Zinedine Zidane previously named four desired players should he accept the Manchester United coaching role, yet only Edinson Cavani actually signed for the team.

After leaving Real Madrid for the second time in 2021, Zidane was frequently linked with the Manchester United managerial position. He emerged as a leading candidate to replace Erik ten Hag before the Dutch coach was dismissed late last year. However, Old Trafford chose to appoint Ruben Amorim, and Zidane has yet to return to coaching despite reportedly reaching a preliminary agreement with Fenerbahce.

Back in 2018, when Jose Mourinho was under heavy pressure at Old Trafford, the British press revealed that Zidane had sent a clear message about the conditions under which he would consider taking the job. “If you want me to come, the club must demonstrate genuine ambition through concrete signings,” Zidane is said to have told Manchester United this. According to the Daily Mirror, he listed four players he desired: James Rodriguez, Toni Kroos, Thiago Alcantara, and Edinson Cavani.

At that time, James Rodriguez was contracted to Real Madrid but on loan at Bayern Munich. Zidane highly regarded the Colombian’s talent, but James eventually moved to Everton and never played for United. Toni Kroos—who nearly joined Old Trafford during David Moyes’ tenure in 2014—was also on the list, but he stayed with Real Madrid and became a club legend.

Thiago Alcantara was another name, then playing for Bayern Munich after developing at Barcelona. Instead of moving to Manchester, he chose Liverpool in 2020, where he won multiple Premier League and European titles.

The only one of those four targets to actually arrive at Old Trafford was Edinson Cavani. The Uruguayan striker joined United on a free transfer in 2020 after leaving PSG. He made an immediate impact with 17 goals across all competitions in his first season, but his output declined the following year due to age and Cristiano Ronaldo’s return. Ultimately, Cavani left United in 2022 for Valencia before moving on to Boca Juniors.

Now aged 38, Cavani still plays regularly in Argentina, but the story of Zidane’s “four-player wishlist” often resurfaces. It clearly reflects Zidane’s perspective on Manchester United: “I only want to work where there is a real chance to win trophies.”.

Although he never took the managerial role at Old Trafford, these revelations show that United once came very close to hiring one of the greatest coaches in modern football history.