Image rights holds key to Man Utd’s Mourinho appointment

Jose Mourinho: Hopes to bring success to Man Utd

Jose Mourinho: Hopes to bring success to Man Utd

Jose Mourinho has agreed personal terms with Manchester United – but his three-year deal with the club can only be signed once a dispute over his image rights is finalised.

Lawyers for both parties are still in negotiations over a number of image rights issues, which must be resolved before the contract – which is expected to be intially until 2019 – can be signed.

Sky Sports understands the length of Mourinho’s contract and his salary have now been agreed after positive talks between Manchester United executive vice-chairman, Ed Woodward, and Mourinho’s agent, Jorge Mendes.

However, dialogue is on-going regarding the image rights conflicts, and it remains unclear whether or not these issues will be concluded in time for Mourinho to put pen to paper on his contract on Wednesday.

Both Manchester United and Mourinho are tied to numerous commercial partnerships, and must pay careful consideration to the pre-existing commitments to their respective sponsors when Mourinho becomes United’s manager.

There is common ground for Mourinho and United in their respective deals with adidas. The incoming United manager is a global ambassador for the kit suppliers, who signed a £750m, 10-year deal with United, which came into effect in 2015.

However, one example of potential conflict is Mourinho’s commercial deal with Jaguar, which is at odds with United’s seven-year deal with General Motors, which sees Chevrolet as the club’s shirt sponsor.

Mendes, Woodward, and both sets of legal teams are continuing to work on how they can keep their respective sponsors happy, and those talks will continue on Wednesday.

Finding a resolution to these issues is said to be the final hurdle to overcome before Mourinho is officially confirmed as United’s next manager and stepping into Louis van Gaal’s shoes.

The imminent appointment of Mourinho, however, has been criticised by Eric Cantona, who has claimed the Portuguese coach is the “wrong man” for Manchester United.