Jose Mourinho did not take long to move on from his sacking by Tottenham. He will take over at Roma before the start of next season.
It will be interesting to see if Mourinho’s safety-first approach can thrive in the more tactical Serie A.
The move may also have consequences for Jesse Lingard.
Mourinho managed the Englishman at Manchester United and was linked with him in January when still at Spurs – before he joined West Ham on loan.
ESPN reported back in February 2020 that Roma were among the clubs chasing Lingard.
Now they have a manager who is also an admirer, who has worked with him before – so could they re-enter the race?
Much may depend on how West Ham finish the season. They could still yet finish in the Champions League places.
Meanwhile, Roma are seventh in Serie A, and could well feature in the first ever UEFA Conference League next season.
If the West Ham are in the Champions League next season, they should still hold the upper hand in the chase for Lingard.
But if they’re both in the Europa League or the Conference League, the Mourinho factor may come into play.
He could break West Ham hearts and lure Lingard to Italy, where he would link up with former Manchester United teammates Chris Smalling and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Lingard is shining at West Ham right now, which means the Hammers must already know they won’t be the only club in the running to buy him come the summer.
But Mourinho joining Roma may just make them a serious contender in that race if Lingard fancies a reunion with his former boss and a chance to try his hand in a different league.
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