The former Red Devils chairman has revealed Ferguson was made aware of Zidane while he was still playing for Bordeaux in the mid-1990s, although the Scot felt the Frenchman played in the same position as United legend Cantona.
As such, Fergsuon opted against pursuing the forward’s signature, with Edwards telling the Manchester United website: "When Zidane was at Bordeaux, Les Kershaw, the chief scout, was telling me we should be interested in him and I mentioned it to Alex.
"Alex said that Eric [Cantona] had also mentioned Zidane to him but Alex felt Zidane played in the same position as Eric.
"Having gone over to France to persuade Eric to re-sign for us, after the Crystal Palace incident [when Cantona was banned for eight months after clashing with a football fan at Selhurst Park in 1995], he felt that, if he had brought Zidane in, it may have affected Eric's position, so he stuck with Eric."