Mourinho will begin work as soon as he is announced as the new United manager, and is expected to speak to as many of his new players as he can either before the European Championships or – if he is given permission – during the tournament.

The delicate nature of the negotiations have required complete secrecy and the timing of it needed to be sensitive to Van Gaal, for whom the United board, including chef executive Ed Woodward, have the highest regard. United have learned from the experience with David Moyes and believe that they have treated Van Gaal fairly.

His failure to qualify for the Champions League was a factor in the decision but Mourinho had been approached before then. He was impatient to get on with the job and was prepared to walk away from negotiations if United allowed them to drag on into the summer.