Zinedine Zidane to Man Utd?! Sir Jim Ratcliffe 'dreams' of replacing Erik ten Hag with Real Madrid legend as pressure ramps up on Red Devils boss following Fulham defeat

Ratcliffe, who recently acquired a significant 27.7% stake in the club for £1.3 billion, is swiftly initiating changes behind the scenes at Old Trafford. The sporting team at INEOS has already made waves by appointing Manchester City executive Omar Berrada as the club's new CEO and is actively pursuing Dan Ashworth's departure from Newcastle to potentially serve as sporting director at Man United.

While Erik ten Hag currently holds the managerial reins at the 13-time Premier League champions, speculation is rife about Ratcliffe's intentions to replace him in the summer. According to reports from Foot Mercato, Zidane is Ratcliffe's dream candidate to take over from Ten Hag, and the club is eager to secure the Frenchman's services if he expresses interest in the position.

However, United face a significant hurdle as Zidane has previously turned down offers from other clubs since he departed from Real Madrid three years ago. The Frenchman's managerial career has been synonymous with Los Blancos, where he enjoyed unprecedented success, including three Champions League titles and two La Liga triumphs.

However, there is a silver lining for Ratcliffe as Zidane has hinted at a potential return to a managerial stint in the near future. In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Zidane said: "Coaching in Italy? Why not. Anything can happen, at the moment I'm doing something else, but I'm sure I'll be back on the bench, I'd like to."

Zidane has also been linked with a move to Bayern Munich as the Bavarians are already on the hunt for their next manager since they will part ways with Thomas Tuchel in the summer. It now remains to be seen whether Ratcliffe can present a convincing sporting project at Old Trafford to lure the 51-year-old away from the Germans.