AS Roma recently made the shock decision to sack their head coach Jose Mourinho after their 3-1 loss to AC Milan in Serie A.
The Portuguese was very popular among the Giallorossi supporters as he led them to the Europa Conference League title in 2022.
The 60-year-old was expecting a new contract, but the owners pulled the plug on his tenure after a run of poor results.
Mourinho is now targeting an immediate return to management, and several clubs have been linked with him.
He is reportedly eyeing a move to Napoli, who are struggling under Walter Mazzarri, after turning down an offer from Saudi Pro League club Al-Shabab.
Mourinho is set to hold talks with the club about becoming their next manager, per The Times.
However, links with Barcelona have also emerged after he was spotted in the city.
Is Mourinho set to become Barcelona’s next manager?
Mourinho’s agent Jorge Mendes had reportedly offered his client to Barcelona president Joan Laporta if Xavi is dismissed from his position.
However, a move to the Blaugrana is very unlikely for Mourinho due to his past association with Real Madrid.
He was Madrid’s manager from 2010 to 2013, leading them to three trophies.
During his time in Madrid, he had numerous spats with Barcelona. He criticised the Catalans in his press conferences for influencing referees to make decisions in their favour.
Xavi is under pressure after the recent 4-1 thrashing by Madrid in the Supercopa de España.
The Blaugrana are also languishing in third in the La Liga standings, eight points behind their arch-rivals.
However, the club’s sporting director Deco has publicly backed Xavi, who is expected to stay in the role until the end of the season.
Mourinho would be a very unpopular choice for the Blaugrana supporters, and Barcelona will likely not risk their anger by appointing him.
