Reports in the past days have linked José Mourinho to the Paris Saint-Germain job with the French Ligue 1 defending champions believed to be looking at ways to revamp their team.
Christophe Galtier has done a fine job since taking over the club but the Qatar Sports Group along with the other directors of the club are of the opinion that a veteran like Mourinho will be the way forward. This is largely due to their lifelong goal of lifting the UEFA Champions League title.
They have spent a fortune on this pursuit, bringing in Lionel Messi, Neymar, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Kylian Mbappe, who they would eventually make the world’s highest paid footballer in 2021.
They have also had managers come and go in this pursuit. Carlo Ancelotti, who went on to win the title twice after leaving them, Thomas Tuchel who also went on to win the title, and Mauricio Pochettino who had just made the finals of the tournament a few seasons prior were brought in for this goal.
Mourinho, who remains the only manager to have won all European titles (Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA European Conference League) is their new target, according to reports. His agent, Jorge Mendes, is already in talks with the club’s sporting director Luis Campos ahead of a move next season.
Mourinho, meanwhile, is on the verge of his second Europa League title as he has a semi-final tie to navigate with AS Roma, a season after winning the Conference League.
His record in Europe already sells him as the perfect candidate for the role and it will be even more so if he wins the Europa League this season. However, it could lead to even more instability and a repeat of the Portuguese manager’s Tottenham Hotspur stint could be what the club has to deal with in the future should Mourinho leave Roma for PSG.
The former Chelsea boss is reported to be interested in the role and this could put Roma at a disadvantage. He has one year left on his contract with them and PSG’s financial might could see them lose out on the man who won them their first European trophy since 1961 last season.
France is the only league Mourinho is yet to coach in and this could be an interesting adventure for the man who recently turned 60 and is entering the twilight of his managerial career.
However good his résumé is, the Parisians will do well to note that Mourinho carries a lot of baggage with him. Given their struggles in the media recently, this may not be the best move.
It remains to be seen what the outcome of Mendes and Campos’ discussions will be.
