Mourinho’s POWER START

Special One wants a top signing this week to avoid falling into same trap as Moyes and Van Gaal

CONTRARY to popular belief, Manchester United did not snub Jose Mourinho three years ago. The Special One told his close friend Sir Alex Ferguson long before his retirement was confirmed that he had unfinished business at Chelsea and would be a non-runner at Old Trafford.

The pair have remained close since then, sharing a common interest in wine and power. In lighter moments, they will laugh at each other’s jokes about Brendan Rodgers, the talkative former Mourinho confidante who then irritated his mentor by failing to ring for advice on Mario Balotelli.

Mourinho went back to Stamford Bridge specifically to try to ape Ferguson’s dynasty-building only for the experiment to fail spectacularly due to the political layers between him and Roman Abramovich.

Director of football Michael Emenalo was a particular source of frustration for his failure to sign John Stones from Everton. Mourinho’s temper grew steadily worse and everyone from Dr Eva Carneiro to Nemanja Matic got caught in the firing line.

As he breezes into Old Trafford, it will be different. Despite the size of the club, there is a relatively thin senior management structure at United. And both Mourinho and the man who counts – executive vicechairman Ed Woodward – are keen to act boldly and quickly to start the rebuild.

Expect every effort to be made for Zlatan Ibrahimovic to sign in week one of the Mourinho revolution. The potential stumbling block is money, with the Swede wanting £220,000-aweek wages and United keen not to be held to ransom by a 34-year-old.

But they have alternative options such as Alvaro Morata of Juventus as they bid to make an early statement of intent.

The decision of 18-year-old sensation Marcus Rashford signing a new contract will be confirmed early in the Mourinho reign to add to the feel-good factor. England’s newest striker, set to go to Euro 2016 after his debut international goal on Friday, has agreed a four-year deal to stay at Old Trafford of £25,000 a week plus bonuses.

The negotiations were concluded between Rashford’s brother Dwaine Maynard and Woodward and club secretary John Alexander, with the Rashford camp assisted by Chris and Wayne Welbeck, brothers of Arsenal’s ex-United forward Danny.

Others signings will follow before Euro 2016 and afterwards too if necessary. There will be no hanging around to offer Michael Carrick a new deal. Or to sign up Cameron Borthwick-Jackson on a similar long-term contract to Rashford. There may be a big-money deal at the end of the summer. Karim Benzema, Gonzalo Higuain, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Romelu Lukaku have all been discussed. Imagine a front five of Benzema, Ibrahimovic, Rooney, Rashford and Anthony Martial. Suddenly, United will look like United again.

Mourinho will also demand a midfield enforcer like £25million hard-man Grzegorz Krychowiak of Sevilla and Poland. A top-line centrehalf might be harder to find, with John Stones favoured to join Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and Real Madrid wanting to keep Raphael Varane.

But Mourinho is a long-time admirer of Phil Jones, compared with Duncan Edwards when he was signed by Fergie but sidelined in the last two years by injuries and then by Van Gaal.

The odd deal may fall through but it is the intent that Mourinho brings which is taking the club back to pre2013. Woodward feels it has been a weakness of United not to complete transfer deals until July and August rather than have his ducks in a row for the start of pre-season training, which this year starts on July 7.

He has received the brunt of criticism for that but he would argue that David Moyes was indecisive in 2013, Van Gaal arrived too late due to the World Cup in 2014 and 12 months ago they were held up by the departure of Angel di Maria to Paris Saint-Germain.

Mourinho is seen as the antithesis of Moyes in knowing what he wants and moving quickly to get it. Van Gaal was more to Woodward’s liking but it became clear his warm feelings towards the 64-year-old were not shared by the players who grew to detest him. One claimed after a particularly dour training session: ‘I’d rather retire than have another season with him.’

Mourinho might not want a Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, as his former No2 Jose Morais pointed out, ‘he prefers not only world-class players but worldclass professionals. If they can’t respond to his demands, they’re probably out.’

Ibrahimovic, who played for Mourinho at Inter Milan, has the requisite stardust and the emergence of Martial and Rashford as stars means the necessity to sign other big names to sell shirts is less important than before.

Mourinho will step out at Old Trafford for the first time as United manager next Sunday with David Seaman in goal rather than David de Gea and TV presenter Ben Shephard up front instead of Rashford. It is for an England v Rest of the World Soccer Aid charity game.

Beneficiaries including Unicef will have been delighted that confirmation of his appointment came ahead of the game. Five thousand tickets were sold in the first few hours of the announcement sending overall sales past 60,000.

The Special One is getting ready to hit the ground running — and Manchester United like it.