Guardiola? Ramos? Simeone? What the papers are saying about Chelsea and possible Mourinho replacements
Jose Mourinho's future as Chelsea manager is the subject of fierce debate following a woeful start to the season for the Premier League champions.
talkSPORT revealed on Wednesday that talks have been held at boardroom level over Mourinho's position, with the club currently sitting just a point above the relegation zone.
The back pages of Thursday's national newspapers are dominated by Chelsea and the majority are saying Mourinho is almost certainly facing the axe, with a number of managers across Europe being considered to replace him.
Here's what the papers say...
The Sun
Chelsea want Pep Guardiola to name his price to become their next boss. Owner Roman Abramovich is considering getting shot of current manager Jose Mourinho with the club one point clear of the relegation zone. Guus Hiddink has been approached to be caretaker until the end of the season if Mourinho is sacked, a role the Dutchman filled in 2009. And Guardiola, who has told Bayern Munich he will leave next summer, would then be available to take over. Both Manchester clubs are in the frame for the Spanish superboss though and City will offer him a deal worth £84MILLION over four years, while Guardiola himself is understood to prefer a switch to United.
The Times
Juande Ramos is the shock candidate being considered as a potential caretaker manager by Chelsea should they decide to sack José Mourinho before the end of the season. The club’s executives will spend today deliberating with Roman Abramovich over Mourinho’s future, with the discussions believed to centre on whether to dismiss the manager immediately or allow him to take charge for Saturday’s Barclays Premier League match against Sunderland.
Daily Telegraph
Chelsea are considering offering Guus Hiddink a second short-term stint as Chelsea manager should owner Roman Abramovich sack Jose Mourinho with Diego Simeone their long-term target for next summer. Hiddink currently heads a long list of candidates to take over until the end of the season that Abramovich and the Chelsea board are looking at as they deliberate over Mourinho’s future. Replacing Mourinho with Hiddink or another out-of-work manager on a short-term deal would allow Chelsea to start work on trying to convince Simeone to agree to take the full-time job next summer.
The Guardian
José Mourinho took training at Chelsea on Wednesday morning but his job prospects remain fragile and the club’s owner, Roman Abramovich, continues to deliberate over whether to sack him. Pep Guardiola is expected to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season and come to England but it is highly unlikely that he would be tempted by Chelsea. Manchester City would be the favourites to hire him and Carlo Ancelotti, a former Chelsea manager who the club would be open to welcoming back, is expected to replace Guardiola at Bayern. Guus Hiddink, another former Chelsea manager who is currently out of work after a disastrous spell in charge of Holland, appears to tick a lot of boxes but the prospects of him returning in a caretaker role are unclear. Most of the other potential targets are in jobs and unwilling to leave them in mid-season.
The Daily Mail
Crisis talks are ongoing between Roman Abramovich, his closest aides and key executives at Stamford Bridge about how they might rescue this disastrous season and Jose Mourinho's future has been part of the discussion. Abramovich would prefer not to go down the route of another interim appointment after his experience with Rafa Benitez. If he is to pursue a long-term manager, someone like Italy boss Antonio Conte or Diego Simeone of Atletico Madrid, it will take more time, which could mean more time for Jose Mourinho.