David De Gea to demand Manchester United exit if Jose Mourinho not hired

Speculation over the Manchester United managerial position has taken a new twist, with David De Gea reportedly set to walk out on the club if they do not replace Louis van Gaal with Jose Mourinho.

The Old Trafford men have had an underwhelming campaign under the Dutchman, with a number of abject performances and a lack of attacking inspiration leading to frustration amongst the fans.

Despite their game against Bournemouth being rescheduled after a bomb threat on Sunday, Manchester City’s draw at Swansea City has confirmed that the Red Devils will not play Champions League football in 2016-17.

United have a chance to finish the campaign with silverware as they face Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final at the weekend, but this may well not be enough to save Van Gaal’s role at the club.

Despite the former Bayern Munich and Barcelona coach having 12 months remaining on his current deal, speculation stating that he could leave this summer and be replaced by Mourinho continues to gather steam.

The Portuguese trainer was sacked for the second time by Chelsea after the defending champions made a catastrophic start to the new campaign. He has been out of work since.

Mourinho was believed to have been a contender to replace Sir Alex Ferguson after the Scot retired and is said to covet the Old Trafford role.

The latest development sees speculation over De Gea’s future.

The Spanish goalkeeper was close to moving to Real Madrid in the summer, but a move to the La Liga giants broke down at the 11th hour.

He went on to sign a new four-year deal in Manchester and was the Red Devils’ Player of the Year for the third consecutive time in 2015-16.

The latest reports suggest that De Gea is disillusioned by Van Gaal’s stewardship and wants a managerial change at Old Trafford in the summer.

If this does not occur and the Dutchman remains in charge, the former Atletico Madrid custodian is said to be ready to force an exit from the club.

Given that Jorge Mendes is the representative of both Mourinho and De Gea, there is every possibility that the super-agent had a role in sparking the talk of the Spanish goalkeeper’s disdain for Van Gaal in the media.

Although United’s link to Mourinho is not a new thing, the English club may well have to move quickly as the Portuguese coach is being linked with Paris Saint-Germain.

The fact that Laurent Blanc did not lead the hugely ambitious Ligue 1 side past the quarter-finals of the Champions League could well mark his dismissal, with Mourinho being touted as a replacement in the French capital.