Jose Mourinho to Manchester United: Ex-Chelsea manager pens six-page love letter to United to claim 'I can change'

As pressure mounts on Van Gaal, sacked Chelsea manager makes bold bid for job he has coveted for years

Jose Mourinho has written a six-page letter to Manchester United to outline why he should be their next manager (Getty Images)

Jose Mourinho has written Manchester United a six-page letter explaining his strong desire to manage the club and how he would be willing to adhere to United’s principles. He also outlined his plans for the team, and the key decisions he would take.

Mourinho, who was sacked by Chelsea last month, believes that a detailed charm offensive can finally secure his dream job of managing United once his old mentor Louis van Gaal leaves, and that depature is now widely expected to come in the summer.

Though Mourinho immediately targeted United as his next job after leaving Chelsea, the 52-year-old was keen not to step on Van Gaal’s toes. He worked for the Dutch coach at Barcelona between 1997-2000, and greatly respects him.

Yet United’s recent poor results, not least the 1-0 home defeat by Southampton yesterday, have opened up the possibility that Van Gaal’s time is running out, so Mourinho’s representative Jorge Mendes contacted the United board to discuss the future.

Though many among the United hierarchy were more open to appointing the Portuguese than they were when Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, the former Chelsea manager’s camp were made aware that there was a still a considerable faction at the club opposed to hiring him. The reasons are thought to range from Mourinho’s regular controversies, his style of football and his failure to nurture young talent.

The Portuguese is well aware of this thinking, and that is why he took the decision to write a lengthy document, emphasising just how much he wants the job and how he would be willing to adapt his style to meet United’s principles. They have traditionally prided themselves on playing open, attacking football, and they have always set great store on developing their own young players.

In his submission Mourinho also presented a forensic analysis of this season’s team. The Portuguese has gone through every area of the current squad, offering extensive thoughts on what could be improved as well as making suggestion about signings that could help strengthen the squad.

Mourinho feels the depth of his approach will finally prove persuasive in getting the job he was wanted for over a decade. He is said to be “relaxed” about his future in that regard.