Jose Mourinho responds to Arsenal rumours after Unai Emery sacking

Jose Mourinho has refused to deny that he would have become Arsenal’s manager before he replaced Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham.

Mourinho was appointed as Pochettino’s successor last week but the 56-year-old reportedly held talks with Arsenal’s head of football Raul Sanllehi last month about potentially replacing Emery.

Reports also claim that Mourinho was wanted by more than one senior person at Arsenal to become Emery’s replacement.

Arsenal have now decided to sack Emery and have confirmed that Freddie Ljungberg, who was already a member of the first-team coaching staff, will be their interim replacement.

When asked if he would have taken the Arsenal job before Tottenham’s offer, Mourinho replied: ‘No point in telling you.

‘I’m so happy here I cannot think of the possibility of another club.

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‘If you put any other club in the world in front of me now I’d say no.’

Mourinho also paid a special tribute to Emery and described the Spaniard as a ‘fantastic coach with a proven record’.

‘It’s always sad news,’ said Mourinho.

‘I felt it as a kid, when my dad was sacked as a manager, I’ve felt it myself when I have been sacked previously.

‘There’s not one single manager who is sacked that I’m happy with. I always feel a deja vu situation.

‘I’m sad for it but that’s life.

‘Unai is a fantastic coach, not happy at Arsenal, obviously, but a fantastic coach with a proven record.

‘A little bit of a rest [and] another big club will come for him and his career will be back on track.

‘So no dramas mi amigo, keep going and you will get another club.’