Real Madrid Transfer News: Alvaro Arbeloa Fuels Jose Mourinho Rumours

Real Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa has fuelled the latest rounds of transfer rumours linking Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho with a return to the Spanish capital, saying Los Blancos would take him back.

Former club president Ramon Calderon started the rumours by telling beIN Sports (h/t Daily Mirror's John Cross) Real are actively trying to bring Mourinho back into the club, and they hope he will bring star winger Eden Hazard with him.

Asked about his former manager, Arbeloa praised the Special One and how he defended his players in Madrid, before telling AS' Jesus Balseiro he has always maintained the club would keep the door open to Mourinho:

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I’ve been asked before and I always say ‘yes, why not?’ He’s very direct and straightforward, he tells people what he thinks and some take it the wrong way and get angry. A lot of people want him to fail, but more want him to turn the situation around. I don’t think the door at Madrid is closed to him.

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Mourinho's second stint as Chelsea manager seems to be coming to an end after a disastrous start to the 2015-16 campaign. The defending Premier League champions have already lost six matches—the most ever in a single season under Mourinho, per ESPN Stats and Info. They have also already been eliminated from the Capital One Cup.

The 3-1 loss at the hands of Liverpool on Saturday means Chelsea sit in 15th place in the Premier League, 14 points behind league leaders Manchester City.

Per Paul Hayward of the Telegraph, Mourinho seems to have lost the dressing room:

His post-match interview was that of a man who seems to be running out of ideas and answers fast, per Ian Darke of BT Sport:

As of right now, Mourinho is still the manager of Chelsea, but if things continue like this, that won't last much longer. Even if the Portuguese tactician manages to turn the ship around, a top-four finish seems all but impossible, which could still lead to his sacking at the end of the season.

Amid all of the criticism and controversy, links with former club Real are never far away. It's hard to see why, as his time in the Spanish capital didn't have a happy end and Los Blancos have only just hired Rafa Benitez. But as long as people like Calderon keep bringing it up, the rumours will continue to surface.

Mourinho left the club at the end of the 2012-13 season, having won just one La Liga title and one Copa del Rey in Spain. The 2012-13 season was a disaster, highlighted by a public spat with club legend Iker Casillas.

The success on the pitch was limited, and off the pitch, controversy reigned—most notably when he poked then-Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova in the eye, via the Press Association (for the Independent). The year after he left, new manager Carlo Ancelotti guided Los Blancos to the Champions League title.

With all that in mind, it makes no sense for Real to turn around and try to bring Mourinho back. Benitez's start to the 2015-16 campaign has been very solid, and the former Liverpool man seems committed to bringing more youth into the squad, handing debuts to the likes of Borja Mayoral and new signing Mateo Kovacic.

Likewise, Mourinho has no reason to return to Real. While he may feel he has a thing or two to prove in La Liga, the likes of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid won't be hiring him anytime soon.

Unless the current situation with Benitez changes dramatically and everyone at Real can forget about the conditions under which Mourinho left, a reunion seems highly unlikely.

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