Manchester United could be dealt a major blow in their pursuit for Zinedine Zidane - Reports

Manchester United could reportedly face a stumbling block in their bid to bring in Zinedine Zidane as a replacement for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

According to the Daily Record, the Red Devils have made progress in their pursuit of the French tactician. Zidane is also said to be interested in managing his former players Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United.

It is also worth noting that the 49-year-old will also get to work with Paul Pogba if he takes the hotseat at Old Trafford. Zidane is rumored to have been bent on bringing the French midfielder to Real Madrid numerous times during his stint in the Spanish capital.

However, Manchester United could be dealt a blow in their attempts to sign Zidane.

According to the report from the Daily Record, the Frenchman's wife, Veronique Zidane, is not attracted to the idea of living in Manchester. She would reportedly prefer for Zidane to take a longer break before returning to football.

If that is the case, Manchester United could struggle to bring the former World Cup winner to Old Trafford. There is also the additional problem of Zidane's limited command over the English language.

The Red Devils reportedly hope the strength of Zidane's relationship with Ronaldo and Varane can help overcome his reservations over a move to England.

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Manchester United risk missing out on Zidane after failing to sign Antonio Conte

It is worth noting that Manchester United have already missed the trick once with respect to appointing a new manager. Following their 5-0 mauling at Old Trafford by arch-rivals Liverpool, the Red Devils' hierarchy were said to be considering a replacement for Solskjaer.

Antonio Conte emerged as the leading candidate for the position after leaving Inter Milan last summer, and was interested in joining Manchester United. However, the club reportedly did not consider him to be the right choice.

They ultimately chose to stick with Solskjaer after he guided United to a 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur. The match did result in a change, however, as Spurs sacked Nuno Espirito Santo and replaced him with Conte.

Following the victory over Spurs, there was renewed confidence in Solskjaer from the Manchester United board. However, the Red Devils fell to another arch-rival at home, losing 2-0 in a hapless performance against Manchester City.

The result has once again mounted pressure on Solskjaer, but Manchester United have no suitable big-name replacements lined up at the moment. Consequently, he is said to have the backing of the Manchester United board for the time being.