France boss not getting into latest comments as Zidane 'agreement' emerges after Man Utd links

French football legend Zinedine Zidane has reportedly agreed terms over his next managerial role amid ongoing links to the Manchester United job

France manager Didier Deschamps has refused to comment on reports linking Zinedine Zidane to the Les Blues hotseat. Deschamps, who has been in charge since 2012, is set to step down after the 2026 World Cup.

Zidane has been linked with the job for several years and, according to reports in France, has now reached a verbal agreement to take over from Deschamps this summer.

Further fuelling the fire, French Football Federation (FFF) president Philippe Diallo suggested that an announcement could be made soon after admitting he knows the knows the name of the next France boss. When asked if it was Zidane, Diallo said with a smile: "I invite you to join us after the World Cup."

When Diallo's comments were put to Deschamps at a press conference ahead of France's friendly against Colombia on Sunday, the 57-year-old insisted he didn't want to "waste energy" on the subject.

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"I usually don't comment on the president's statements. I focus on what's important to me, which is today, tomorrow and what lies ahead," Deschamps, who led France to World Cup glory in 2018, said. "I'm not going to waste energy on that. What happens next doesn't concern me."

Zidane has been out of work since leaving Real Madrid for the second time in 2021. In the years since, he's been linked with the Manchester United job on several occasions. However, it's understood he's reluctant to work in the UK due to his limited command of the English language.

Despite his lengthy spell out of the game, Zidane, who won three Champions Leagues and two La Liga titles as Los Blancos head coach, has never closed the door on management and recently hinted that a return to the dugout wasn't far away. "It will happen soon. Very soon," he said in November last year.

He's also made no secret of his ambition to one day manage France - and the feeling is believed to be mutual, with the FFF reportedly positioning Zidane as the heir to Deschamps' throne. According to Diallo, "fewer than five" individuals applied for the France job following the announcement that Deschamps was to step down.

"It takes a profile that ticks many boxes and which can also be the subject of support from the French people, since this French football team is the team of the French people," he said.

One of Zidane's former international team-mates, Nicolas Anelka, previously said he expected the 1998 Ballon d'Or winner to get the job, adding that he thought it would be an excellent appointment.

"I don't know if it's official, but I think it will be Zidane," Anelka said. "Everyone says it will be him, and he's the best choice; he proved it at Real Madrid. He was a good coach. He will be a good leader for the French players."

The news may come as something of a blow for Manchester United fans, many of whom hope to see Zidane in the Old Trafford dugout this summer. That said, with interim head coach Michael Carrick performing so well, any urgency to pursue Zidane may have faded.

Carrick is now favourite to land the job on a permanent basis after winning seven of his first 10 matches at the helm and consolidating United's place in the top four. However, a decision isn't expected to be made until the end of the season.

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