Chelsea are looking at the possibility of luring Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp, if they fail in their attempts to agree a deal with Pep Guardiola.
According to the Daily Mail, the former Barcelona boss remains owner Roman Abramovich's number one priority, but recent talks have not gone down too well, leading to the Blues looking at other candidates, with Klopp, and a possible return for Mourinho even mooted.
Guardiola is not convinced by Chelsea's track record of hiring and firing managers, and wants complete control of the club, if he does take over.
That is something that Abramovich is not too keen on, leading to the serious consideration of the alternates.
Chelsea's board, led by technical director Michael Emenalo, have looked at the possibility of bringing in Klopp, after they were impressed by the way the manager turned Dortmund into a major force in Europe by concentrating on youngsters. The fact that they play an attractive style has also played a big part in making a decision.
Along with Klopp, a return for Mourinho has also not been ruled out, with the flamboyant Portuguese expected to leave Real Madrid at the end of the season.
Meanwhile, Juan Mata admitted compatriot Fernando Torres has failed to live up to expectations at Chelsea due to the pressure brought on by the huge transfer fee.
"When someone pays that much for you and you become the most expensive player in the Premier League, you are too eager to please," Mata was quoted as saying by The Sun. "Fernando is a very humble guy who knows where he comes from and understands the value of money. For me, he is still one of the best strikers in the world."
Despite that, Mata said Chelsea were sorely missing Didier Drogba, who left the club at the end of last season after inspiring them to a Champions League triumph. "Drogba's departure was like an electric shock for us," the Spaniard told French magazine So Foot. "He was a warrior.
"We've had to learn to cope without him because for many long years he was Chelsea's lightning conductor.
"With Drogba we were conditioned to play in a certain way. You gave him the ball and you knew that he would at least force the opponent into a foul.
"In a way we had a tendency to rely on him too much but it was a natural mechanism. All the great players like getting the ball, Didier even more so.
"With Fernando it's different. His runs aren't the same. He's not a funnel for our play like Drogba could be. He doesn't like the holding-it-up role. He prefers finding space and facing the goal."