José Mourinho has reportedly written to Manchester United to state his case to become the club’s next manager.
Mourinho has been out of work since being sacked by Chelsea in December following their poor start to the season, despite his team winning the Premier League in the previous campaign.
According to a report in the Independent on Sunday, Mourinho has sent United a six-page letter in which he outlines why he would be a suitable fit for the position, which is currently occupied by Louis van Gaal.
Mourinho is said to have explained in the letter how he would be prepared to adapt his style of management to suit the demands at Old Trafford, and how he would seek to overhaul the squad.
The 52-year-old Portuguese’s agent, Jorge Mendes, dismissed the report as “absolutely ridiculous and totally absurd” in a post on his agency’s website.
Mourinho’s fondness for United is well known and he has been linked with the job before, but United chose David Moyes to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013 and Van Gaal to come in a year later.
When Mourinho left Stamford Bridge the Chelsea coach Steve Holland predicted he would seek a quick return at the highest level, saying: “He’s a guy who needs and wants football. There will be clubs and big clubs who will want him.
“He’s not in my opinion the sort of guy who’s going to spend six, seven, eight months sitting at home doing nothing in particular.”
Pressure mounted on Van Gaal after United’s 1-0 defeat to Southampton on Saturday, which left United five points adrift of fourth-placed Tottenham. United have declined to comment on the report.