Report claims Jose Mourinho considering surprise return to Manchester United

Just over five years since his sacking by the Old Trafford club in the late 2018, Jose Mourinho is rumoured to consider a shocking return to Manchester United.

After being recently let go by Roma, Mourinho is apparently on the hunt for a new football association to join.

According to the Daily Mail, the desire for a return seems to be originating from Mourinho's side, as the 61-year-old is reportedly eager to take over at Old Trafford for a second tenure. A close acquaintance of Mourinho reportedly told the paper that he feels he has some 'unfinished business' with the club, given the way his first stint ended.

The report suggests that Mourinho has made it his objective to get back the United manager position should the opportunity present itself in future.

Nonetheless, it seems unlikely to materialise in the foreseeable future. Erik ten Hag is currently in his second season of a three-year contract and there seems to be a positive vibe amongst the club's fans that Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS team taking control of the club's operations will ensure the Dutch manager's success.

In 2016, Mourinho was Manchester United's third permanent manager following Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, taking the reins from Louis van Gaal shortly after the team's FA Cup victory.

Mourinho attracted players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba to Old Trafford that summer, and under his leadership, the team secured the Carabao Cup and Europa League in his debut season.

Following a disheartening sixth place finish in the Premier League, United climbed the ranks in 2017/18, finishing second behind Manchester City. That was the team's highest position since the Ferguson era. However, Mourinho's tenure ended abruptly in the first half of the following season. His frustration with the failure to secure key players in the transfer seasons and additional staffing issues was palpable by the 2018 pre-season. In spite of the successful 2017/18 season, only Fred, the relatively unknown Diogo Dalot and backup goalkeeper Lee Grant were signed by the United management.

Following a 3-2 victory against Newcastle after trailing 2-0 in an October match, reports suggested Mourinho was close to being sacked. The decision was finalised just over two months later following a 1-3 loss to Liverpool at Anfield, culminating a streak of one win in six league matches.