Paris Saint-Germain are trying to convince Zinedine Zidane to become their new manager and replace Mauricio Pochettino, sources have told ESPN.
The two parties are not close to an agreement, with Zidane’s entourage denying reports that a deal is done. However, there are discussions, via a third party, and even if the outcome remains uncertain there is hope at PSG that a deal could be done.
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Zidane, who won the Champions League in three consecutive seasons as Real Madrid coach, is the priority of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who owns PSG and has been close to Zidane for many years now.
The 1998 World Cup winner, who is from Marseille, PSG’s arch rivals, has been without a club since leaving Madrid in the summer of 2021.
He is seen by many as the perfect manager to deal with PSG’s star-studded squad, which includes Lionel Messi, Neymar, Sergio Ramos and Kylian Mbappe, and finally win the club’s first Champions League title.
But Zidane is keen on coaching the France national team after Didier Deschamps leaves. That could be in December following the World Cup or even after the 2024 European Championship.
PSG are considering a clause in Zidane’s contract that would allow him to take the France job when it becomes available.
Meanwhile, Luis Campos, the new PSG sporting director, is working on other options whom he already knows, which complicates the situation. Christophe Galtier, who worked with Campos at Lille with great success and is now at Nice, is the first name on his list. Julen Lopetegui, the Sevilla coach, has been offered while Marcelo Gallardo of River Plate and Sporting’s Ruben Amorim are other names on the shortlist.
Zidane is not part of Campos’ plans at the moment, even if they know each other from their time together at Real Madrid. And this summer, Campos is very much in charge of the recruitment, including the manager.