For most of this summer, we were left wondering if the old José Mourinho we knew and loved had been discarded somewhere in the Santiago Bernabeu.
But now transfer season is hotting up, he’s back with a bang.
After cranking the heat up on Manchester United and Wayne Rooney in the past few days, Mourinho now looks to be hijacking Arsenal’s bid to sign Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain.
Earlier today the Argentine international had this to say. “Mourinho wants me there.”
Simple enough, but those words must be incredibly painful to Arsenal fans who thought a deal to get Higuain was already in the bag.
A move to the Emirates has been speculated for some weeks now, but over the past five to seven days it’s all gone quiet. Ominously so.
That’s because Mourinho could move to upset yet another Premier League team before the season has even begun. We’ve already seen the damage his bid for Wayne Rooney has done at Manchester United, with the club left reeling at the prospect of losing one of their prized possessions to a clear PL title contender.
Now Arsenal are having their summer transfer targets picked off by the Blues, as Mourinho is marking his return to England with the swaggering panache and likeable arrogance we all remember from before.
(MORE: Chelsea and Wayne Rooney, Is this what England missed about José Mourinho?)
Would Higuain fit in at Chelsea? He’s a clinical striker who given a chance will calmly slot the ball home with both feet and is just as adept with his head. Higuain has scored 111 goals in his last 209 games, adding 40 assists in that time. Mourinho loved him at Real Madrid, so there could be some truth in all this.
Chelsea will supply a conveyor-belt of chances to whatever striker plays in the central lone role that Mourinho will likely adopt, it’s down to them to finish the chances. Higuain is perhaps one of the best finishers in the game today, so he’s a good fit.
But does Moruinho really want Higauin like the Argentine claims? Or is the Portuguese manager just playing yet another mind game to get his Chelsea squad ahead of their Premier League rivals?
(MORE: Transfer Rumors, Higuain heading to Arsenal)
If nothing materializes with Higuain to Chelsea and he ends up joining Serie A side Napoli, many will point to Mourinho’s mind games costing Arsenal a top striker.
Arsene Wenger and David Moyes can’t be happy with Mourinho’s antics this summer. With just under a month until the season begins, Mourinho’s rhetoric has already been ramped up several notches.
Just wait until the season begins.
