Chelsea news: The latest on Jose Mourinho making another shock return to Stamford Bridge as pressure mounts on Graham Potter.
The more it's thought about the more ubsurd it feels. Jose Mourinho is being spoken of as a true candidate to become Chelsea manager in 2023.
Here, football.london rounds up the latest on a fairytale third stint in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Todd Boehly enquiry
It is written in the Daily Mail that Mourinho is still open to a return to London and has even gone as far as making himself available to the new owners via his representatives.
Mourinho is reportedly growing frustrated at a lack of finances being made available to him in Italy.
Tipped for return
Former Roma, Inter Milan and Real Madrid forward Antonio Cassano - incidently three of Mourinho's teams - admitted that there was no chance the Portuguese boss moved anywhere but back to England. He said: "If Inzaghi were to be fired, I would rule out the return of Jose Mourinho.
"If an offer from the Premier League were to arrive, the Special One would choose England. The fans fell in love with his attitude (in Italy), but he intends to leave, and for me, he can only go back to Chelsea."
Meanwhile Glenn Johnson believes that the Special One could make all the difference to turning this team around, he said to OLBG: "If he [Todd Boehly] replaced Potter, Jose Mourinho would walk through the door and get all the players' attention and they would be close to winning the league within three years.
"But Mourinho would not be sticking around in five years time, so it all depends on what the Chelsea owner's project is.
"If they want success instantly, then Mourinho is their man, but if they want to compete for the next 10 years, then Graham Potter is your man."
Roma stance
Much like he was at Chelsea, Mourinho was open with supporters and admitted that he had considered pastures new away from Italy already. "I could've left in December and didn’t, this is my life, every day there is a game," he said earlier this year.
"Sometimes it might seem as if we are struggling, but we are up there with all the others who are very strong."
It is also reported in La Gazzetta dello Sport that should Roma finish outside of the top four in Serie A that he would be free to walk away from the job and into a new role elsewhere due to a clause in his contract.
What Mourinho has said
Ever the man to gain attention in public, Mourinho has not been quiet on his Chelsea past and potential future. Speaking last year he mentioned how things were going at SW6, saying, "If you ask me do I have somebody that I would love to take over from 'my Chelsea' let's say that, yes, but I have but I close my mouth.
"The club reached such a level that it doesn't matter who it's with but Chelsea will always be Chelsea. Chelsea will always be big and my house will always be 200 metres away from the stadium so I want to keep listening to the sound of happiness and success. I'm pretty sure it's going to be like that."
Outsider for the job
Despite Mourinho's connections to Chelsea he is still very much considered an outsider when it comes to the odds with him being fifth favourite at 12/1. In front of him is even former player John Terry, showing that a return is not seen as being imminent.