After one of the most dominant seasons in recent Premier League history, the defending champions Chelsea have gotten off to an absolutely terrible start to the new year. They’ve lost six of their first 11 matches and sitting 15th in the table. They’re actually battling relegation, if you can believe that. While he might not be as much at fault as some choose to believe, manager Jose Mourinho’s behavior has only added to the firestorm surrounding the club with persistent rumors that his time at Stamford Bridge is nearing its end. Whether or not he continues on at Chelsea will remain a hot topic until something gives, but for now here is a look at the top four potential landing spots for Mourinho should he move on.
Paris Saint-Germain
PSG was heavily linked to Mourinho when he was replaced at Real Madrid and there is no doubt that will be the case again should he leave Chelsea. The French side settled on Laurent Blanc as their head coach and while they have had some success at home, the Champions League glory they so desperately seek has remained out of their reach. PSG could very well decide that they are on the right track and that they believe Blanc can get them to where they want to be, but they would make an excellent landing spot for Mourinho.
Porto
There are a number of big clubs that both would want Mourinho and can afford his services, but should they decide at this point that they are comfortable with the manager they have in place, then another option for Mourinho could be a return to Portugal. Specifically, a return to Porto in particular. Porto would provide Mourinho with a talented enough side to both contend for a league title and advance out of the Group Stage in the Champions League, so if he doesn’t catch on with a bigger money club, then Porto could end up being the perfect fit.
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Valencia
Valencia might not be at the top of Mourinho’s radar but there are a number of reasons to think they could be a good fit including the talent the club owns and its current position in La Liga. A chance to compete with Barcelona and Real Madrid could provide motivation for Mourinho and while they might not have the talent to compete for a league title, they can certainly compete for a spot among the top clubs in Spain. Nuno Espirito Santo is coming off a quality first year at Valencia, so the club might be hesitant to try for the major culture change. However, if they feel like he’s got a low ceiling, signing Mourinho would be that culture change that made everyone take them seriously.
Portuguese National Side
There are some that will argue top clubs like Manchester United and even Juventus would be interested in signing Mourinho but the reality is that neither of those clubs would consent to such a culture shock at this point in the season. There is a better chance right now that Mourinho takes a step back from coaching at the club level entirely than landing with one of those two teams. It has been a wild few years for Mourinho and while he has said in the past that he doesn’t want to coach the Portuguese side until the end of his career, he also said that he sees that job as an option for when he “needs a little rest”. The market for Mourinho might not be where he wants it to be and there is no doubt that if he believes he can step away from the club spotlight, the national side would be a good landing spot. That decision is ultimately up to him and based on what we know, the likelihood is that he will find a new home at the club level and it will be a destination that catches everybody off guard.
