Mourinho in pre-contract agreement with Man Utd

Jose Mourinho has already signed a pre-contract agreement to manage Manchester United next season, according to reports in Spain.

El Pais report that Real Madrid had previously been in contact with Mourinho's agent Jorge Mendes about the former Chelsea boss returning to the Bernabeu prior to the appointment of Zinedine Zidane. And following Saturday's defeat at home to city rivals Atletico, Madrid tried to re-establish contact with their former coach.

However, the Portuguese "super agent" has now stopped returning their calls. Madrid officials believe that Mourinho has already put pen to paper on an agreement with the Old Trafford club, the breaking of which, by either party, would lead to a penalty fee being levied.

Florentino Perez, the Real Madrid president, is now thought to believe that Mourinho and his agent were only using the ten-time European champions' interest to force United's hand, and that Old Trafford was always his preferred destination.