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Jose Mourinho latest: Ryan Giggs set for exit as Mourinho 'tells friends' he will be next Manchester United manager

Mourinho is expected to bring his own backroom staff into United to bring an end to Giggs's 28-year relationship with the club

Jack de Menezes
Monday 18 April 2016 07:47 BST
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Jose Mourinho
Jose Mourinho (Getty)

Jose Mourinho believes he is guaranteed the Manchester United job this summer regardless of how Louis van Gaal finishes the season, after the former Chelsea manager reportedly told close friends he expects to take over the job at the end of the season.

The Independent understands that no contract offer has been made to Mourinho, with all attentions currently focused on United’s crucial FA Cup semi-final against Everton this weekend as well as the push for fourth place.

Despite maintaining a good relationship with Van Gaal, Mourinho is determined to land the job at Old Trafford after missing out on it when Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, and according to The Telegraph, Mourinho has told friends that he will be in the dug-out at United next season.

The revelation comes after it was claimed that both Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Bobby Charlton had relaxed their opposition to Mourinho taking the job in an admission that something needs to be done to get United back to the top of English and European football.

But Mourinho’s arrival could spell the end of Ryan Giggs’ relationship with the club after the Manchester Evening News reported that the Welshman is likely to leave if Mourinho takes over, with the Portuguese preferring to bring in his own backroom staff.

Giggs, who joined United’s academy 28 years ago in 1988, stood in as interim manager for the final four matches of the 2013/14 season after David Moyes was sacked and has remained assistant manager under Van Gaal with a long-term view to the Welshman taking over.

Should Mourinho get the job though, it will demonstrate Ferguson’s and Charlton’s admission that their support no longer remains solely with Giggs, despite the fear that Mourinho could considerably damage United’s reputation for developing young academy players in to Premier League standard professionals.

United did not comment on reports in Germany over the weekend that Mourinho has already agreed a three-year deal to replace Van Gaal this summer, although it’s not thought that an official offer has been made to the former Porto, Inter Milan and Real Madrid manager.

Mark Ogden - Jose Mourinho 'perfect' for Man Utd

Yet Van Gaal’s admission last week that he must get the right results in order to keep his job for the final year of his contract next season shows that the former Ajax and Barcelona head coach understands the questions surrounding his future, although he refused to discuss those questions with the media in the wake of United’s drab 1-0 win over Aston Villa.

“At Manchester United, you have to get results,” Van Gaal said after teenage striker Marcus Rashford gave United a victory that relegated Villa on Saturday.

“It’s like that. I am aware of that because I have always worked at the top of European football. So I know what can happen.

Ryan Giggs could leave United if Mourinho takes the manager's job (Getty)

“I don’t want to discuss what can happen because I discuss that only with the board of Manchester United and not with the media. I read only about my position in the media but not the position of other managers, so I don’t agree with that.

“You can ask every time the same questions about what is happening with me. That’s your problem. But I’m not discussing it.”

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