Richard Keys says 61-year-old manager is ‘more likely’ to join Newcastle than Chelsea

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After suggesting that Jose Mourinho could replace Eddie Howe as Newcastle United manager back in December, Richard Keys is at it again.

The former Sky Sports presenter made the suggestion at the end of 2023 when Newcastle were enduring a rough patch. They had just been knocked out of the Champions League, losing 2-1 to AC Milan to finish bottom of their group.

It was an agonising exit for Eddie Howe and Newcastle, who had the chance to advance to the next round but fluffed it.

That led to Richard Keys suggesting that Newcastle need a ‘super-coach’ to go to the next level, before naming Jose Mourinho as a possible candidate. This came before the 61-year-old was sacked by Roma.

Now Jose Mourinho is available, and has actually been linked with a return to Chelsea, where he has been manager twice before.

Keys believes that Mourinho could be the answer to Chelsea’s problems, even though he reckons a move to Newcastle is more likely.

Richard Keys thinks Jose Mourinho is ‘likely’ to end up at Newcastle United

Keys has written about the managerial situation at Chelsea in his latest blog entry, at a time when Mauricio Pochettino is under severe pressure at Stamford Bridge.

“What’s the fix [at Chelsea]?” he asked.

“Mourinho might just be, although I still think it’s more likely that he’ll turn up at Newcastle.

“He’s nowhere near finished. Chelsea fans would love to see him back. No matter where he’s been and what he’s done – Chelsea is still home for Mourinho.”

Keys then goes on to suggest that John Terry could be an option for the Blues…

We will stick with Eddie Howe

We will brush over the ludicrous claim that John Terry could be a decent candidate to replace Pochettino as Chelsea manager and just focus on his Newcastle comments…

As always, people in the media like Keys are fascinated with the idea of Newcastle getting a new manager, despite the incredible job that Eddie Howe is doing.

The former Bournemouth man has taken the Magpies to incredible heights, and there is no reason to believe he can’t take us any further.

And when the time does come to find a replacement, the Toon owners almost certainly will not go for someone like Mourinho. At no point in their ownership have they gone for Hollywood names. Their decisions have been methodical and purposeful, which is exactly why an approach for someone like Mourinho would be a complete change of tack.

Keys may believe he is correct, but a return to Chelsea is surely much more likely for Mourinho than becoming Newcastle United manager.