Jose Mourinho claims Alexis Sanchez flopped at Manchester United because he was a "sad man", but has backed the Chilean to reignite his love for football at Inter.

Sanchez joined the Italian club on an initial season-long loan deal two weeks ago after struggling for form and fitness during his 18 months at Old Trafford.

Much was expected of the Chile international following his switch from Arsenal in January 2018, but he managed just three goals in 32 Premier League appearances.

Mourinho was in charge of United at the time of Sanchez's arrival and is willing to accept some of the blame for the ex-Barcelona forward's lack of impact.

"I felt him [to be] not a happy man," Mourinho told The Telegraph. "I think in every job you have when you are not happy it is not so easy to perform at every level.

"Maybe I am wrong - maybe it was me who was not capable to get into him and to get the best out of him.

"As a manager sometimes you have the capacity to get the best out of the players and other times you are not successful in that approach.

"But the reality is that I always felt [of Sanchez], 'a sad man'. So probably in Italy he will recover this. I hope he can. I always wish well to every player."

Inter also took Romelu Lukaku from United on a permanent basis during the transfer window and Mourinho has no doubt the Belgian will continue to score regularly in Italy.

"[He has scored] for West Bromwich Albion, for Everton, for United," Mourinho said.

"In terms of Lukaku the move looks more like player ambition, player desire to change, than [the notion] he didn't deliver anything for the club."

Mourinho has been out of work since being sacked by United last December and is desperate to find the right job, believing he has always picked difficult projects.

"For sure my next job will be a difficult one because I am very bad at choosing projects," he said. "I am either bad at choosing projects or the bad projects choose me. But it is always the same.

"When I go to Real Madrid, it is because Madrid are in trouble. When I go to United it is because United are in trouble. When I go to Chelsea the first time it is because they haven't won the league in 50 years.

"When I go the second time it is because their top team disappeared and they want to be champions with a new team. When I go to Inter it is because they haven't won the Champions League for 50 years.

"I have never had one of these clubs where it is, 'Come on, the team is here ready'. But that is the nature of things. When the teams change coaches in the middle of the season it is for a reason. It is because of bad results."