A tweet from Sky Italian reporter Alessandro Alciato sparked a Twitter meltdown earlier this week, after he claimed Mourinho was ready to agree a deal to take over from Louis van Gaal.
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Mourinho, who was sacked by Chelsea in December, has been tipped as a potential replacement for the Dutchman after a hard season for the 20-time champions.
Now, BBC Sport report that United have already held talks with Mourinho’s representatives over replacing Van Gaal, most probably at the end of the season.
Van Gaal is staying positive as the Mourinho spectre refuses to disappear.
“The club is still open to the possibility of Mourinho managing at Old Trafford, despite opposition from influential members”, the report adds, before detailing United’s cosy relationship with Mourinho’s agent. That will take place this summer.
Louis van Gaal accepts criticism is part and parcel of managing Manchester United, but he is unhappy with “nonsense” stories from the media. Guardiola was very much in demand by a number of English clubs, after the Spaniard announced that he would be leaving Germany in the summer. -Astro ArenaIF Juan Mata wants to stay in his central role with Manchester United, Louis van Gaal has told him to keep up his performances.
United have fared little better in recent weeks and are now five points adrift of the Premier League’s top four heading into today’s clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
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. Hiddink has lost to van Gaal just once, back in February 1999.
Van Gaal claimed on Friday that Wayne Rooney was wrong to say United, who play Mourinho’s former side Chelsea on Sunday, are now playing with greater freedom.
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The 53-year-old is believed to prefer to take over in the close-season when he can start with a clean slate rather than inheriting van Gaal’s problems with no chance of changing the squad now the transfer window has shut. It now looks as though he won’t even need such a letter to get the position he so obviously craves.
