Jose Mourinho could be keen on Newcastle job due to 'Bobby Robson attachment' | OneFootball

José Mourinho has been mooted as a potential Eddie Howe replacement as Newcastle United manager and transfer insider Dean Jones has revealed how the Portuguese veteran’s pre-existing attachment with Sir Bobby Robson could entice him to make the switch, while speaking to GIVEMESPORT.

A hodgepodge start to the 2023/24 season for Howe and his entourage has seen doubt cast over his Newcastle future, with a host of replacements lined up in case the Englishman is relieved of his duties.

The former Bournemouth custodian has rejuvenated the Newcastle set-up to a point where European football should be a staple part of their calendar but, amid his struggles to get a groove out of his side, the club’s hierarchy could pull the curtains on his stint in the hotseat.

After securing Champions League action for the current season, things looked to have brightened up in Newcastle after years of torrid ownership at the hands of Mike Ashley. Their new owners have injected lumps of cash into the club and Howe’s side are looking all the much better for it, despite being dumped out of Europe’s most prestigious competition at the earliest possible stage.

As such, Mourinho, who boasts a plethora of experience at the top level, has been eyed by Newcastle owners Public Investment Fund (PIF), according to Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport. The report suggests that with the likelihood of the 60-year-old extending his stay in the Italian capital low and his future subsequently hanging in the balance, it could be the perfect time for the Premier League outfit to pounce.

Newcastle could thrive under Mourinho’s guidance given he has won the Champions League twice – with Porto and Inter Milan – over his illustrious managerial career. Especially with the Magpies looking to stamp their authority on continental football in the next couple of years, snaring Mourinho’s services would be very wise.

With Mourinho’s Roma £8.8 million-per-year contract set to expire at the end of the campaign, the former Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur boss could bring his antics back to the Premier League, especially with Newcastle’s higher-ups likely to become ‘trigger-happy’ with the decision over Howe’s future if an upturn in results and performances do not happen soon, Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT.

With all that said, Mourinho himself responded in typical fashion to the rumours and was very insistent about his desire to remain at the helm of Roma for the time being and that any potential exit from his current employers would not be done at his discretion, per TEAMtalk.

Jones insisted that thanks to Mourinho’s attachment to Robson from their years spent as respective mentor and mentee, the idea of taking over the Newcastle job could 'tug on his heartstrings'. Mourinho, at just 33 years of age, was the English great’s assistant manager at Barcelona during the 1996/97 season and even regarded him as a ‘beautiful human being’.

Insisting that Mourinho could be enticed due to St James’ Park being a ‘very special’ place for Robson, the transfer insider wonders whether he could thrive in the challenge to end the Magpies' trophy drought. As such, he admitted that he could envisage plenty of reasons why the current Roma boss could succeed Howe in the Tyneside dug out. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones said…

Magpies in ‘pole position’ to sign Crystal Palace ace

As a means of rectifying their substandard start to the current season, enriching their centre-back department seems to be near the summit of the club’s priority list as they enter the January transfer window. Already boasting the likes of Sven Botman, Fabian Schar and Jamaal Lascelles, adding another top talent would potentially see them return to their 2022/23 levels of defensive solidity.

In doing so, they have raced into the lead for the signing of Crystal Palace ace Joachim Andersen, according to the Mirror (via The Boot Room). The Danish defender, who has featured 92 times for the capital club, is being courted by a host of Premier League sides, but the report has suggested that Howe’s side are the clear front-runners for his signature.

With how important Andersen - who earns a healthy £80,000-per-week in south London - is to Roy Hodgson and Co., it is believed that Palace have slapped a £60 million price tag on his head and such a lofty fee may prevent clubs – Newcastle included – from tabling a genuine proposal, especially in January. With Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules in place, too, Newcastle may opt to look for cheaper alternatives as Howe hopes to change his side’s fortunes this term.