Jose Mourinho doubles down on Premier League return as Everton link emerges

Jose Mourinho made a more direct hint that he is hoping for a Premier League return, with Everton seemingly falling in his club specification.

The current Fenerbahçe manager returned to the mainstream news in England after facing his former club Manchester United in the Europa League as his side managed to earn a draw in Turkey. As always, the legendary manager enjoyed himself on the big stage, arguing passionately with officials after his side were denied a penalty which ultimately led to him being sent into the stands.

Earlier this week, before the game, he teased a potential return to England which got fans talking: “Maybe you English guys think I’m bluffing, playing mind games. I’m not playing anything: they have a better team than results are showing. I studied them the maximum I could. We watched everything in the Premier League, Twente and Porto – there is work there.

“They will succeed sooner or later. Hopefully sooner and before one day I go back to the Premier League and they become my opponents. At this moment they are just my opponents for one match.”

And he continued to drop hints over a potential move back to these shores by revealing his frustrations at the European level means he might go to a lower level club in the Premier League. “The best thing I have to do is when I leave Fenerbahce, I go to a club that doesn’t play in Uefa competition,” he said. “So a club at the bottom in England who needs a coach in two years, I’m ready to go.”

Of course, fans will make the link between Mourinho and the Friedkin Group, who hired him a few years ago to take over Roma. His arrival was transformative for the club who went 15 years trophy-less before his arrival, had financial problems and trouble selling out the stadium. After he departed, they had reached three European finals, won one European trophy and sold out their stadium 40 consecutive games in a row as he brought passion back to the famous club.

However, his comments regarding Dan Friedkin suggest such a relationship may be difficult to ignite; he subsequently remarked he was 'eliminated” by someone who knows little about football' after his exit.