If Mourinho 'had the balls' he would manage Leeds, not Man United - Cellino

Never shy to voice his opinion, the outspoken Cellino said if Mourinho 'had balls' he would manage at Elland Road and not Manchester United.

According to speculation, former Chelsea boss Mourinho is set to replace Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford next season.

But Italian Cellino, who has employed seven different coaches since completing his takeover of Leeds in 2014, claims he challenged Mourinho to bypass the Premier League in favour of helping Championship outfit Leeds return to England's top flight, while he also made contact with Bayern Munich-bound boss Carlo Ancelotti.

"I told him, 'If you had the balls, you should come and manage Leeds. Bring Leeds into the Premier League and then the Champions League. That's balls," Cellino told the Telegraph.

"You want to play football – come with me to Leeds. Mourinho, like others, has to ask himself if he is still a coach. How do you find out? By going to Manchester United?

"Ancelotti called me: 'Massimo, bring the club into the Premier League and I come to you because the only place I miss and want to go back to is England'.

"For me a good coach still has to show he's a good coach. Come here and show me."

Despite being loathed by Leeds supporters, Cellino continues to dream big at Elland Road, where the club played a Champions League semi-final in 2001 before they were relegated from the Premier League three years later.

"The fans want to win but I want to win bigger. I don't want to go into the Premier League then back," he added.

"I want to go in the Premier League then compete for the Champions League."

But whether coach Steve Evans, who replaced Uwe Rosler in October, is along for the ride beyond this season remains to be seen.

"He talks too much," said Cellino, who had 36 coaches in 22 years in charge of Italian side Cagliari. "He has to learn to shut his mouth. I've told him so many times to stop, you have no idea. But he doesn't."

One man definitely not coaching Leeds in the future, though, is former Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro, who has been linked with a move to West Yorkshire.