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‘Money bags’ Jose Mourinho could fit the world’s richest club, Newcastle

Serial winner and job loser Jose Mourinho is looking for a new club after Roma sacked him on Tuesday.

No stranger to the English Premier League as he coached Chelsea (twice), Manchester United and Tottenham, the Portuguese could be eyeing another stop, this time at Newcastle, where Eddie Howe is living on borrowed time.

Many had expected Howe to be out of a job after the 3-2 loss to Manchester City last week – the club’s sixth defeat in seven matches – but he is still in the hot seat, even though Newcastle is also out of Europe.

The Magpies are not in action this weekend as part of the EPL’s ‘winter break’, but there is a midweek game against high-flying Aston Villa on Wednesday (4.15am).

The odds are Newcastle will not get anything from that game, which could open the door for Mourinho, who is not retiring even though he has pocketed £80 million in compensation through the years.

Newcastle, owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF),  the country’s sovereign wealth fund since, October 2021 is the world’s richest club.

Under Howe, however, it has been careful with its spending, with only a handful of expensive purchases when many expected it to go crazy.

But there is a growing feeling it is time Newcastle flexes its muscle in the transfer market, and Mourinho could be the man to lure big names to Tyneside.

The self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ may have been ‘Special Once’, but at Roma, he won just 68 of his 138 matches. He also suffered 39 defeats and had 31 draws.

That win percentage of 49.28 is the lowest of his career.

Nonetheless, he has won trophies at every club he has managed since 2002 – except at Tottenham (sorry, Spurs fans) – and delivered the UEFA Europa Conference League in 2022 to Roma.

That was the club’s first trophy in 14 years, and a year later, Roma reached the UEFA Europa League final before losing to Sevilla.

If Newcastle does come-a-calling, Mourinho may be the man to end the club’s trophy drought that stretches to 1955.

FIXTURES (Malaysian time)

SATURDAY
Arsenal vs Crystal Palace (8.30pm)

SUNDAY
Brentford vs Nottingham Forest (1.30am)
Sheffield United vs West Ham (10pm)

MONDAY
Bournemouth vs Liverpool (12.30am)

TUESDAY
Brighton vs Wolves (3.45am)

WEDNESDAY
Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal (3.30am)
Luton vs Brighton (3.45am)
Fulham vs Everton (3.45am)
Crystal Palace vs Sheffield United (4am)
Aston Villa vs Newcastle (4.15am)

THURSDAY
Manchester City vs Burnley (3.30am)
Tottenham vs Brentford (3.30am)
Liverpool vs Chelsea (4.15am)

FRIDAY
West Ham vs Bournemouth (3.30am)
Wolves vs Manchester United (4.15am)