Where next for Jose Mourinho after another third-year implosion at Roma?

Mourinho had several supporters on the Barcelona board when he was first tipped to take over at Camp Nou back in 2008. However, Joan Laporta went with Pep Guardiola because he wanted to remain true to the club's Johan Cruyff-inspired footballing philosophy. It was a similar story when Mourinho was again linked with the role six years later, and the pragmatic Portuguese remains utterly unsuited to Barca's preferred style of play.

However, current coach Xavi, a man rooted in the traditions of the Catalan club, is under intense pressure, with the Blaugrana having slipped to fourth in La Liga and just been routed by bitter rivals Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final.

Furthermore, Barca's financial situation remains dire. They've spent big in recent seasons in the hope that short-term success will secure the long-term future of the club. For that reason alone, an approach for 'The Interpreter' cannot be ruled out. It would go against absolutely everything Barcelona supposedly stand for, but they've made a habit out of selling out in recent years and lever-pulling Laporta could once again decide that desperate times call for desperate measures...

Erik ten Hag was all smiles when he met Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the manager says that he held lengthy and productive talks with Manchester United's new investor, who will be overseeing football operations at Old Trafford. However, there's no hiding the fact that the Dutchman's job is on the line. With United seventh in the Premier League and already out of Europe, Ten Hag will be sacked if results don't improve between now and the end of the season.

Consequently, several managers are already being touted as possible replacements by the press. Mourinho wasn't one of them until now and a return to United still seems highly unlikely, given how badly things ended last time.

But Mourinho's tenure has been somewhat cast in a different light by the club's subsequent struggles, as it's been made abundantly clear that there are deep-rooted problems at Old Trafford dating back to Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement that have only worsened in recent years.

Mourinho has also always maintained that his second-placed finish with United in 2017-18 was one of his greatest coaching achievements in the circumstances. He might well be tempted to better it by playing a pivotal role in this new era at Old Trafford if he feels he would get the kind of support he felt he was denied during his first spell in charge.

Whether Ratcliffe would really be willing to put his faith in such a combustible character, though, is a different story altogether...

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) just can't catch a break at the moment. Had they waited another week, they could have hired Mourinho immediately, which would have gone a long way towards taking the edge off the disappointment and embarrassment caused by Carlo Ancelotti's surprise decision to remain at Real Madrid.

However, Mourinho's hopes of managing Brazil are not gone for good. Dorival Junior has taken over from Fernando Diniz, who was sacked as interim boss after a poor start to the country's World Cup qualifying campaign, and has a contract until December 2026.

However, if the former Sao Paulo coach fails to arrest the Selecao's slump and flops at this year's Copa America, the CBF could easily decide to turn to Mourinho, who reportedly expressed an interest in taking over this summer before all of the drama with Diniz and Ancelotti.

Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly loves a statement signing - even if it makes little sense. On top of all of the ludicrous fees and ridiculous eight-year contracts, the American even tried to force Cristiano Ronaldo upon former manager Thomas Tuchel.

It's entirely possible, then, that the Blues board could try to bring Mourinho back for what would be a third stint at Stamford Bridge if they decide to sack Mauricio Pochettino, who has a squad worth more than £1 billion ($1.28bn) sitting ninth in the Premier League. It would certainly make a lot more sense than the decision to re-hire Frank Lampard!

As for Mourinho, Chelsea obviously retains a special place in 'The Special One's' heart and he's barely concealed his envy at the plethora of expensive players available to Pochettino. But maybe everyone involved might suspect that this would be an ill-advised step backwards.

Aurelio De Laurentiis has quite rightly apologised to Napoli fans for completely destroying a title-winning team that looked more than capable of dominating Italian football for years to come. His falling-out with former coach Luciano Spalletti and disastrous decision to replace him with Rudi Garcia has left last season's champions in very real danger of failing to finish in the top four under interim boss Walter Mazzarri (another bizarre appointment!).

No matter what happens, Napoli will be looking for a new manager at the end of the season and Mourinho might well be tempted to take charge of a club blessed with supporters even more passionate than those of Roma, especially if he's assured that neither Victor Osimhen nor Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will be sold during the summer.

In that sense, this move makes a lot of sense. However, De Laurentiis and Mourinho both have massive egos - is the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona really big enough for the both of them?

No matter what happens at Euro 2024, it seems highly likely that England will be looking for a new manager this summer. If the Three Lions were to end their trophy drought, it would be the perfect way for Gareth Southgate to bring the curtain down on his eight-year tenure. Were England to once again fall short on his watch, there's no way he could possibly be allowed to continue. In the latter scenario, Mourinho would definitely be tempted to throw his hat into the ring, with the chance to take over from such a specialist in failure too good to pass up.

The Football Association (FA) would also give his potential candidacy serious consideration. Remember, Mourinho was offered the national-team job back in 2007, and while his stock has fallen considerably since then, he still has plenty of admirers in England.

The style of play might not be very appealing and if Southgate's debilitating conservatism has upset supporters, how might they react to Jose-ball? Still, beggars can't be choosers, and for a nation that hasn't won a major international trophy since 1966, hiring a proven winner like Mourinho who knows English football inside out might well be deemed a necessary evil.

How quickly things can turn in football! Less than six months ago, Eddie Howe was being universally lauded for the tremendous job he'd done in qualifying Newcastle for the Champions League for the first time in two decades. Now, he's facing the sack, after a shocking run of results.

Newcastle finished bottom of their Champions League group after winning just one match, and six defeats in their last seven Premier League outings have seen them slip to 10th. Injuries have been an issue, but sympathy is in short supply given the wealth of the club's owners and the amount of money spent on Howe's squad.

It's not in the least bit surprising, then, that Mourinho's name is being bandied about as he boasts the kind of high profile that Newcastle's Saudi Arabian backers, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), absolutely adore. Furthermore, while the Magpies have Financial Fair Play (FFP) issues, Mourinho would jump at the chance to once again work for a well-funded club that would offer him an excellent opportunity to restore a reputation that was tarnished during his previous stint in England at Tottenham.

The most likely move by some distance. We already know that Mourinho received a lucrative offer from an unnamed Saudi Pro League club last summer and it would be a shock if he's not already received another.

Mourino obviously won't rush into anything. He will bide his time and see what other opportunities arise. But he's always said that he can see himself working in Saudi Arabia some day, admitting that he is intrigued by the prospect of trying to win the AFC Champions League.

"Doors are always open for me in Saudi Arabia," he told MBC Egypt TV in October. "I want to feel the development there. Cristiano [Ronaldo] was the first to go there and give a different perspective immediately. The players thought at first that it was a one-man show, but they realised in the summer that everything was really changing. Many players, not just at the last period of their careers, but also some players at the best years of their careers, are coming because the competition is real."

Mourinho may receive more challenging proposals in the coming days, weeks and months, but he certainly won't receive a more lucrative one. For PIF, you couldn't put a price on the value of reuniting Ronaldo with Mourinho in the SPL.