Death, taxes and reports linking Zinedine Zidane with the Manchester United job.

Those are three constants in life and perhaps links suggesting Zidane could take over the reins at Old Trafford will only go away when he announces he's not returning to management.

From Zidane's perspective, there is no need to make such an announcement, which means reports linking him with the United job might even rumble on into the year 2056.

The Frenchman has been repeatedly linked with United since he departed Real Madrid in the summer of 2021, but there has been no indication he will coach again.

Zidane became the first coach to win the Champions League three times in a row during his time managing Los Blancos and his reputation has remained untouched.

There's no doubt Zidane's name carries weight and he's a character befitting of a United manager, however, he's been out of the game for years and that's without mentioning his time in charge of Real Madrid, which saw him deliver unprecedented success, was essentially 'babysitting'.

From Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, it's obvious Zidane had world-class players at his disposal and his remit was to manage egos.

How much tactical acumen Zidane possesses as a manager is debatable - he was a magical player - and it would objectively be a risk to appoint him as United manager.

In his second stint as Madrid boss, Zidane went trophyless in his final season and the Spanish giants are still the only club he's ever managed since hanging up his boots.

He was touted to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2021, but that didn't happen and he later claimed his inability to speak English would prevent him from moving to the Premier League.

"Would I want to go to Manchester [United]? I understand English, but I’m not completely fluent in it," an honest Zidane said about a possible move in summer 2022.

"I know that there are coaches who go to clubs without speaking the language, but I work in a different way. Many elements come into play in order to win, it is a global context. I know what I need to win."

Although there's been enough time for Zidane to improve his English, the elephant in the room is he would be too much of a risky candidate to succeed Erik ten Hag.

An appointment of Zidane as United manager has obvious potential to backfire and Sir Jim Ratcliffe is bound to make risk-averse decisions in his first summer as co-owner.

Ratcliffe is a man in a hurry, he wants success as quickly as possible and simply can't afford to make mistakes with crucial appointments.

Ten Hag's future has been a topic of discussion all season and if the Dutchman is relieved of his duties, deciding who succeeds him could shape the next decade.

The appointment of the wrong manager could lead to another sacking a few years down the line and that would bring the Ratcliffe project back to square one.

Zidane is a glamourous name but he'd be a gamble. United cannot afford to gamble.