Moratti: Mourinho is going to Manchester

Jose Mourinho will succeed Louis van Gaal as Manchester United manager, according to the sister of former Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti.

Since the turn of the year, there has been continued speculation about the former Chelsea manager returning to management at Old Trafford.

Thursday’s embarrassing Europa League loss to FC Midtjylland has further weakened Van Gaal’s position and Bedy Moratti, sister of former Inter president Massimo, appears to have inadvertently revealed Mourinho will soon succeed him.

The honorary president of supporters’ group Inter Club was door-stepped by calciomercato.com at a lunch attended by the former Nerazzurri boss and asked whether the club missed him.

“He’s missed as a person, but right now he’s happy, he’s going to Manchester,” Moratti said of the Portuguese.

Mourinho is already as short as 1/5 with bookmakers to become United’s next manager, while Van Gaal is overwhelming favourite to become the next Premier League manager out of a job.

On Saturday morning, reports in the tabloid media suggested that Edward Woodward had made a ‘frantic’ phone call to Mourinho’s agent after hearing of his interest in returning to Milan.

The Dutchman’s side were embarrassed 2-1 in Denmark on Thursday and travel to Shrewsbury on Monday looking to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Mourinho, by contrast, is spending his weekend in Milan, where he is watching former club Inter host Sampdoria on Saturday.

The Portuguese famously led the Nerazzurri to the treble in 2010 and there were recent reports that the former Chelsea boss could return in place of Roberto Mancini.

It was talk Mourinho dismissed upon arriving at Linate airport, although he appears open to one day taking the San Siro reins again.

“I have not been back in Milan, apart from a Champions League tie (with Real Madrid in 2010) and I had not seen the Moratti family so it is a fantastic feeling,” Mourinho told Gazzetta World.

“I always say that you arrive at Inter as a professional and you come out as Inter, this is the power of Moratti.

“I am an Interista, but I repeat, I do not want any kind of speculation. I will not be the Inter coach next year and they have not asked me to be.

“Maybe I will be in the future, why not? I have already gone back to Chelsea where I coached before.”