Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is forcing his club to delay the appointment of a sporting director to aid them in the transfer market.
An astonishing claim from the Telegraph suggests the Red Devils boss is standing in the way of this potentially crucial attempt by the club to modernise and catch up with their rivals on recruitment.
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The report states the club are unsure of being able to bring in a director Mourinho would be happy with, while there’s also the feeling many of the best candidates would currently be unsure about joining.
United look in a dire state under Mourinho right now, so it’s little wonder the best sporting directors in the business might not be too keen to take on such a challenging job.
This is hugely worrying for MUFC fans, with the Portuguese coach once again proving to be a major obstacle to progress.
It’s been an extremely challenging few years for United since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, with Mourinho not the only manager to fail.
David Moyes didn’t last a full season despite being given a six-year contract when he took over from Ferguson, while Louis van Gaal also under-achieved despite, like Mourinho, having plenty to spend on big-name signings.
The whole system at the club seems out of pace with the modern game and a new sporting director would surely help things, but the Telegraph seem to suggest Mourinho is one key factor in persuading the club to wait until he is gone, either when he is sacked or when he leaves at the end of his contract.