Manchester United would be signing a pact with the Devil by hiring Jose Mourinho

The former Chelsea manager would restore success to Old Trafford - but at what cost?

It’s tempting to imagine Jose Mourinho’s agent Jorge Mendes spending the festive period advising Manchester United chief executive Ed Woodward on the merits of Faustian pacts.

Woodward must know United would win the Premier League within three years with Mourinho. He would guide them back to the latter stages of the Champions League, too. Logic and history tells us this. The only obstacle can be the fear United might as well be signing such a contract with blood.

The Mourinho at Manchester United question is not about the success of the club but its soul. With a devil already established in the badge at Old Trafford, extending his presence to the dug-out demands deeper consideration.

A full 24 hours have passed since the last public and private statement reiterating how uneasy Mourinho is about being linked with jobs others are still in, whether it’s in Manchester or Madrid. Just in case anyone had forgotten, Jose’s very available, definitely ready, extremely willing and still waiting for the executives at Old Trafford and Bernabeu to get on with it, but he’d never be so disrespectful to turn up the stadium until a sacking is confirmed.