Man Utd know next boss and will sack Mourinho if they miss target

Manchester United will give Jose Mourinho until the end of the season before deciding his fate, with a report claiming he will be sacked as soon as it becomes apparent that they can’t qualify for next season’s Champions League.

The United boss was the subject of intense speculation earlier this season with a report stating he would be sacked if the club did not beat Newcastle back in October. After falling 2-0 down, United rallied in the game, securing a 3-2 win and saving Mourinho from the axe, with some improved performances – most notably the 2-1 win over Juventus in Turin – following.

But United’s limp display against Manchester City on Sunday again appears to have heaped the pressure back on – with a report saying the United boss’ decision to spare the immobile Nemanja Matic from the axe alienating some senior stars.

That defeat left United eighth in the Premier League – a position far from where they expect to be and one which will, according to The Sun, cost him his job.

Their report on Tuesday states the United board will relieve Mourinho from his duties at the end of the season should the club finish below fourth and fail to secure a place in next season’s Champions League.

It’s claimed Mourinho has been told in no uncertain terms that finishing fourth is the minimum requirement this season and that securing Champions League football is critical to his future.

And the paper claims United already know the man they want to replace Mourinho should the axe fall.

Old Trafford executives still admire Mauricio Pochettino and The Sun reckons the Argentine would appear right at the top of the club’s wishlist in their hunt for a new boss. However, the paper acknowledges it would prove ‘extremely difficult’ to get him out of the water-tight contract he signed with Tottenham in the summer.

Furthermore, Real Madrid are also keen to snare Pochettino and with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy likely to fight tooth and nail to hang onto his man, it would likely take a request from Pochettino to leave for Tottenham to even consider the move.

Even then, United would likely have to fork out record compensation levels to acquire Pochettino’s services – not to mention the severance package needed to pay off Mourinho for the final two years of his deal at Old Trafford, which expires in 2021.

And Mourinho is growing increasingly agitated by a number of issues at the club – not least the club’s failure to land a number of his requested targets, with Ivan Perisic slipping through the net in the summer of 2017 and the failure to add a new central defender in the summer just gone.

Furthermore, The Sun claims he has been moaning about standards at the club and told friends that everything is “second rate”.

They write: ‘Mourinho has been scathing about their recruitment and scouting network, along with the club’s failure to be in the mix for the top players when it comes to negotiations.’

United have been linked with Zinedine Zidane in the past, but it’s felt their board believe Pochettino would represent a safer bet. The report adds that, behind the scenes, Mourinho accepts this is likely to be his final season in charge, barring a remarkable recovery over the second half of the season.

Fancy the best United news direct to your Facebook timeline? Like our dedicated Manchester Utd Facebook page.