Chelsea managerial target Jose Mourinho “will push” to stage a return if approached for the managerial vacancy at Stamford Bridge, according to journalist Santi Aouna.

What's the latest manager news at Chelsea?

Following Frank Lampard being appointed as interim boss until the end of the season, Todd Boehly can now focus his attention on working behind the scenes to identify his long-term successor, with a view to starting at the beginning of the 2023/24 term.

Former Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann and Spain's ex-boss Luis Enrique are currently believed to be the two leading candidates for the job having both held positive meetings with the hierarchy, but Mourinho's name has cropped up in the background.

The AS Roma boss isn’t out of contract at the Stadio Olimpico until next summer, so the 60-year-old won’t be a free agent for over another 12 months but it’s been reported that the Serie A giants would be open to sanctioning his exit before then should they receive a “hefty compensation package”.

Taking to Twitter, Aouna revealed that Mourinho would indeed be keen to stage his comeback in the dugout at Chelsea. However, he will need to be contacted by the board first instead of instigating a move himself. The journalist wrote:

“Info: Jose Mourinho. The Special One is ready to leave Roma only for certain clubs including Chelsea / PSG. If the Blues make an offer, Mourinho will push to go. Mourinho is not interested in Saudi Arabia. Roma is open to the departure of its coach.”

Should Chelsea make another move for Mourinho?

Mourinho has been lauded as a managerial “legend” by talent scout Jacek Kulig for what he’s achieved on the sidelines throughout his career, and Chelsea bringing him back for another spell should be a no-brainer of a decision considering how successful he was during his previous spells in SW6.

The Portuguese, who shares the same agent as Joao Felix, won 204, drew 65 and lost just 51 of his 320 games in the capital, whilst averaging 2.21 points per match (via Transfermarkt) – form which saw him guide the team to nine trophies before departing the Bridge for a second time in 2015.

Over the course of his managerial career, Mourinho has secured 39 trophies, which shows that he’s in no way a one-trick pony and can be successful wherever he is appointed, having proven himself to be a consistent and reliable boss across the years. However, he did fail to win silverware when in charge at London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur.

But the level of success he enjoyed at Chelsea means the Blues are clearly close to Mourinho's heart, and this latest claim certainly looks to put him in the running for the permanent job for a third time.