Jose Mourinho had long been linked with a return to English football. Rumours suggested he had an eye on the Arsenal job, with the manager Unai Emery under intense pressure, and indeed sacked in recent days.
However, it was the Gunners’ London rivals Tottenham Hotspur that many always believed to be the better fit for “the special one”; especially with reports linking Spurs manager Pochettino to Bayern Munich, apparently ruling the Portuguese coach out of the running for the top job in Bavaria. Ever since Mourinho was officially made the man in charge at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, speculation has been rife that Sporting captain Bruno Fernandes could join him at the London club, and Mourinho has now directly addressed the issue.
New direction
Anyone who had been keeping an eye on the Premier League might have been tempted to bet on Mourinho becoming the next man to take over at Spurs. But then it was far from certain. Betting on the winner of the Champions League or playing video slots online is a more responsible gambling approach than betting on the next manager at a top-tier club. Mourinho has won eight league titles in England, Portugal, Spain and Italy and it was believed that he could help Spurs reach the elite level, which they have only managed to flirt with under Pochettino.
It isn’t only the Spurs management staff that are set to have a new look, as new players will likely be coming in during the January transfer window. Mourinho was asked in Tuesday’s press conference ahead of the Premier League clash against Manchester United specifically about one potential new signing – his compatriot Bruno Fernandes. José quickly shot down the notion, stating Tottenham were not in the market for big money signings, and suggesting the Sporting captain was out of the club’s price range.
The case for Fernandes
Some believe the words should not be taken at face value, and it could well be a bluff, or even a tactic by the club to force down the eventual transfer fee. Fernandes was heavily linked with a move to England during the summer after brilliant form in Portugal since his move from Sampdoria in 2017. Manchester United and Tottenham were said to be interested, with reports claiming a deal was in place with the London club but it did not go through because Sporting refused to lower their asking price.
Despite an upturn in form since the appointment of Mourinho, Spurs would seem to be in need of a new injection of life, and with midfield playmaker Christian Eriksen making it clear he would like to leave Tottenham, Fernandes could be just the man to replace the Dane, to increase the club’s attacking threat.
Mourinho, who had been out of a job for close to 12 months since leaving his post at Manchester United at the end of last year, had been linked to numerous clubs, and was thought to be the Number One choice to take over at Real Madrid if the Spanish outfit part ways with Zinedine Zidane. But the Portuguese coach has never hidden his love of English football, and was thought in particular to favour London, where his family still live from his time as Chelsea boss.
In for the long haul
Mourinho didn’t make a rush decision to return to management after he was fired by Manchester United and remained one of the world’s most sought-after coaches. In yesterday’s press conference he also stated that his job at Tottenham was of a different nature to his previous clubs, with a more long-term project on the cards.
And with a squad of players hungry to turn impressive performances over a number of seasons under Pochettino into something tangible, i.e. silverware, Mourinho may just be the ticket to take the London club to the elite level. The Portuguese manager was keen to point out that the stadium and training facilities were already “the best or as good as any club in the world”.
In Fernandes, Mourinho would have a world-class midfield creator and scorer, but also a player imbued with the work ethic so appreciated by the coach, and it would make for an exciting ride for Spurs and Portuguese football fans alike.
