Jose Mourinho backed to break Leeds United hearts with shock transfer

Jose Mourinho is being backed to reignite his working relationship with Joe Rodon and break Leeds United hearts in the process.

Mourinho, who was fond of the Wales centre-back during their time at Tottenham together, is now the manager of Fenerbahce in Turkey.

When the Portuguese left north London he went on to manage Roma, where links to Rodon also surfaced. The Whites would love to bring Rodon back to Yorkshire next season but will face stiff competition to do so.

Our colleague at football.london Alasdair Gold has now hinted on a podcast that he wondered whether Mourinho would return for the Swansea City academy graduate now that he has returned to management.

“I wonder, Jose quite liked Joe Rodon, I wonder if Jose would want to take Joe Rodon to Fenerbahce where he would do very very well,” Gold said.

Mourinho is a fully signed-up member of the Joe Rodon fan club. On the day he left north London, Mourinho told then-skipper Hugo Lloris to look after Rodon because he felt he had the potential to become the best defender at the club and a special player.

He also spoke glowingly about him after handing him his debut. Speaking after his side’s 3-1 over Sheffield United in 2021, Mourinho said of Rodon: “He played well, he did many things well, a couple of things not so well, but he’s a player who of course was playing in the Championship.

“A young guy, he has to learn. One thing is you want a central defender and you pay £70million for one of the top centre-backs in Europe, then you resolve your problems.

“Another thing is to get a good player, but a player who needs to develop. With Joe, that’s the situation.

“He has to learn, he has to make mistakes, he has to play, he has to not play. We have to try to give him conditions to perform, but potentially, potentially of course, he’s a good player who can become much much better.

“I’m happy. He did the same against Chelsea, [when] he made a mistake that could have cost the game in the last minute but this is the mistake a young guy coming from a different reality can make and he has to be supported like he is and I am very pleased with his performance.”

Rodon is widely expected to leave Tottenham this summer despite the club triggering a year extension to his current deal. The defender was inspired for Leeds while on loan at Elland Road last season, helping them to the Championship play-off final.