Jose Mourinho to reunite with £47m Manchester United signing ‘bored’ by lack of playing time

Jose Mourinho will reunite with former Manchester United midfielder Fred when he becomes Fenerbahce’s next manager.

The ‘Special One’ is set to become the Turkish giant’s new boss, having been unemployed since leaving Rome in January.

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talkSPORT understands the 61-year-old has held talks with Saudi club Al Qadsiah over his vacant managerial role, but is expected to be announced as Fenerbahce’s new manager.

And the move will see Mourinho reconnect with a number of familiar faces.

Brazilian Fred was signed by Mourinho in 2018, from Shakhtar Donetsk for £47million.

But despite arriving after the 2018 World Cup and an impressive season in Ukraine, Fred only played 27 games in his debut campaign.

Under Mourinho, the midfielder made just six starts before the boss was sacked in December 2018, resulting in Fred losing his place in the Brazilian team.

Speaking at the time, Fred said: “I’ve played very little at United, so it’s normal that Professor Tite can’t rate me, even though I worked hard with him before.

“Of course I was upset, but I need to know how to deal with sadness to help me take a step forward.

“The coach chose not to make the team. It’s his choice. I’m still doing my job and I can’t let that affect my state of mind, I can’t let that shake me. I must be patient.

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“It was a difficult start for me at United because I didn’t play much.”

Fred also admitted that he needed time to adapt to the Premier League, something Mourinho himself noted when he addressed the issue in December that year.

“Step by step,” he told reporters when asked why Fred didn’t play. “You also have other players at other clubs who needed their time and some of them are playing even less than what Fred is playing.

“I think Fred (will play more), when the team is stronger defensively and doesn’t need people in midfield who are more concerned with giving some balance to the team than being involved in the creation and offensive dynamics.

“The day we are stronger defensively, I think the horizons for Fred will completely change.”

Just 11 days after Mourinho’s comments, the former Chelsea boss was sacked.

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He led United to the League Cup and Europa League titles during his time there, but had them 19 points behind league leaders Liverpool at the time of his departure.

Fred, meanwhile, left Old Trafford last summer having made 213 appearances over five seasons, scoring 14 goals.

Mourinho’s Fenerbahce squad will also include former Southampton striker Dusan Tadic, as well as former Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi.

Also at Fenerbahce is former Man City star Edin Dzeko, who left Roma for Inter Milan two months after Mourinho’s arrival.

The Super Lig club finished second behind rivals Galatasaray after winning successive league titles in 2022 and 2023.