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Former Manchester United star Louis Saha has named Zinedine Zidane as his preferred candidate to take charge as the Red Devils' next permanent manager.
The Old Trafford outfit appointed Ralf Rangnick as their interim manager following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's sacking in November. The German, though, is expected to be replaced by a permanent boss at the end of the season.
Several tacticians have been linked with the managerial job at Manchester United ahead of the summer. However, former Red Devils striker Saha is keen to see Zidane take charge of the Premier League giants.
Having been impressed with Zidane's spell as Real Madrid manager, Saha is of the view that his countryman is the perfect fit for his former employers. The 43-year-old believes the ex-midfielder can do wonders at Old Trafford. He told Genting Casino [via The Daily Express]:
"I think Zidane would be the perfect fit. Maybe Manchester United need to become more of an attractive proposition to get him – I don’t know. For me, Zidane is the best candidate. As a manager, he would improve the confidence of some players. Look at what Zidane has won, not just as a player, but in management."
“He also has a history of developing young players and brought some to a level they never expected. I really like his profile and I think that he would do amazing things there," Saha added.
Zidane has been without a club since leaving Real Madrid at the end of last season. There have been suggestions that Paris Saint-Germain are looking to replace Mauricio Pochettino with the Frenchman.
It remains to be seen if the 49-year-old will be open to taking charge of Manchester United should they come calling.
Who are the candidates to take charge of Manchester United?
The Red Devils are said to be on the hunt for a new manager to replace Ralf Rangnick ahead of the 2022-23 campaign. According to reports, the Premier League giants will consider Mauricio Pochettino, Erik ten Hag, Julen Lopetegui and Luis Enrique for the role.
There have been suggestions that Pochettino and Ten Hag are the frontrunners to take over from Rangnick in the summer. The former has a contract with PSG until 2023, but is keen on a return to the Premier League following stints with Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur, while the latter has impressed at Ajax.
While Pochettino, Ten Hag, Lopetegui and Enrique are currently said to be under consideration at Old Trafford, it remains to be seen if Zinedine Zidane will also be in the mix.
