JOSE PSG TALKS
United must act now if they want Mourinho... while LVG will field strong side tonight
JOSE MOURINHO is in talks with Paris Saint-Germain and could move to the French champions unless Manchester United act quickly.
Mourinho is the prime contender to replace Louis van Gaal should United sack the Dutchman after Saturday’s FA Cup Final.
But Mourinho, 53, wants a deal agreed by next week and unless United come up with something quickly, they could miss out on the Portuguese.
The news pushes United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward into a corner regarding the club’s interest in the out-of-work boss.
The former Chelsea manager views replacing Laurent Blanc at PSG as an excellent opportunity, particularly with the vast transfer budget that is likely to accompany his potential appointment.
And the fact Mourinho is ready to take the reins in the French capital could force Woodward’s hand one way or another. Current PSG manager Blanc’s position was thought to be safe, with him having signed a contract extension earlier this year.
However, the club’s failure to make it past the Champions League quarter-finals has forced president Nasser Al-Khelaifi into a rethink. Mourinho’s Champions League pedigree makes him the obvious candidate to succeed Blanc should they decide to replace the Frenchman. And PSG’s move for Mourinho is likely to accelerate United’s decision to either persist with van Gaal or follow through with initial plans to bring Mourinho to Old Trafford.
Van Gaal, meantime, will resist the temptation to play an under-strength team when Manchester United finally face Bournemouth tonight.
The Dutchman could have rested players ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup Final against Crystal Palace, but is understood to be ready to field a similar starting XI to that which was ready to play on Sunday before the fake bomb incident saw the match postponed.
Van Gaal will treat this as a normal week despite the upheaval, with his big names set to start at what is expected to be a sparsely populated Old Trafford. Thousands are ready to shun the fixture after being handed refunds.
The fake bomb that triggered a huge security scare and the abandonment of Sunday’s match was discovered by a fan as they sat on a toilet.
Old Trafford was evacuated and a controlled explosion was carried out on the device. The ‘bomb’ was actually a realistic fake accidentally left behind after a training exercise last Wednesday.
United laid the blame for the fiasco squarely at the door of security expert Chris Reid, whose Kent-based company Security Search Management & Solutions Ltd carried out the midweek exercise which saw the ‘bomb’ left at the stadium.
In a statement, Woodward said: ‘The contractor had signed the device as having been recovered along with the 13 other devices at the end of the exercise.
‘Once a live situation was identified, the club and police had no option but to treat the matter as a potential terror threat. We could not have assumed it was a training exercise error. Presented with the same situation in the future, we would take the same action.’
He added: ‘The safety of the fans is our number one aim at every event we host at Old Trafford. Overall, I’m proud of how our staff responded.’
United are not expected to face any sanctions from the Premier League following the abandonment. Executive chairman Richard Scudamore was at the ground and was consulted over decisions. The match has been re-scheduled for an 8pm kick-off tonight. Those who had tickets, including season-ticket holders, have been refunded and will be allowed to attend for free.
Bournemouth are also laying on free coach travel for those who wish to make the long journey north.
United are considering their options with regards to taking legal action to recoup lost monies, while Greater Manchester Police will not be charging any additional costs.
Manchester mayor Tony Lloyd described the scare as ‘shambolic’ and added that the club should be ‘up front’ with and ‘grovel’ to supporters.