Jose Mourinho has left the door ajar for an approach by Manchester United this summer by admitting he wants to manage a club where he feels “truly wanted”.
The Portuguese boss has been without a club since he was sacked by Chelsea in December and has been repeatedly tipped to succeed Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford.
Van Gaal’s future in the Old Trafford hotseat has been the subject of fierce speculation in recent months, some expecting the Dutchman to be relieved of his duties this summer – even if he manages to secure a top-four spot for the Red Devils.
Mourinho said that he was almost certain to be back in the dugout next season and revealed that he had “good offers” in front of him.
“I can almost guarantee you that I’ll be back working this summer,” said Mourinho at a press conference in Lisbon. “I’ve good offers on the table.
“At the end of the season we’ll know where my future lies. I want to be at a place where I’m truly wanted.
“I want to work at a club with responsibility, in a hard league, where there’re no easy objectives. That don’t leave many options.”
The former Real Madrid and Inter Milan coach has been without a club since his Stamford Bridge sacking shortly before Christmas after presiding over a disastrous defence of Chelsea’s Premier League title.
The spiky Mourinho reportedly fell out with the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Diego Costa and Eden Hazard after watching the trio’s form plummet in the dying embers of his reign.
However, Mourinho admitted that he was looking forward to returning to management.
He added: “I’ve had the possibility to go to the gym almost every day and read the newspapers.
“I enjoyed immensely the first two months [of being out of the job], the third month a little less and now I’m dying to get back to work.”
A recent report also claimed that Mourinho is wanted once again by Real Madrid, with the La Liga giants preparing a fresh approach to their former boss.
