Jose Mourinho: The Next Destination?

José Mourinho has long spoken about his desire to establish a long-standing legacy at a single club like Sir Alex Ferguson or bitter rival Arsene Wenger. However, much to disappointment for a manager of his pedigree and quality, he has been unable to last more than three years at any of his previous clubs,

Just seven months after winning the League title with Chelsea, the Portuguese manager is once again on the lookout for a new assignment. It is highly unlikely that he will face any shortage in offers, but what could be his next move since he is at a crucial time in his career?

Bayern Munich

Pep Guardiola is widely expected to confirm his departure from Bayern Munich at the end of the season. The former Barcelona manager’s contract expires in June, and he has so far refused to put pen on the paper. Major Spanish tabloids reported that Guardiola has already revealed his decision to Bayern Munich officials, and his departure will be confirmed in a week.

After having managed in Italy, England, and Spain, Mourinho would surely want to become the first manager to win league titles in five major European leagues. Despite his successes regarding winning the leagues, there are better options for Bayern if they want to be successful in Europe, but they can’t just ignore Mourinho from the list of aspirants.

Manchester United

Louis Van Gaal’s job remains under threat despite the club being only six points behind table leaders Leicester City. The Red Devil’s failure to progress to the knockout stages of the Champions League despite a spending spree in summer transfer market is an important cause of concern for the hierarchy of Old Trafford club.

Mourinho’s teams are not known for attacking the football, and this was one of the primary concerns that prevented him from going to Old Trafford in the first instance. Due to the availability of Carlo Ancelotti and Guardiola, it remains to be seen if the Red Devils will prioritise bringing Mourinho. Van Gaal has a contract until the summer of 2017, but both parties could separate on mutual consent given the low popularity levels that the Dutchman has enjoyed since taking over from David Moyes.

Portugal or England

Roy Hodgson’s contract expires in the summer, and poor performance at the Euro 2016 will undoubtedly increase their efforts to bring Mourinho. The England FA have already tried unsuccessfully to get the Portuguese onboard in the past. Meanwhile, Portugal are doing well under Fernando Santos and are unlikely to change now.

On several occasions, Mourinho has expressed his desire to manage a national team and most likely keeps a tab on the Portuguese or England national duty. However, he has felt that he should become a national team boss only at the latter end of his career. At 52, he still has a healthy 15 years left in management.

It is highly unlikely that Mourinho will now listen to offers from the national team, but there could be a change of scenario too. For the time being, club football is expected to be his first choice.