Jose Mourinho return is possible – but he has to say sorry to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich

There are 18 million reasons why it might be hard for Jose Mourinho to return to Chelsea this summer if – and it is still an if – Roman Abramovich decides he wants to part company with Andre Villas-Boas and go back for the self-styled “Special One”.

Building bridges: Jose Mourinho had some contact with Chelsea over the summer 

“It’s possible,” said one source, who knows about these kind of things, in a text message when contacted on Thursday which, in itself, is a significant shift of what was thought about Mourinho’s prospects not so long ago. Then it was believed hell would freeze over first.

There has undoubtedly been some rapprochement between club and former manager, starting last summer following the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti, when Mourinho’s name was mentioned but they decided to go for Villas-Boas who, it was hoped, would be like his fellow Portuguese but without the abrasive edge.

Certainly relations are not as ice cold as they were when Mourinho challenged Abramovich to sack him in September 2007 — and the Russian billionaire did.

Mourinho has made no secret that he wants to return to the Premier League when he leaves Real Madrid, and that could well happen this summer, but as much as he might consider Tottenham Hotspur should Harry Redknapp go — had they a new stadium on stream, it would help — and as much as he still has a romantic notion about Liverpool and an interesting bond with Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, Chelseaare in his system.

And how it would appeal to Mourinho’s sense of mischief — and maybe revenge — to succeed Villas-Boas, his former protégé, the mini-Mourinho who had the temerity to ask for more responsibility then branched out to be a manager in his own right. The two no longer speak.

But then there are is the £18million in compensation that Mourinho wrung out of Abramovich, including £10million to exclude him from working in England for a period. That was to put off Spurs, and it worked, but it was a high price to pay for Abramovich, even if he has since wasted many more millions compensating managers he has sacked.

So here’s the rub. Maybe if there is a vacancy and Mourinho does want to return he might have to do something that he would find difficult: apologise to Abramovich for leaving five years ago with that lorry-load of cash. The owner indulges in generous payouts. But he does not readily forgive. Could Jose say sorry?