Special gift: Wary FA to sound out Mourinho...and they want a new England boss by Christmas

Chief executive Brian Barwick has been working relentlessly since Steve McClaren's dismissal 13 days ago and is expected to meet an intermediary acting for the former Chelsea manager in the next few days.

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According to one source last night, Mourinho would be interested in the job were the salary to exceed the £5million a year Sven Goran Eriksson received towards the end of his tenure.

By the end of this week Barwick will have spoken to all those he intends to consult, Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger included, and officials are not ruling out the possibility of an appointment in the next three weeks. The FA board meet on December 19, by which time Barwick would like to be in a position to make his recommendation.

Mourinho remains a 'hot candidate,' even if the FA are wary of embarking on another trip to Portugal that could prove every bit as embarrassing as their attempt to lure Luiz Felipe Scolari 18 months ago.

That is why a consultation with an intermediary in London could be preferable and why neither Mourinho nor his agent Jorge Mendes has yet to be contacted.

The FA have dismissed the interview given by Eladio Parames, who presents himself as Mourinho's personal spokesman and told Sky on Monday that if his friend were to be approached "he would consider it".

Those close to Mourinho say he winced when he discovered his former Benfica spokesman was the 'star of Sky TV', revealing how the Special One already "had ideas about what he would do if he were England coach".

Those same sources say Mourinho still has reservations about the job, even if it remains worthwhile for Barwick to talk to an intermediary.

Not only is Mourinho concerned by the lack of a competitive game until next September but he has also been scarred by the revelations about his private life that emerged shortly after he left Chelsea.

A major club job could lure him to Spain, Italy or Germany, with Mourinho said to be following developments closely at Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan and Bayern Munich. Barcelona's encounter with Real Madrid at the Nou Camp on December 23 could spell the end of Bernd Schuster or Frank Rijkaard, even though they are currently first and second in La Liga.

The timing of the game is interesting if Mourinho is keen to keep his options open and Barwick is just as eager to make a swift appointment.

The FA may have their own concerns about a man who, while hugely entertaining, wonderfully charismatic and tactically brilliant, would be high maintenance. So far, however, Barwick has not thought it necessary to contact Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon to get some idea what it is like to work with Mourinho.

John Terry, the England captain who was appointed skipper at Chelsea by Mourinho, considers his former boss the ideal candidate — an opinion he no doubt expressed when meeting Barwick last week.

"He's one that really stands out for me and could make a big difference," Terry told Sky yesterday. "He's a great guy tactically, he's very aware and he understands the game very well. He came in and took us to a new level. I'm lucky to have been able to work with Jose. He's a fantastic manager and a fantastic guy."

Barwick still has five or six names on his list and there is growing support within Soho Square for Fabio Capello, not only because of his record but because some consider a manager approaching the end of his career to be the 'right age' for international football.

Martin O'Neill might have all but ruled himself out but until Barwick hears that for himself he will not take too much notice of what the Aston Villa manager has so far said.

Jurgen Klinsmann is among the other leading candidates and yesterday one source close to the German said he would be prepared to move his family to London. When he guided Germany to the World Cup semi-finals, he continued to live in California because of the media attention he would have received.

Living in London, however, is not something that would concern him, having enjoyed the experience during his time with Tottenham.

Whoever takes charge, the FA yesterday confirmed what could be his first game as coach. England will play a friendly against Switzerland at Wembley on February 6.