Jose Mourinho signed a “precontract” with Manchester United

José Mourinho has reportedly signed a pre-contract agreement to join Manchester United, with the former Chelsea manager due up to £15m in compensation if he is not appointed by the club by 1 June.

The Portuguese has been out of work since his sacking by Chelsea in December but has been persistently linked with Louis van Gaal’s job at Manchester United. Last week, Mourinho said he wants to join a new club in the summer after “reading and listening to a few lies” about his future.

According to the Spanish newspaper El País on Saturday night, a source from his agent Jorge Mendes’s company Gestifute has now confirmed the 53-year-old has already signed an agreement to move to Old Trafford last month, although United still reserve the right to change their mind.

“If United do not sign the final contract [with Mourinho] before 1 May, they must pay £5m; if by 1 June he’s still not signed, they shall pay another £10m,” read the report. “May is the key, because it’s the month in which the vast majority of the signings of players are closed and the plans formed.”.

El País claim that the clause has been included because senior figures at Old Trafford, including Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Bobby Charlton, are not entirely convinced that Mourinho is the right man to succeed Louis van Gaal. The report also states that Real Madrid are also interested in hiring him to replace Zinedine Zidane but Mourinho would prefer to move to United.