ManU Agrees To Preliminary Contract With Jose Mourinho

ManU reportedly agreed to a "preliminary contract" with Jose Mourinho that will see the club pay the Portuguese manager £15M ($21.7M) if it chooses not to employ him, according to Simon Rice of the London INDEPENDENT. Spanish newspaper El Pais reported a deal has been agreed that "reserves the former Chelsea manager" for ManU should it wish to make him its next manager this summer. It is not a final agreement -- "but ensures Mourinho cannot take another job." The contract stipulates that should ManU fail to offer Mourinho a final contract by May 1 it will pay him £5M ($7.2M) in compensation and then another £10M ($14.5M) if there is no offer by June 1. Mourinho is the "overwhelming" favorite to replace Louis van Gaal, should -- as expected -- the current ManU manager have his contract terminated this summer. Current assistant manager and former player Ryan Giggs "is also in the frame" (INDEPENDENT, 3/20).