Manchester United have denied reports from the Sun that manager Louis van Gaal will move into a director of football role, in order to allow Jose Mourinho to join the club.
"?Sky Sports reported on Friday morning that the story - which emerged a mere 12 hours before their reaction - was false, though they have failed to clarify whether the Dutchman will stay in his current position amid the constant speculation Mourinho could succeed him.
This is as damning as silence. #MUFC won't talk about not sacking LVG but react to these reports within hours. pic.twitter.com/TLVbJ9Fqhk
The original story claimed United will press on with bringing Mourinho to Old Trafford to replace Van Gaal as manager, but that they would offer the former Dutch national coach a role as director to work alongside the former Chelsea boss for the 2016/17 season.
United have not been keen to pull the trigger on Van Gaal's reign over the last few months - despite increasing pressure because of underwhelming performances and results - as they're looking to do all they can to maintain stability. The latest report however claimed United had found a way to avoid sacking Van Gaal while bringing Mourinho in too.
Van Gaal is contracted to the club for another season as manager, but the Sun's report claimed executive vice chairman Ed Woodward had accepted that there needs to be a change in the managerial hot-seat ahead of the new season. Keen on retaining Van Gaal's footballing knowledge and wisdom, United were considering offering the director's option to the 64-year-old.
Mourinho is 'perfect' for #MUFC. Still a lot of support for Jose!https://t.co/RS4eCXTPho pic.twitter.com/Qzy1GhgiZg
Mourinho and Van Gaal are good friends, and have worked together before at Barcelona, but in a time before Mourinho was given the chance to flourish as a manager himself. Whether the two could move into a working relationship such as this remains to be seen, but it appears United will not be exploring the option regardless.
The former Chelsea boss was sacked from his role at Stamford Bridge in December, and was contacted soon after by United to gauge his interest in taking over at the club later down the line. It has been reported on several occasions that the agreement for Mourinho to take charge was in place, though nothing has yet been confirmed.
Mourinho has turned down a number of offers from other clubs and nations since his departure from Chelsea, in hope that he'll be able to take charge at Old Trafford. Matters could however step up a notch after Van Gaal leads United into the FA Cup final on Saturday, with the game being the Wembley encounter being their last game of the season.
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