Jose Mourinho to West Ham: O’Rourke shares update today
West Ham are unlikely to consider Jose Mourinho a possibility to take over if they sack Julen Lopetegui, sources have told Football Insider.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, senior correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealed that the manager has switched on a charm offensive to circulate his name around clubs in the Premier League.
However, the finances involved in parting ways with Lopetegui and getting Mourinho out of his Fenerbahce contract would prove prohibitive for the Hammers.
As things stand, the club are set to grant Lopetegui more time to turn things around ahead of a favourable run of fixtures in the Premier League.
Despite this, should they decide to pull the trigger on Lopetegui, sources say a number of top bosses are interested in the potential of taking over.
Pressure on Lopetegui’s position as the West Ham boss has been growing as a result of their slow start to the season after his arrival in the summer.
Heading into the 12th game of the season, the Hammers have won just three of their first 11, and questions have been asked about the manager’s role.
Mourinho, meanwhile, has made no secret of his desire to return to the Premier League, but is under contract at Fenerbahce until the summer of 2026.
Following his side’s 1-1 draw with Man United, he shocked fans by claiming: “The best thing I have to do is when I leave Fener is that I go to a club that doesn’t play in UEFA competition. So a club at the bottom in England who needs a coach in two years, I’m ready to go.“
The boss later expanded on that view as he shared: “Nobody wants to watch the Turkish league… Why should they see this? … It’s too grey, it’s too dark, smells bad.”
As a result, he has been heavily linked with a return to the Premier League, having initially shown interest in taking over from Eddie Howe at Newcastle.
However, both Newcastle and West Ham are keen to stick by their current managers and have therefore limited Mourinho’s option for a return.
In other news, West Ham are working on a deal to sign a defender in January.
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