Jose Mourinho has reportedly pinpointed Newcastle United as the ideal destination for his Premier League return, should Eddie Howe depart St James’ Park. The Portuguese manager is keen on a fifth managerial stint in England following his previous roles at Chelsea (twice), Manchester United and Tottenham.

He’s keeping a close eye on the situation at Newcastle as he grows increasingly discontented at Turkish club Fenerbahce. According to The Guardian, the 61 year old has contacted intermediaries to stay informed about the latest happenings at Tyneside, where Howe has just marked his third year in charge but lacks long-term security.

Despite Newcastle’s recent struggles, including a five-game winless streak in the Premier League before last Saturday’s 1-0 triumph over Arsenal, Howe’s job isn’t under immediate threat. However, the departures of directors Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi last summer have left him without two key allies.

Mourinho, who met with Newcastle chairman Yasir al-Rumayyan at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in March, has been maintaining that connection. The charismatic manager made a concerted effort to charm British journalists during Fenerbahce’s Europa League tie with Manchester United last month, and has frequently voiced his criticism of the Turkish league during his tenure there.

José Mourinho unleashed a furious tirade against the Turkish football establishment after Roma’s 3-2 triumph over Trabzonspor last week, where he blasted the referee as a ‘child’ and took to social media to air multiple clips slamming the official.

Post-match, Mourinho expressed his exasperation: “In the end, I’m working in Turkey. It’s not my country. I care because it’s my job and I care because it’s my club. But I think you Turkish, you should care about it! You Turkish, you should speak, not me. You should denounce. You should say what is going on, year after year.

“You should do it, not me. Because I will be the one under attack, the one the system will criticise. The system will try to punish me, the system will try to close my mouth.

“Nobody abroad wants to watch the Turkish league. Who wants to watch this Turkish league abroad? They have the Premier League, they have the French league, they have the German league, they have the Portuguese league, they have the Dutch league. Why should they see this?

“It’s too grey, it’s too dark, smells bad. But that’s my job, and I will give everything to my job, to my club.”