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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Jake Polden

Man Utd's four-man manager shortlist revised as "best candidate" enters the fray

Zinedine Zidane is the "best candidate" for the soon-to-be-vacant Manchester United manager's job, despite not being on the four-man shortlist.

That's according to former Red Devils striker Louis Saha, who says his compatriot would be a "perfect fit" for United but admitted the club may need to become more of an attractive proposition in order to attract him.

Man United hired Ralf Rangnick as interim boss after sacking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in November with the plan to move him upstairs into a consultancy role in June.

From there, Rangnick will be tasked with helping United hire his long-term replacement in the dugout, and so far four names are on the Red Devils' managerial shortlist.

Join the debate! Who should be Man Utd's next permanent manager? Have your say here.

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The managers linked with the permanent Man United manager's position are Mauricio Pochettino, Erik ten Hag, Julen Lopetegui and Luis Enrique.

Zidane is currently not in the mix, but Saha thinks his former club are missing a trick in overlooking the Real Madrid legend.

"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," Saha told Genting Casino.

"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 has 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."

Asked if Zidane's basic grasp of the English language could put him off, Saha added: "Maybe that is one aspect because he's not well-known as a great communicator in English, but he knows that.

"As I said, communication is so important for any manager so the players can understand his tactics and his philosophy. If he doesn't feel comfortable communicating in the English language, that could be a reason because it's important.

Louis Saha is a big fan of his compatriot (ETIENNE LAURENT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

"[But] the guy's charisma speaks for itself. His pedigree as well, but maybe sometimes it's not enough. I can't speak for Zidane.

"What is certain – any manager coming in will have to find the right way to communicate, and, obviously, he will be helped, way more than the current manager, because of who he is. If he were to join I feel confident he would be an amazing success."

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