Reports: Manchester United open talks with new manager

What's the rumour?

According to Mirror, Manchester United top brass have contacted Zinedine Zidane asking him to remain unemployed for now.

If the aforementioned report is to be believed, similar tactics have been employed by the Red Devils in the past when they put a jobless Mourinho on standby prior to Louis van Gaal's sacking in 2016.

In case you didn't know...

Zinedine Zidane has been heavily linked to Manchester United for quite some time as the club's top choice to replace Mourinho if the Portuguese is shown the door.

Of late, there were even reports of him learning English and having already compiled a list of potential future signings.

The heart of the matter

Needless to say, Manchester United have got off to a substandard start this season and consequently, Mourinho's job has come under intense scrutiny owing to that. Besides, his fractious relationships with a number of United players have also put the club's boardroom in a spot of bother.

At present, the English giants stand 8th in the Premier League table having managed only 13 points in 8 league matches.

As for Zidane, his trophy-laden stint with Real Madrid makes him one of the best managers available at the moment, whose good relations with several United players could also better the dressing room atmosphere at the Old Trafford.

Rumour probability: 5/10

Even though the source of the report makes it a bit iffy, the circumstantial evidence does make it believable. The senior figures at Manchester United are evidently in search of an able successor to Jose Mourinho and Zidane easily possesses all the tools required for such a high-profile job.

What's next?

Manchester United are yet to face tough tests in the near future which could be climacteric in Mourinho's future at the club. In the event that Manchester United fail to put up a good show in those upcoming fixtures, we could very well see Zidane land the managerial role at the Old Trafford.