Football super-agent Jorge Mendes has issued a statement denying claims that his client Jose Mourinho was set to be sacked as Manchester United boss.
In a statement passed to The Telegraph, Mendes labelled any rumours about the United manager leaving Old Trafford as 'totally untrue':
There have been more rumours of Jose Mourinho leaving Manchester United. It’s totally untrue. José is very happy at the club and the club is very happy with him.
He has a long-term contract with Manchester United and is fully committed to the club in building a solid winning project.
Mendes rarely appears in the media, so this statement was somewhat out of character. He clearly felt as though he had to put to bed the rumours about Mourinho's future, with pressure mounting on the 55-year old in recent weeks.
Manchester United have had a disastrous Premier League campaign thus far, finding themselves eight points away from the top four. In fact, United are closer to the relegation zone than they are to the summit of the league. They are 18 points behind leaders Manchester City, while only being 14 points above the relegation zone.
Many have laid the majority of the blame for their current form at the feet of Mourinho, with the former Chelsea boss looking largely devoid of ideas at times.
However the club still have faith in his ability to turn the team's fortunes around according to Mendes. A vote of confidence from a manager's agent is a very strange occurrence, and one has to wonder if his positive outlook reflects that of the decision-makers at Manchester United.
Leonardo Jardim is the latest name to be linked with the manager's position, with the former Monaco boss turning down an offer from Saudi Arabia in order to pursue Premier League interests.
Mourinho's days at Old Trafford certainly seem numbered, and it would be a major surprise if he were to last at the club beyond this season.
