafford boardroom, conjecture persists regarding his destiny - and possible replacements.

Zidane has repeatedly been cited as a leading contender for the position, though he has voiced reservations previously.

Discussing the possibility of taking charge in Manchester, he revealed to L'Equipe in 2022: "Would I want to go to Manchester? I understand English, but I'm not completely fluent in it.

"I know that there are coaches who go to clubs without speaking the language, but I work in a different way. Many elements come into play in order to win, it is a global context. I know what I need to win."

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Despite currently being out of work, the Frenchman is rumoured to take charge of the France national team following the 2026 World Cup.

Emmanuel Petit, a former colleague of Zidane and a Premier League icon, voiced his reservations about the ex-Real Madrid maestro's potential switch to Manchester in 2024.

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

"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.

"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."

Petit added: "If he takes the job at Manchester United, that means he's got solutions. At the moment, I'm not sure a lot of people have the solution to turn the situation at Manchester United.

"Does he want to leave the sunny days of Madrid? His life is in Madrid, he is dedicated to Madrid. I'm not sure that he speaks very good English as well. And communication is very important in the dressing room."