Manchester United Yet to Reach Deal with Jose Mourinho – Report

According to the most recent reports, Manchester United have not yet formally contacted Jose Mourinho.

Manchester United look destined to end the season outside the top four, but thus far that hasn’t set in motion the search for a managerial replacement.

According to Sky Sports, there has been no formal offer to Mourinho from Old Trafford and no agreement has been reached to this point. That news is contrary to reports earlier in the week from Italy suggesting the two sides were incredibly close to finalizing a deal, sending Twitter into a frenzy.

It looks as though Ed Woodward is resisting the temptation to begin searching for a new manager, suggesting that Louis van Gaal could see out the remainder of his contract. The Dutchman has one year left with the club, at which time, if all things went to plan, Ryan Giggs would likely assume the role.

But to this point, nothing under Van Gaal has gone according to plan. The team successfully qualified for the Champions League last season but bowed out of cup competitions early. In this year’s campaign, Manchester United failed to improve on that form by exiting the European competition before the knockout stage and subsequently exiting the Europa League against rivals Liverpool. The League Cup provided similar results, though the club will feature in the FA Cup final a week from today.

More from Red Devil Armada

• Aaron Wan Bissaka out for ‘several weeks’ with injury
• Manchester United break an unwanted record after Brighton loss
• Sofyan Amrabat set to miss game against Brighton
• Preview: Manchester United vs Brighton – What you need to know
• Jadon Sancho set to train away from first team squad

All things considered, it looks as though the Red Devils have regressed in the second season of the current manager’s regime. He is still making the same mistakes with regards to tactics, emphasizing defensive organization over flair and attack. He still uses his players out of position, with Jesse Lingard lining up centrally and Juan Mata on the right hand side.

Whether his style of play is outdated or simply not suited to the Premier League, Van Gaal’s tactics haven’t worked as intended. Neither have his signings. From the hundreds of millions he has spent on transfers, only Daley Blind and Anthony Martial could be classified as clear successes. The Dutch international’s versatility has served the team well during injury crises, while the striker has been United’s most prolific attacker in his first season in Manchester.

More from Manchester United News

• Aaron Wan Bissaka out for ‘several weeks’ with injury
• Sofyan Amrabat set to miss game against Brighton
• Preview: Manchester United vs Brighton – What you need to know
• Jadon Sancho set to train away from first team squad
• Mike Phelan blasts Manchester United teammates over Ronaldo exit

Which begs the question, can the Manchester United executives trust Van Gaal with another war chest in the summer transfer window? Massive spending has done little to rectify the situation for the Dutchman, and it looks clear that it’s time to give someone else a try. Jose Mourinho is the only remaining viable candidate, especially after Mauricio Pochettino put pen to paper and signed an extension with Tottenham.

But Woodward and the executives cannot afford to wait on reaching a deal, lest they miss out on yet another of their targets. Much like the heavily linked Renato Sanches eventually chose Bayern Munich over Manchester United, Mourinho could be swayed to another club if the negotiations drag on for too long. He’s made it clear that it would be his dream role, but he can only wait so long for the United higher-ups to get their act together.

Next: United Predicted XI vs Bournemouth

If a Mourinho deal falls through, or if the executives make no formal offer, it will be another long season for Manchester United supporters. Defensive football, questionable squad choices, and more wasted money are on the cards if Louis van Gaal remains at the helm for another season.