Jose Mourinho will take over as Manchester United manager from July 1, according to reports by the Spanish press. The Portuguese manager’s agents have reportedly had talks with the Old Trafford hierarchy and is set to take over from the under fire Louis van Gaal.
The report in Spanish newspaper Marca, has even claimed the exact date of Mourinho’s arrival, noting that the 53 year old will take over in the summer, allowing Louis van Gaal to see out this season. The Dutchman is apparently keen to retire from management as he has faced brickbats from the Old Trafford faithful this season, but would like to leave on cordial terms.
Marca have also reported that Mourinho would not prefer to take over mid-season as he has worked under Van Gaal in the past and would not like to respect the Dutchman’s final year in management. Should Van Gaal, who has the support of the Old Trafford hierarchy for the moment, walk away from the job beforehand, Ryan Giggs will reprise his role as caretaker manager until Mourinho takes over in the summer.
Conflicting reports in British press
British outlet Independent, on the other hand are reporting that while talks are underway, the power brokers at United are said to favour Laurent Blanc and Mauricio Pochettino over Mourinho. The Tottenham Hotspur manager has impressed the Old Trafford board members by getting Spurs to 3rd in the Prmeier League table, where they are above Manchester United in 5th, with one of the Glazer family being very keen on hiring the Argentinian.
However, ESPN are reporting that Mourinho’s camp is confident of getting the job, as Manchester United are concerned with Pep Guardiola’s arrival. The reluctance to appoint a relatively inexperienced manager with the Spaniard in competition has meant that Ryan Giggs will not get the job, despite support from within the club. This is also seen as a negative for Pochettino’s chances, as the United board reportedly feels Argentine needs a few more years to be considered ready.
Another factor in Mourinho’s favour is his weight in attracting potential acquisitions to Old Trafford – the Portuguese manager is seen as someone who can entice players to the club, as opposed to those who are competing with him for the job.
Earlier, Mourinho had reportedly gone on a charm offensive, allegedly writing a six page ‘love letter’ to Manchester United, outlining why he was suited for the role. With Louis van Gaal increasingly likely to leave at the end of the season, if not earlier, the chances that Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho will face off in a mouth watering Manchester derby next season are quite high.
