Jose Mourinho admits he is powerless to stop Marouane Fellaini leaving Manchester United

Jose Mourinho has admitted that he is powerless to stop Marouane Fellaini from leaving Manchester United at the end of the season after the Belgian rejected a new contract from the club.

The 30-year-old is out of contract in the summer and despite the club’s attempts to keep him, he has so far snubbed everything that has been put in front of him and is free to negotiate with clubs in the January over his next move.

Fellaini, who was so often held up as the poster boy for the disappointing tenures of David Moyes and Louis van Gaal, has found a new lease of life under Mourinho and is fast becoming one of the Portuguese’s ‘untouchables’.

United will not entertain bids in January for Fellaini and Mourinho has revealed he has done all he can to persuade the midfielder to extend his stay at Old Trafford.

When asked if he was still worried about Fellaini’s departure, Mourinho said: “Yeah. It is a discussion between the player and the board. I'm not involved in contracts and deals, and I respect both.

“I respect the player because he has the right, has the right to decide his future, and I respect the board because the decisions and the discussions are under control.

“So I just wait wishing they will have an understanding but it's out of my control.”