Jose Mourinho fuels rumours of Chelsea return as Roma boss insists ‘contracts are not the most important thing’

• Chelsea searching for new manager
• Mourinho linked with return to club
• Hints he may not see out Roma contract

WHAT HAPPENED? Mourinho has been asked about his future at a press conference in the wake of Graham Potter's departure from Chelsea. The Portuguese boss is one of several managers already linked with a potential move to Stamford Bridge and offered up the following response when asked if he would see out the final year of his contract at Roma.

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WHAT THEY SAID: "I don’t speak about my future with my friends or journalists," he told reporters. "Our CEO Berardi said a few months ago that I would have stayed, but it’s his interpretation of things and the same applies to [journalist Ivan] Zazzaroni. From a contract perspective, I have another year left, but contracts sometimes are not the most important thing."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Roma are enjoying a decent season under Mourinho. The team are challenging for a top-four spot in Serie A and are into the quarter-finals of the Europa League. It has been reported that Mourinho will stay for another season, but he may be tempted if Chelsea come calling again. Mourinho won three Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the League Cup three times during two previous spells with the Blues.

IN THREE PHOTOS:

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DID YOU KNOW? Chelsea underperformed their xG by 7.4 during Graham Potter's Premier League reign, the worst differential of any side since his first game in charge (21 goals from 28.4 xG).

WHAT NEXT FOR MOURINHO? The manager is due back in action at the weekend when Roma take on Torino in Serie A.