Arsenal: Handing Jose Mourinho keys to the house Arsene built would be a risky roll of the dice

Mourinho is on the market but, for the first time in 15 years, employing him would be a gamble

Jose Mourinho wants another job. The Portuguese has been out of football long enough and is keen to come back. That is the message that was sent out over the weekend when reports emerged linking the 56-year-old with Bayern Munich and, more perplexingly, Arsenal.

The Emirates would be a strange destination for the former Chelsea manager. The stadium is the spiritual home of Arsene Wenger, the house the Frenchman built. Mourinho arrived in London in the summer after the ‘Invincibles’ campaign, when Arsenal went through the 2003-04 season unbeaten. They were the team to be knocked off their perch. The new man at Stamford Bridge embraced that task with vindictive gusto.

How unpleasant did things get? A year later Mourinho accused Wenger of being obsessed with Chelsea and called him a “voyeur”. The gibe had unpleasant undertones and upset the Arsenal manager. The press seized on the line – ‘the Special One’ was at the height of his popularity and had the media eating out of his hands. One national newspaper mocked up a front cover of its Monday football pullout with a picture of Wenger peeping over the wall of a training ground decorated with the Chelsea badge. By the time the editor concerned realised that the idea was unseemly and unworthy of the newspaper, thousands of editions had been printed. The journalist was embarrassed and disappointed in himself. Mourinho loved it. He contacted the newspaper’s Chelsea correspondent and asked for a framed copy to display in his office at Cobham.

I am the guilty editor and am still ashamed about it. Mourinho does not do shame. There are few people still around at Arsenal who can recall the depth of the antagonism but it is still hard to imagine the Portuguese in charge at the Emirates.

Unai Emery is under pressure. There is no doubt about that. The Spaniard is out of contract at the end of the season and the deal will only be extended if Arsenal qualify for the Champions League. Emery needs to turn things around. The sight of empty seats during the 1-1 draw at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday is also a concern. Stan Kroenke cares nothing for angry fans – he has a history of ignoring toxic protests – but any sign that season ticket renewals will be hit will cause the owner to act. That will become a factor in the spring. Even if Arsenal lose away to Leicester City, Emery is unlikely to be shown the door in the immediate future.

Mourinho has always been a clever manipulator of the media. There is no doubt that he would like the Arsenal job. What manager wouldn’t? He has a house in London and it would suit him. Nevertheless, the weekend’s stories may be more about sending a message to other potential employers that he is a man in demand. Everton and Tottenham Hotspur in particular have an air of crisis about them. Seeing Mourinho linked with the Emirates could give a nudge to a board wavering in support of their manager. He will not have enjoyed the negativity that has surrounded him since he parted company with Manchester United 11 months ago.

It looked like Mourinho had lost his zest for the game during his tenure at Old Trafford. He has grown increasingly sour over the past decade. The charisma that characterised his first spell at Stamford Bridge has dwindled with age. In his early days in England his arrogance was leavened by a hint of humorous self-awareness. Grumpiness has taken over.

What would a club employing Mourinho get? His tactics look tired in the age of Guardiola and Klopp. Even his much-vaunted organisational skills failed him at United. The team were a shambles at times. Things have got worse under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer but that should not disguise how inept the side looked under the Norwegian’s predecessor.

Mourinho is on the market but, for the first time in 15 years, employing him would be a gamble. Things would have to get pretty bad very quickly for Arsenal to roll the dice in the direction of the Portuguese. Other clubs might not be so discriminating.