According to reports, Manchester United will officially appoint Jose Mourinho as their new manager in the next 48 hours after sacking Louis van Gaal on Monday.
The Dutchman parted company with the club following a day of talks regarding his compensation package, but in turn it seemingly paved the way for United to finally bring in Mourinho.
According to Sky Sports, his agent, Jorge Mendes, and United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward have met in person in London on Tuesday to reach an agreement after initial talks over the phone and through email.
It is added that the club’s lawyers have been instructed to draw up a contract, while Mourinho’s ‘strong desire’ to become boss is expected to make things pass smoothly.
United fans could even get a look at their new manager in a press conference later this week, as the ‘Special One’ makes a quick return to Premier League management after his dismissal by Chelsea last December.
Sky Sports claim that Mourinho isn’t too concerned with the financial aspects of the deal as the challenge of getting United back to the top of European football is something that he is desperate to take up.
Whether or not he is able to do so remains to be seen, but it looks highly likely that the decision will be made official in the coming days.
Although there will be a sense of disappointment that the Red Devils opted to sack Van Gaal so soon after his FA Cup triumph, the club have made the right decision to move so quickly in order to give Mourinho as much time as possible to get his work going at Old Trafford ahead of next season.
The 53-year-old will naturally want to get a close look at his squad before too long while simultaneously making his plans in the transfer market. While the European Championship will likely delay matters slightly, it won’t be long before he’s in the thick of a pre-season schedule and will need all the players that he wants at his disposal ahead of an important campaign for him and the club.