Report: Zinedine Zidane 'Expects' Manchester United Offer If Jose Mourinho Goes

Former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane reportedly "expects to be offered" the managerial position at Manchester United should Jose Mourinho leave the club.

According to the Daily Mail's Chris Wheeler, Zidane has told friends of his interest in taking over at Old Trafford and believes he is the "leading candidate" to replace the Portuguese.

It seems the Special One will only leave if he is fired, though. According to the Mirror's David McDonnell, Mourinho is unhappy with the situation at United and would have left on his own terms by now were he anywhere else.

He is said to have told a source that at "any other job at any other club, and I would have quit."

Per McDonnell, Mourinho is "still seething" that executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward did not meet his transfer demands over the summer and feels his ability to deliver the Premier League title has been "undermined."

United have spent close to £400 million on transfers since Mourinho took charge in 2016, so it's understandable Woodward might have been reluctant to let the manager spend significantly more this summer.

On the other hand, the club's failure to recruit reinforcements has left them weakened, as Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News noted:

ESPN FC's Mark Ogden questioned Woodward's decision not to back his manager further:

Mourinho could be doing much better with the resources he has. However, if the team are to beat the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool to the Premier League title this season or reach the business end of the UEFA Champions League, they needed to maximise their chances by addressing the problem areas in the squad.

Having failed to do so, Mourinho's job has become significantly more difficult, and it would not be a surprise if he were not in charge come the end of the campaign.

If that is the case, Zidane is available after stepping down at Real Madrid at the end of last season, and he would be an obvious choice given what he achieved there.

The Frenchman won nine trophies in two-and-a-half seasons, including three consecutive UEFA Champions Leagues and La Liga.

Bleacher Report's Rob Blanchette would welcome Zidane at Old Trafford, though ESPN's Alex Shaw is not convinced:

Real were something of a perfect storm for Zidane, but he deserves immense credit for what he delivered.

What's more, if the situation has deteriorated to the point Mourinho has quit or been sacked, his arrival would likely have a significant, positive impact on morale.

Taking charge at Old Trafford would be a big challenge for Zidane—bigger even than Real Madrid given the circumstances—but his availability and trophy record would perhaps would make him the favourite.