Jose Mourinho Wages May Be Covered by Chelsea Amid Manchester United Rumours
In a bizarre twist of events, reports from Portugal have claimed Chelsea could be paying a huge chunk of Jose Mourinho's wages by the time they face Manchester United on December 28.
Newspaper Diario de Noticias reported this week that a clause in Mourinho's Chelsea contract could result in the Blues having to help fund their former boss' £12 million-a-year contract for one year (h/t Sport Witness).
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The report comes after the Daily Mirror's David McDonnell declared United would only be willing to offer Mourinho the same wage as incumbent manager Louis van Gaal, who earns £6 million at Old Trafford.
But Diario de Noticias insisted Mourinho won't need to settle, because Chelsea are obligated to pay the difference between his £12 million-a-year Chelsea agreement and any new deal if it's of a lesser value, for a period of one year.
An extract read: "The agreement says that Chelsea will continue to support the salary corresponding to a one-year contract until Mourinho finds a club that pays him the same or more. If, for example, United's offer is less than what the Special One received in London, so Chelsea will have to pay the difference for a year."
BBC Sport reported Van Gaal is "worried" for his Old Trafford future following Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Norwich City, the club's third consecutive loss and their sixth game in a row without a win.
Mourinho was fired from the Chelsea helm after guiding the west Londoners to a record of four wins and nine losses in 16 Premier League games this season, leaving the club near the bottom of the league table.
His sudden availability has caused a stir at Old Trafford, however, where sections of the support have become disillusioned with where the club is heading under current chief Van Gaal.
Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News put it forth that despite accusations of promoting "anti-football," Mourinho could be the man to revive Manchester United's fortunes:
News of Chelsea's alleged obligation to pay a huge portion of the tactician's salary for a period of 12 months will undoubtedly sweeten the deal for the Red Devils if found to indeed be genuine.
Infostrada statistician Simon Gleave provided a glimpse at the philosophy United could be adopting if they were to hire Mourinho, according to the manager's biographer, Diego Torres:
In the unlikely event Mourinho is appointed Manchester United manager by the time they host Chelsea next Monday, as highlighted by Sport Witness, it's odd to think the Blues could be paying the wages of both bosses in attendance.
The west London giants may not have planned for the nightmarish tale that's befallen them this season, and it appears a stipulation in his contract may prevent the club from moving on for some time.
