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Jose Mourinho has admitted he regrets his verbal spats with rival boss Arsene Wenger – ahead of the Frenchman's final trip to Old Trafford as Arsenal boss.

Mourinho and Wenger have endured a toxic rivalry since the Manchester United boss first came to England with Chelsea in 2004, when he dethroned Arsenal as champions.

The pair traded insults, with Mourinho branding Wenger “a specialist in failure” and a “voyeur”, while Wenger relied by calling him “stupid”, and famously pushed his rival as their pair clashed on the touchline at Stamford Bridge.

But ahead of Sunday's clash between the two, Mourinho admitted he regretted the verbal barbs and claimed Wenger will feel the same way.

(Image: Daily Mirror) (Image: AFP)

“There are little things where it would be obviously better without them,” said Mourinho.

“Some gestures, some words, it would be better without it, I feel better now without it, no doubts about it.

“But again, when I arrived in England in 2004, Arsenal were the champions and the famous Invincibles. I arrived and for the next couple of years was with them - Bergkamp, Thierry, Campbell, an amazing team - so again thank you very much for that.

(Image: EPA/REX/Shutterstock) (Image: Daily Mirror)

They pushed us to the limits, the two matches we played, not at the Emirates but at amazing old stadium, were unforgettable.

“We had big matches, big fights, so thank you so much for that. Regret? Little negative episodes, yes I do and probably he also does.

“I always feel the biggest rivals are our biggest friends, because they're the ones that pushed us to the limit and I think United fans know that, until 2004, for about a decade it was between United and Arsenal, it was between Sir Alex Ferguson and Mr Wenger, and I think that these great teams Arsenal had and the fight shoulder to shoulder.

“It made United better and better. I hope he has a good reaction [from United fans], if not good, not bad at all and from us as a club he is going to feel the respect we have.”

Mourinho also dismissed any suggestion David De Gea could leave United this summer, with Real Madrid set to try for him again.

"No chance," said Mourinho when asked if there was any chance of De Gea leaving United.