JOSE MOURINHO would be welcomed back to Chelsea with open arms if the club decided to hand him a third spell.
That is according to former Blues forward Florent Malouda.
Manager Graham Potter has struggled at Stamford Bridge since taking over from Thomas Tuchel in September.
Three wins in a row have alleviated some of the pressure on the former Brighton head coach.
But Chelsea remain down in 10th in the Premier League table, with European success their best hope of Champions League qualification next season.
Several names have been linked with replacing Potter if he was to be sacked by owner Todd Boehly.
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They include Mauricio Pochettino, Roberto De Zerbi and even a return for Tuchel.
But 2010 Premier League winner Malouda, who Chelsea signed during Mourinho's first stint at the club, has touted the Portuguese head coach to return for a third spell.
Speaking to DAZN Bet, he said: "I could definitely see a third spell for Jose Mourinho at Chelsea.
"It’s home for Jose. He knows the club, the identity and he knows football and the fans love him.
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"He belongs to Chelsea, and I think he still has his house close to Chelsea. It’s close to his heart.
"He’ll always be the Special One. Football has changed but he has a love for the core of football.
"You associate Mourinho most with Chelsea. I don’t think anyone would complain if he came back to Chelsea to get them back to a competitive level."
Mourinho won the Premier League title in each of his first two seasons in West London after taking over from Claudio Ranieri in 2004.
He then departed in 2007 – shortly after Malouda joined – but returned six years later.
After finishing third in the first season of his second stint, he won the league in the 2014/15 campaign, before being sacked midway through the following term.
Since then, Mourinho has gone on to manage Manchester United, Tottenham and Roma – where he is still in charge.
The Italian club sit fifth in the Serie A table, one point adrift of the Champions League places.
They are also in the last-16 of the Europa League and take a 2-0 lead into the second leg of their tie against Real Sociedad on Thursday.
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