Current Roma boss Jose Mourinho has emerged as a ‘potential target’ for Everton, amid the mounting pressure on Rafa Benitez.
The Spaniard is seemingly fighting for his future after a disastrous run of results in recent weeks, the Toffees currently on an eight-game winless run, having also lost six of their last seven in the league, with that form leaving them just five points above the drop zone.
The situation has turned particularly sour following the recent Merseyside derby drubbing at Goodison Park, the eventual 4-1 defeat their heaviest loss in the fixture at home in 39 years, with it now 11 years since the club beat Liverpool on home soil.
Following that dismal showing, reports emerged that the club’s hierarchy had called an emergency board meeting, with Benitez’s future ‘high on the agenda, despite the 61-year-old having initially enjoyed a positive start to life in his new surroundings.
With the former Reds boss now potentially on borrowed time, the Mirror are reporting that Roma manager Mourinho has emerged as a ‘potential target’ should they opt to replace him.
While the Portuguese is only a matter of months into his spell in Rome, the report suggests that it is more than likely that he could be open to a return to England if offered an attractive proposition, having previously been sacked by Tottenham Hotspur back in April.
The former Porto boss certainly still has clout in the game for the success he achieved at Inter Milan, Real Madrid and in his two spells at Chelsea, although recent years have seen his stock decline following acrimonious exits from Manchester United, Spurs and in his second stint at Stamford Bridge.
Those recent appointments saw the 58-year-old fail to achieve quite what was expected, with things quickly turning sour, while his pragmatic style of play has also come under-fire in an era in which most modern coaches adopt a more forward-thinking approach.
Mourinho may well be open to a move to Merseyside with things unravelling spectacularly at the Stadio Olimpico, the Serie A side currently on a run of just three wins in their last nine league games and have suffered notable defeats in the Europa Conference League.
Equally, matters off the pitch have also deteriorated, Mourinho having openly criticised his playing squad – and its depth – while also coming to verbal blows with journalists in what’s been a turbulent return to Italy.
