Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has revealed his desire to be friends with his Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger despite the fact that they both share a tense rivalry dating back to over one decade.

Wenger will end his 22-year Arsenal reign at the end of the season and Mourinho is hopeful they can be friends in the future.

The Portuguese, who once referred to Wenger as a “specialist in failure” was speaking with SkySportNews ahead of his side’s Premier League home game with Wenger’s Arsenal.

Wenger is expected to take his team to Old Trafford for the last time on Sunday with the Frenchman leaving the Arsenal managerial post this summer.

In his words, Mourinho said: “If he respects me even 50 per cent of what I respect him we can even be friends in the future.”

“But the reality is that he was at Arsenal, he was the champion and I came to the country in 2004 and wanted to steal his title. That’s football.

“But in the end I respect him a lot, I tried to show that in the past couple of years there were no more problems at a different stage of my career with a different profile.

“I feel sorry that after Sir Alex Ferguson – but it was obviously Sir Alex’s decision [to leave] – the next big one, the next iconic one is leaving the Premier League.” he concluded.