EXCLUSIVE
Saudi club Al-Qadsiah are looking to appoint Jose Mourinho as their new manager, talkSPORT understands.
‘The Special One’ is already wanted by two other Saudi clubs, but Al-Qadsiah are pushing to bring the decorated coach to the Middle East as they look to challenge their PIF-controlled rivals in the top flight next season.
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Mourinho appears to have no shortage of options after declaring he is ready to make a return to the dugout following his departure from Roma in January.
The 61-year-old has been linked with a number of top European clubs, including in the Premier League, as well as a move into international management, but it appears there is strongest interest from Saudi Arabia.
Mourinho was recently pictured in the Middle East for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix - where he met Newcastle's chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan - with the coach wanted by two Saudi clubs who are, like the Magpies, also owned by the Public Investment Fund.
But Qadsiah, who are owned by Saudi oil giant Aramco, have now entered the race, according to talkSPORT’s Saudi football correspondent Ben Jacobs.
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Qadsiah are set to achieve promotion from the Saudi First Division to the Pro League this season, and have huge ambitions to challenge the league’s top sides next year.
Jacobs says: “Nothing is done yet, but he is their top choice as they look to challenge the PIF controlled clubs - two of whom are also pushing for Jose.
“Mourinho is due in Khobar, where Qadsiah play, in late May as part of a scheduled visit to view the club.”
Interestingly, Al-Rumayyan is also chair of Aramco. There is plenty of crossover between PIF and Aramco in terms of business interest and personnel, but on the field Qadsiah view themselves as a rival to the four PIF clubs and are hoping to break their collective dominance of the Pro League.
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News of Qadsiah's interest in Mourinho comes after the former Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham boss admitted he would ‘work tomorrow’ if the right opportunity came along.
"I’m not in a rest, I want to work,” he told beINSPORTS.
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“I want to work but I just don’t want to have the wrong decision. I have to wait for the right one, the one that motivates me.
“But if I could work tomorrow I would work tomorrow."
Speaking at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in March, he also said: "I hope so, I want to [return to the dugout]. You know Roma was great because we had two European finals in two years and that’s hard at a club that never did it.
"Now I have to wait for the right opportunity. I want to work tomorrow if possible, but I don’t want to make the wrong decision."
