Manchester United: Jose Mourinho tells friends he is going to OT and lines up Gonzalo Higuain swoop

Jose Mourinho has told Paris Saint-Germain and his close friends that he has decided to take over at Manchester United in the summer and will not be available to take up any other post in the upcoming campaign. The Portuguese manager has been out of job after being sacked by Chelsea in December last year but is set to replace Louis van Gaal at the helm at Old Trafford.

According to The Sunday People, Mourinho is confident that he will be made the new manager and has already started making enquiries over possible transfers in the upcoming summer window. Gonzalo Higuain is believed to be his top target for the summer and has already told United to prepare a £70m ($100m) bid for the Argentine. The 28-year-old has already scored 32 goals in all competitions for the Serie A giants, and Mourinho wants someone prolific up front to lead United to glory.

The news will come as a major setback for Louis van Gaal, who was confident that his performance in the league this season had warranted another year at the club, which will lead him to finish his contract, especially after the upper management had asked him to organise United's pre-season tour before summer. However, an ignominious loss to Tottenham Hotspur has put a major question mark over his stay at Old Trafford and it is believed that even an FA Cup win will not be enough to keep him at the top.

The Red Devils have progressed into the semi-finals of the oldest Cup tournament in England where they will take on Everton and look to end their three year trophy drought. The Dutchman will be remembered for his contribution to bring forth a hoard of young talent, with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Jesse Lingard having thrived from his backing.

United beat Aston Villa 1-0 at home on 16 April to close the gap on a top four place, currently lagging fourth placed Arsenal by three points, who play Crystal Palace on 17 April.