Sources close to Mourinho say he has already received job offers for the start of next season, but his representatives have also reached out to United because it is the role he has coveted above all others, especially since it became clear that his second spell at Chelsea was coming to an end.
The issue of whether he would be a suitable candidate for the job has long caused debate at Old Trafford, and some key United officials wanted Mourinho to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson when the Scot retired in 2013. Mourinho was open to the possibility, but United decided to appoint David Moyes, and Mourinho returned to Chelsea.
There is currently doubt at the top level of Manchester United about the direction of the side under Van Gaal, however, despite the backing he received from club officials in newspapers on the eve of the Wolfsburg away match in the Champions League. It is understood that 3-2 defeat is one of a number of factors – including ongoing player disenchantment – causing the Old Trafford hierarchy to reassess plans for the future under Van Gaal. Some at the club are insistent they go all out for Pep Guardiola to come in this summer, although there is an acceptance Manchester City are leading that race.
If that happens, Mourinho would almost represent an ideal option in terms of his profile. It would also end criticisms that United have somehow missed out on three of the biggest managers in the world – Mourinho, Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp – in the two and a half years since Ferguson retired.
On the Portuguese’s side, there has been some discussion over whether Mourinho could do with taking a sabbatical, and a period of taking stock after the scale of the decline at Chelsea.
His representatives are all aware of his long-standing desire for the United job, however, and the situation would be aided by the strong relationship between the Old Trafford executive vice chairman Ed Woodward and Mourinho’s agent Jorge Mendes. The latter has already started sounding out potential employers for Mourinho.
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