Jose Mourinho Reportedly Told Manchester United Job Is His Amid Talk Rumours

Manchester United have reportedly "assured" Jose Mourinho he will replace Louis van Gaal in the summer, and talks between the club and the former Chelsea manager are at an "advanced stage." 

That's according to an exclusive from Neil Custis in the Sun, who reported: "Negotiations have been at an advanced stage this week and are almost over the line." Further, Mourinho has been instructed "not to take another job" with United preparing a three-season contract worth £20 million per year.

Custis' story made the newspaper's back page, as 101 Great Goals revealed on Twitter:

As ESPN's Alex Shaw noted, Mourinho's expected arrival at Old Trafford has been covered extensively since his departure from Chelsea in December:

United's performances have done little to help Van Gaal appear secure in his position—a 3-0 thrashing against Tottenham Hotspur was a far cry from what the Red Devils were used to under Sir Alex Ferguson, as was their laboured 1-0 win over bottom-of-the-league Aston Villa.

They're also far from guaranteed a UEFA Champions League place—meaning they could miss out on the competition for the second time in three years—and their attacking play has been unimaginative and stagnant all season, as evidenced by them scoring by far the fewest goals in the Premier League's top nine.

While not guaranteed, a Champions League finish is still a possibility—they're five points behind Arsenal with a game in hand—and they have an excellent chance of winning their first FA Cup since 2004 as they face Crystal Palace in the final.

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

The Red Devils have also conceded just 30 goals in the league, the best after Spurs, so Van Gaal might have done enough to keep his job despite many of the Old Trafford faithful likely wanting him gone even if they finish the campaign with a trophy and Champions League football.

Football writer Liam Canning believes the Dutchman should go regardless, and it could be a case of now or never to land Mourinho:

Indeed, while there are positives to be taken if United can achieve their goals in the final month of the season, next year will likely see their rivals improve dramatically.

Manchester City and Chelsea will be taken over by Pep Guardiola and Antonio Conte, respectively, while Mauricio Pochettino and Jurgen Klopp have the potential to produce great things at Tottenham and Liverpool, and all four will likely dip into the transfer market in the summer.

Even a positive end to this season would do little to inspire confidence that United could compete next year with Van Gaal still in charge, or that the calibre of their performances would dramatically improve.

Relieving the Dutchman of his duties would be a bold step if he does bring in silverware and Champions League football, but it could well be the right one if Mourinho can be appointed.