Jose Mourinho:It would cost Man Utd too much to sack me

The Portuguese is understood to earn up to £15 million a year at Old Trafford and would be entitled to substantial pay-off of at least 12 months’ salary under the terms of his current contract, which expires in June 2020.

“They say I’m in danger but I don’t think it,” said Mourinho, who formerly managed Inter Milan. “If they send me away, do you have any idea how much money they would have to give me? Ah ah.”

Although Mourinho and Woodward have not seen eye to eye over transfers this summer, with the manager particularly frustrated the club vetoed a move for a centre-half, Mourinho offered his public support to Woodward after a plane was flown over Turf Moor trailing a banner that described United’s executive vice-chairman as “a specialist in failure”.

He was also able to make a joke of the situation when light-heartedly asked if he was the man who had paid for the protest. “No… but I could have!” Mourinho apparently replied in jest.