Highlights

  • Mourinho's best signings include Didier Drogba, Ashley Cole, and Samuel Eto'o. They had a significant impact on their respective clubs and achieved great success.
  • Luka Modric initially struggled under Mourinho at Real Madrid but later became one of the club's greatest midfielders.
  • Mourinho played a crucial role in revitalizing the careers of players like Wesley Sneijder and Diego Costa, who went on to achieve great success at their clubs.

Jose Mourinho is unquestionably one of the greatest managers of all time. While his reputation as a truly elite coach may have dwindled a little in recent years, the Portuguese tactician remains one of the most respected figures in the game at the age of 60.

Mourinho cemented his reputation as one of the world’s most exciting young coaches when he won the Champions League with FC Porto in 2004. He went on to manage some of Europe’s biggest clubs including Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Tottenham and, most recently, AS Roma.

We thought we’d take a closer look at the 10 best signings of Mourinho’s illustrious managerial career. And, for the purposes of balance, we’ll also analyse his 10 worst signings from his 20-plus year career. Even the best managers sometimes get it very badly wrong in the transfer market…

Jose Mourinho’s Best Signings

Player

From

To

Year

Didier Drogba

Marseille

Chelsea

2004

Ashley Cole

Arsenal

Chelsea

2006

Samuel Eto'o

Barcelona

Inter Milan

2009

Diego Costa

Atletico Madrid

Chelsea

2014

Wesley Sneijder

Real Madrid

Inter Milan

2009

Diego Milito

Genoa

Inter Milan

2009

Benni McCarthy

Celta Vigo

Porto

2002

Ricardo Carvalho

Porto

Chelsea

2004

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

PSG

Manchester United

2016

Luka Modric

Tottenham

Real Madrid

2012

10. Luka Modric

Transfer fee: £30m

Luka Modric

When Mourinho signed Luka Modric from Tottenham in 2012, little did he know that he’d be managing Spurs himself seven years later. Modric initially struggled at the Bernabeu - he was even named La Liga’s worst signing for 2012, months after his arrival - before finding his feet and silencing all of his critics in spectacular fashion.

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The Croatian, who won the 2018 Ballon d’Or, didn’t produce his best form under Mourinho - but the Portuguese coach still deserves credit for bringing the world-class midfielder to the Spanish capital in the first place. Modric will be remembered as one of Real Madrid's greatest ever players and one of the best midfielders of any generation.

Luka Modric's Real Madrid Statistics

Appearances

511

Goals

38

Assists

82

All statistical data in this article comes via Transfermarkt

9. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Transfer fee: Free

Ibrahimovic

Without Mourinho, Manchester United would not have signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the summer of 2016. It was because the two men already had an excellent relationship that Zlatan moved to Old Trafford as a free agent after leaving Paris Saint-Germain.

The mercurial Swedish forward turned on the style during his first season at Old Trafford, scoring 28 goals in 46 appearances and winning the League Cup and Europa League in the process. He also netted the winning goal in the Community Shield. If only he’d joined United a few years earlier, eh?

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's Manchester United Statistics

Appearances

53

Goals

29

Assists

10

8. Ricardo Carvalho

Transfer fee: £20m

Ricardo Carvalho

Mourinho knew Ricardo Carvalho was tailor-made for the Premier League after managing the Portuguese defender during his spell at Porto. Chelsea splashed out £20 million for Carvalho, who went on to play 210 games for the west London outfit.

The Portugal international left Stamford Bridge in 2010, reuniting with Mourinho again at Real Madrid, and won a host of titles during his time with the Blues, including three Premier Leagues. Carvalho departed England as one of the greatest defanders in Premier League history. He ended his career in 2017 following a brief spell with Shanghai SIPG in China.

Ricardo Carvalho's Chelsea Statistics

Appearances

210

Goals

11

Assists

6

7. Benni McCarthy

Transfer fee: £3.15m

Benni McCarthy

Benni McCarthy had already spent time at Porto and made a positive impact - on loan from Celta Vigo during the 2001-02 campaign - before Mourinho brought the South African striker to the Estádio do Dragão permanently in 2003.

McCarthy went on to score 25 goals in 47 games during his debut campaign with Porto who, of course, won the Champions League that season. Not bad for three million quid. Working under Mourinho served him well for his post-playing career. He's currently employed by Man Utd as one of Erik ten Hag's first-team coaches.

Benni McCarthy's Porto Statistics

Appearances

124

Goals

57

Assists

10

6. Diego Milito

Transfer fee: £22.2m

Diego Milito

The 2009-10 season was Diego Milito’s first campaign at the San Siro - and what an impact the Argentine striker made. He scored 30 goals in 52 appearances, including both goals in the 2010 Champions League final against Bayern Munich, earning himself the Man of the Match award in the process.

Milito went on to score 75 goals for Inter before leaving the club - and European football - in 2014. The South American will forever occupy a special place in Mourinho's heart thanks to that legendary Champions League final performance in Madrid.

Diego Milito's Inter Milan Statistics

Appearances

171

Goals

75

Assists

28

5. Wesley Sneijder

Transfer fee: £13.3m

Wesley Sneijder

Inter Milan won the treble in 2010 and Wesley Sneijder, also in his debut season with the Nerazzurri, was outstanding. The Dutch playmaker flourished under Mourinho and took his excellent club form into the 2010 World Cup, where he finished as a finalist with the Netherlands and won the Silver Ball.

He was unfortunate to miss out on a place inside the Ballon d’Or top three that year. Barcelona trio Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi all made the podium at Sneijder’s expense. Mourinho did wonders for the Netherlands international, whose career was floundering at Real Madrid before his move to the San Siro.

