Jose Mourinho is eyeing a sensational return to Manchester United, Mike Keegan tells Mail Sport’s It’s All Kicking Off podcast… with the former manager believing he has ‘unfinished business’ at Old Trafford

Jose Mourinho is keen on making what would be a sensational – if somewhat unlikely – return to Manchester United, Mail Sport understands. 

Sources close to the Portuguese manager, who was sacked by Roma earlier this month, say he feels he has ‘unfinished business’ after leaving Old Trafford in December 2018 and ‘has made it his mission’ to take charge again should the opportunity arise at some point in the future. 

Mourinho is also said to be keen to work with the new regime at United, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS taking over football operations as part of the petrochemicals billionaire’s 25 per cent investment in the club. 

‘His ambition is to return to United,’ a friend explained. ‘He feels like he has unfinished business there after how it ended last time and he had made it his mission to go back.’ 

Mourinho took charge at United in 2016 following the departure of Louis van Gaal. He lifted the Europa League and Carabao Cup in his first season and followed that up with a second-placed finish in the Premier League the following year, although they did finish a distant 19 points behind rivals City. 

The former manager is currently out of work after being sacked by Roma earlier this month

Mourinho’s time at Old Trafford was not undecorated, with the former Inter Milan and Chelsea manager lifting the Europa League trophy (pictured) and the Carabao Cup

He signed a contract extension that ran to 2021 but tension grew between himself and those in positions of power, especially after the club missed out on a series of transfer targets and he was sacked following a defeat to Liverpool. To the end, Mourinho retained the backing of United’s matchday following – although there was a sense of inevitability over his departure. 

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Mourinho, 61, also had issues with some of the club’s players and in December last year he told John Obi Mikel’s podcast that some of those who he did not feel were up to the challenge remained on the books. 

‘There are still people in that club,’ he said, ‘when I say people I mean some players but also some other people that are not players, that are still there when I told United after two months: with these people you are never going to do it. And they are still there.’ 

Those who remain at United on the playing side from the squad he inherited are Anthony Martial, Luke Shaw, Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay. 

Ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Wolves, Erik ten Hag’s side are ninth in the Premier League, 16 points behind leaders Liverpool, and have exited European competition. Their only hope of silverware this season is in the FA Cup. 

Scott McTominay is one of the handful of players still in situ from Mourinho’s first tenure

Current manager Erik ten Hag has looked under threat at various points in a tumultuous season

Mourinho, who returned to Chelsea for a second spell in which he picked up another Premier League title, had been at Roma since 2021. He won the Europa Conference League – Roma’s first trophy in 11 years – in his first season and took them to the Europa League Final the following campaign. 

However, with the club struggling to pay big money thanks to Financial Fair Play regulations following a big spend during his first season in charge, Mourinho’s contract was terminated earlier this month with Roma in ninth place in Serie A.