Man Utd ‘step up’ bid for Zidane to replace Solskjaer

© PA Images Zinedine Zidane watches his side during a match

United have lost four of their last six Premier League games and performance levels have dropped as well as the results. Embarrassing defeats to title challengers Liverpool and Manchester City have led to calls for Solskjaer’s dismissal.

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Antonio Conte was linked with the role before joining Spurs, while Brendan Rodgers and Erik ten Hag are also said to be on the United shortlist.

But The Sunday Times claim United are ‘stepping up’ their attempts to lure Real Madrid legend Zidane to the club.

The report states that Zidane is ‘unsure’ about taking the job, but claims the United bosses are ‘hopeful’ the arrivals of Cristiano Ronaldo and Raphael Varane – two of his former Madrid players – may be enough to convince him.

Zidane, who won two La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies as Madrid boss, left the Spanish capital in May, accusing president Florentino Perez of undermining him.

‘I am not abandoning ship and I am not tired of coaching,’ Zidane wrote.

‘I am going because I feel that the club no longer gives me the trust I need and doesn’t offer me the support needed to build something in the mid and long term. Over the last few months, I would have liked my relationship with the club and the president to have been a bit different to that of other managers.’

Meanwhile, Danny Mills claims Solskjaer’s decision to try Jadon Sancho at wing-back in training is “almost a sackable offence”.

“Good luck turning him into a wing-back,” Mills said.

“He didn’t play for England too much in the Euros because I don’t think he was reliable enough to track back and do the defensive side of it. Dortmund never played him there.

“You bought a winger who is going to create chances and score goals. Suddenly you’re going to play him at wing-back in an unbelievably leaky defence. It’s like, really?

“That’s almost a sackable offence in itself. Shall we put Cristiano Ronaldo at centre-half because he can head a ball? I think Ronaldo can head the ball better than the centre-halves at the moment so should they put him at centre-half?

“It’s more than a little bit ridiculous.”

Man Utd ‘step up’ bid for Zidane to replace Solskjaer (msn.com)