The former Inter Milan gaffer may in fact come back to the English top flight this summer with a club known for its recent ambition
Jose Mourinho has not been seen in management since being given the boot by Manchester United last December, which came as a direct result of his now-famous ‘third season syndrome’, a pattern that sees him notch a poor run of results in his third season at any club, which is what happened with him and United during the first half of the 2018-19 campaign.
The Portuguese boss’ last year at Old Trafford was a mixture of off-field issues and rumoured unrest among players the dressing room, with United’s style of play also often coming under intense scrutiny. The 56-year-old’s previous employment at Chelsea also saw a similar end, and it became obvious that he had become a relic among modern managerial giants, with his powers at the top level of the game slowly but surely dwindling. However, that has not stopped him receiving plenty of interest from a variety of top clubs since the turn of the year.
As per Sky Sports, there are reportedly three clubs currently in the race to sign Mourinho, including Everton, which means that the ‘Special One’ could possibly make a shock, swift return to the Premier League. The Toffees’ billionaire owner Farhad Moshiri has made no bones of his huge ambitions for the club, and he proved in the 2018 summer transfer window that he has the required funds to make even the richest of clubs think twice before entering into a transfer battle with them, and he will surely look to strengthen the squad after a disappointing campaign this term!
Everton also have reported plans for a new stadium, and have made their desire of breaking the monopoly of the top six in England known, for which appointing someone like Mourinho would represent a massive statement of intent. Sky Sports adds that a major hurdle in any such deal may be Mourinho’s wage demands, with his last role at a lesser European club being with Porto back in 2004.
Paris Saint Germain have also been reported with an interest in the two-time Champions League winner, but that route has mostly ended, as the Paris club threw their support behind current manager Thomas Tuchel for at least another year. Another former flame of Mourinho’s in the form of Inter Milan have also been linked with an interest, and in fact are listed as odds on favourites, and there is no doubt that he would be a popular appointment at the San Siro given his Champions League winning exploits with the club in 2010.
Authors Take
A return to the Premier League seemed impossible for the ever-controversial Mourinho just a few weeks ago, but this latest story gives us an inkling that English football has not seen the last of Mourinho, who will surely have unfinished business with the county after his last two jobs there ended in acrimonious circumstances. But he would do well to be patient and assess his options, perhaps even opting for a job at a smaller club where there is lesser pressure and rebuilding his myth and image before leaping back into the big time. He has after all, been linked with a switch to Lyon and Monaco in France!
