Manchester United will reportedly appoint Jose Mourinho as their new manager by the end of this week, according to reports in the British media.
The Portuguese tactician was in London on Saturday night, but didn’t attend Wembley as Louis van Gaal signed off the season with the FA Cup after a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.
Despite having another year remaining on his deal, it doesn’t appear as though the Dutchman will see out his contract, with The Telegraph claiming that Mourinho will be named the new boss this week.
The agreement is claimed to have been reached at the end of last week, and the announcement will come in the next few days as one of the worst kept secrets in football looks as though it will finally become a reality.
While on one hand it seems particularly harsh on Van Gaal given that the news will now overshadow his FA Cup success, it makes sense from a United perspective to make the change as soon as possible.
Not only will Mourinho have been growing frustrated by having to wait to be confirmed as the new United boss, but appointing him now will ultimately give him the entire summer to plan ahead for next season.
According to Sky, his agent Jorge Mendes will arrive in the UK to finalise a deal next week, and although there has been no comment from the club as of yet, it’s unlikely that they will confirm anything given that Van Gaal and the squad are still celebrating their success.
Mourinho has been out of management since being sacked by Chelsea last December, following their disastrous start to the campaign in which they ultimately failed to defend their Premier League crown.