"?A veritable flood of reports have surfaced within hours of the FA Cup final ending, claiming that Jose Mourinho is to be appointed manager of Manchester United at the start of next week - with Louis van Gaal to be informed of his fate on Monday.
BBC Sport report that the former Chelsea man will be officially unveiled on Tuesday, claiming that a deal had been agreed between the parties 'in principle' before the 2-1 win after extra time at Wembley.
Manchester United will appoint Jose Mourinho as their new manager, BBC Sport understands. https://t.co/VYeo05GLWl pic.twitter.com/FwlfkPwyEU
Meanwhile, Sky Sports muddied the waters by claiming that Mourinho's agent Jorge Mendes has confirmed that he will fly to England on Tuesday to finalise terms on a deal - putting the timeline of the deal in some doubt.
The claims from both sources are just the latest in six months of speculation about Van Gaal's future at Old Trafford - although this is the first time that so many media outlets have been so united in their belief that a deal is imminent.
BREAKING: Sky sources: Jose Mourinho is set to become the next manager of Manchester United. #SSNHQ https://t.co/nNfw7OVc6F
"?"?When asked about the reports in his post-match press conference at Wembley, Van Gaal was said to have told the press that he believed that he would remain at the club - discussing his transfer plans for the coming season.
Van Gaal still has one season to run on his three-year contract at Old Trafford, but it's thought that his failure to secure Champions League football for next season - along with the likelihood that Mourinho would be unavailable after this summer - led to his premature demise.
If Van Gaal is a goner, he doesn't know it yet. Next season, he says, "dependable on how we purchase players - I believe in refreshments"
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"Don't write what you don't know,"? barks an increasingly tetchy Van Gaal at the press corps.
"?"?The club were believed to be internally conflicted on the prospect of hiring the Portuguese, with executive vice chairman Ed Woodward said to have been keen for Van Gaal to see out his deal while others worried about the destabilising influence of Mourinho.
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