Barwick to offer England job to Mourinho

Football Association chief executive Brian Barwick was on the verge of finalising a four-and a- half-year deal worth more than £27m last night, with the former Chelsea boss in Lisbon waiting to take a private jet to London.

His agent, Jorge Mendes, spoke with Barwick on Friday night about the details of the FA's offer and negotiations are believed to have gone well.

Mourinho is reported to have said: 'I have decided I will go to England if they want me. I am going away on holiday now, but if everything goes well, I can be in England on January 1.'

The appointment of the charismatic Portuguese coach would stagger the football world, but the FA know he will be popular with the media, players and supporters, who all believe that he is the right man to restore England's tarnished international reputation.

A source close to the England team said yesterday: 'I spoke to Jose last night. Fingers crossed this happens. I know all the England players will be delighted.'

Barwick has taken soundings from some of top managers in the English game and has come to the permanent training base for the national team, improved medical facilities and better youth development, and has contacted friends in the game to quiz them on what to expect from the job.

The FA have been wary up to now, as Mourinho has also courted AC Milan, Real Madrid and Barcelona in his search for a new job, and last night he was believed to have received an offer from a major European club. Yet Mourinho's friends certainly believed he was in the process of agreeing final terms with England.

His spokesman, Eladio Parames, said: 'I'm not going to hide the fact there has been contact, because there has. Jose Mourinho is ready to hear a proposal.

'The FA told Jose's agent, Jorge Mendes, that they are interested. Jose told Jorge the structural conditions he wants satisfied in order to move on to the next level of negotiation, like the salary.

'Does Jose Mourinho need to work before the end of the season?

Financially speaking, no, but professionally, yes. He is fed up with doing nothing.

'It's not just any old national side and not just any job. He will not be a traditional national manager. He will not limit himself to appearing just for the matches or the few days when the side are together.'

Barwick is fearful of being humiliated, as he was when he flew out to try to recruit Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari, only to be turned down by the Portugal national coach on his arrival in Lisbon.

Another snub from Mourinho, in favour of a club position, would be a blow for the FA chief executive, who has already been heavily criticised for the process which resulted in Steve McClaren getting the job last year.

After the severe embarrassment caused when Sven Goran Eriksson was on the point of walking out on England to join Chelsea, Barwick had already been advised to ensure that Mourinho's contract prevented him from leaving halfway through if better deals were to be offered.

If Barwick's bid does fail, he is ready to turn to Aston Villa's Martin O'Neill, who was his No 1 choice to replace Eriksson 18 months ago, or German Jürgen Klinsmann.

Although O'Neill has publicly ruled himself out of the running, Barwick feels he could be persuaded, while Klinsmann's representatives have indicated that the ex-Spurs striker would be keen to move to England to take the job. The first task will be a Wembley friendly against Switzerland on February 6, but the new coach can look forward to a long summer holiday. After a proposed friendly with Scotland on May 28, no games are planned until the build-up to next season's World Cup qualifiers.

Last night an FA spokesman said: 'We will not be making any comment about any meetings that may or may not have taken place. We have been very open through the process.'