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Arsenal may force Manchester United’s Jose Mourinho hand

By Rucker Haringey

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 01: Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho looks on after a press conference by FIFA Presidential candidate Gianni Infantino at Wembley Stadium on February 1, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 01: Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho looks on after a press conference by FIFA Presidential candidate Gianni Infantino at Wembley Stadium on February 1, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) /
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Arsenal’s interest in Jose Mourinho might force Manchester United to act quickly to secure his services

If Arsenal really are interested in bringing Jose Mourinho to North London, it could cause a significant problem for Manchester United. They may be forced to accelerate their negotiations with “The Special One” if they want to secure his services ahead of their Premier League rivals.

Reports from Spain indicate that Arsenal are seriously considering making a move for Mourinho to replace Arsene Wenger in North London. The Gunners feel they have an opportunity to capitalize on United’s pre-contract hesitation with a firm offer to sign the accomplished manager. Officials at the North London club are increasingly dissatisfied with Wenger’s inability to capitalize on this year’s wide-open Premier League title race.

Officials at United are reluctant to firmly commit to Mourinho for several reasons. The Portuguese manner is not a proponent of bringing youth into the first team setup which is a philosophy squarely opposed to the tradition of United. Hiring Mourinho would likely require a significant roster upheaval at Old Trafford that would cost the club hundreds of millions in transfer fees.

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There’s also a small, but powerful contingent at Old Trafford that would prefer to see Ryan Giggs get an opportunity to manage the club before bringing in an outsider like Mourinho. Choosing the former United star over the more accomplished manner would certainly fly in the face of the managerial qualifications of the two men.

Of course, the idea of Arsenal tapping Mourinho to take over for Arsene Wenger is not without controversy either. The two men have a highly public feud and Wenger would likely interpret the move as a grievous insult. It could even jeopardize his long-term relationship with the club that he’s been so instrumental in building over the last two decades. Arsenal officials would have to think long and hard about whether or not hiring Mourinho would torch their relationship with Wenger.

Of course, Mourinho has a solid track record of wining trophies wherever he’s in charge, and that certainly would appeal to an Arsenal fan base starving for Premier League glory. If hiring the ego-maniacal Mourinho would guarantee the Gunners a Premier League title, many of their fans would gladly forget about all of Wenger’s contributions to the club.

It’s also possible that these reports of Arsenal’s interest in Mourinho are just a ploy from the Mourinho camp to push United to a quicker decision. There’s no question that he desperately wants to take over at Old Trafford, so he may be looking to apply leverage however he can. The threat of Arsenal swooping in and stealing him away would certainly raise eyebrows at United. It could even be enough to force them into activating his contract agreement.

Related Story: Mourinho pre-contract gives Ryan Giggs hope

The twists and turns of where Jose Mourinho will manage next season won’t stop until he’s signed an iron-clad contract with the club of his choice. Until then, expect to hear his name connected with many high-profile clubs in an effort to force Manchester United to offer him his dream job.

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