An ex West Ham star striker has let slip that manager Jose Mourinho broke strict transfer rules during his time at Man United.
It was well known that Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag wanted to sign former West Ham hero turned villain Marko Arnautovic in the summer.
The links to the ageing firebrand star did not go down well at Man United – or in the media – but Ten Hag was clear that he wanted the Bologna forward at Old Trafford.
In the end the public outcry saw Man United pull out of a move for Arnautovic – who demanded a move to China just months after signing a bumper new deal during his time at West Ham.
It was not the first time Manchester United had tried to sign the Austria striker, though.
Arnautovic was a revelation in the Prem when David Moyes converted him to a striker.
And as West Ham fans know only too well, Arnie is not shy in coming forward.
Now the ex West Ham star striker has let slip that manager Jose Mourinho broke strict transfer rules at Man United.
Speaking to Sportweek, the weekly magazine published by Gazzetta in Italy, Arnautovic has revealed then Man United boss Mourinho directly tapped him up while he was at West Ham.
“He wanted me when I was at West Ham,” Arnautovic told Sportweek.
“He told me: ‘How much do you cost?’ And I was like: ‘So, do you still want me?’
“However, his Manchester United side had bought Paul Pogba and didn’t have enough money for me.”
None of us are naive enough to think tapping up does not go on all the time in football, whether it is directly or via agents.
Mourinho clearly – and flagrantly – broke Premier League rules with this alleged approach to Arnautovic during their time at Manchester United and West Ham respectively. Tapping up is forbidden, but not illegal.
And Mourinho won’t be alone in his actions, far from it.
The Premier League states the official definition of tapping is: “Subject to Rule T.7, a contract player, either by himself or by any person on his behalf, shall not either directly or indirectly make any such approach as is referred to in Rule T.5 without having obtained the prior written consent of his club.”
In short, a player is only able to contact another club to try and agree a transfer if they have the written consent of their current club first.
That clearly would not have been the case with Man United and West Ham.
It’s all in the past now of course, but it shows what clubs like West Ham are up against when super powers like Man United are resorting to such tactics under certain managers.
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