Wesley Sneijder's Inter Milan Statistics

Appearances

116

Goals

22

Assists

35

4. Diego Costa

Transfer fee: £32m

Diego Costa

Diego Costa had already established his status as one of Europe’s best strikers with Atletico Madrid when Mourinho brought the aggressive forward to Stamford Bridge in 2014. The Brazil-born Spain international further enhanced his reputation as a top striker with Chelsea, scoring 21 goals in his first season with the Blues and winning both the Premier League and League Cup in the process.

He won another Premier League winners’ medal with the Blues under Antonio Conte in 2017 before falling out with the Italian coach and re-joining Atleti. The 35-year-old is now back in his native Brazil with Botafogo after a brief return to the Premier League with Wolves.

Diego Costa's Chelsea Statistics

Appearances

120

Goals

59

Assists

23

3. Samuel Eto’o

Transfer fee: Barcelona paid £40 million + Eto’o for Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Samuel Eto'o

Mourinho didn’t want to lose Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Barcelona, but what a stunning deal Inter got in return. As well as securing the services of the brilliant Samuel Eto’o, they also banked a whopping £40 million.

Eto’o went on to win the treble in his first season at Inter, where he scored 16 goals in 48 games. The Cameroon international then bagged 37 goals in 53 games the following season, although Mourinho was managing Real Madrid by this point. Mourinho linked up with Eto’o again in 2013 at Chelsea, but this stint together was less successful with the forward entering his twilight years in the game.

Samuel Eto'o's Inter Milan Statistics

Appearances

102

Goals

53

Assists

25

2. Ashley Cole

Transfer fee: £5m + William Gallas

Ashley Cole Jose Mourinho

Ashley Cole is arguably the best left-back of the Premier League era, and Chelsea landed the England international from Arsenal for a bargain £5 million plus William Gallas. Cole was present for the end of Mourinho’s first spell at Stamford Bridge, as well as the beginning of his second stint.

After hanging up his boots in 2019, following a brief spell with Derby County, Cole began his coaching career. The 42-year-old has worked in a coaching capacity with Derby, Chelsea's academy, England's Under-21s, and Everton. To this day, Cole is one of the first names on the teamsheet when selecting an all-time Premier League XI, with no other left-backs coming close to matching his legacy.

Ashley Cole's Chelsea Statistics

Appearances

337

Goals

7

Assists

37

1. Didier Drogba

Transfer fee: £24 million

Didier Drogba

One of the biggest legends in Chelsea’s history, Mourinho was the man responsible for bringing Didier Drogba to west London from Marseille in 2004. The Ivorian striker went on to score 157 goals in 341 games for the club, winning a host of major honours, including four Premier Leagues, the same numbers of FA Cups and, of course, the Champions League.

Speaking on beiN Sports in 2019, Mourinho explained how the transfer came about, saying: “He had already played for Guingamp, Marseille, Le Mans, so when I took him to Chelsea I remember clearly [Chelsea's then owner Roman] Abramovich was asking me, ‘Who? Who do you want as a striker?’

“With all the big names in Europe at that time I said Drogba. ‘Who is he? Where’s he playing?’ (I said) 'Mr Abramovich – pay. pay, and don’t speak'. And Didier was an iconic player for Chelsea, for the Premier League."

Didier Drogba's Chelsea Statistics

Appearances

381

Goals

164

Assists

88

3:37
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Jose Mourinho’s Worst Signings

Players

From

To

Year

Alexis Sanchez

Arsenal

Manchester United

2018

Andriy Shevchenko

AC Milan

Chelsea

2006

Papy Djilobodji

Nantes

Chelsea

2015

Radamel Falcao

AS Monaco

Chelsea

2015

Juan Cuadrado

Fiorentina

Chelsea

2015

Mateja Kezman

PSV Eindhoven

Chelsea

2004

Ricardo Quaresma

Porto

Inter Milan

2008

Nuri Sahin

Borussia Dortmund

Real Madrid

2011

Baba Rahman

Augsburg

Chelsea

2015

Fabio Coentrao

Benfica

Real Madrid

2011

10. Fabio Coentrao

Transfer fee: £27m

Fabio Coentrao

It’s not as if Mourinho signed a bad player in Fabio Coentrao - the Portuguese left-back looked outstanding at Benfica - but there’s no doubt this turned out to be a disappointing transfer. Coentrao was signed to provide Marcelo with additional competition at left-back, but the Brazil international continued to get better and better, leaving the Portugal international in his shadow.

He spent time on loan at AS Monaco and Sporting Lisbon before leaving the Bernabeu for Rio Ave in 2018. The defender retired in 2021 and unexpectedly decided to become a fisherman. One of the more unusual post-football career jobs, that one.

Fabio Coentrao's Real Madrid Statistics

Appearances

106

Goals

1

Assists

11

9. Baba Rahman

Transfer fee: £15m

Baba Rahman

Chelsea splashed out £15 million on Ghanaian left-back Baba Rahman, who made just 23 appearances for the club between 2015-2023. That's right, Rahman somehow lasted a grand total of eight years at Stamford Bridge. Many would be forgiven for thinking his time in London was brief with the limited number of games he featured in.

The defender spent most of that time out on loan, playing for the likes of Schalke, Reims, Mallorca, and Reading. Chelsea finally got the 29-year-old off their books when he joined Greek side PAOK after the defender had spent a short-term stint at the Greek club in 2021.

Baba Rahman's Chelsea Statistics

Appearances

23

Goals

0

Assists

2

8. Nuri Sahin

Transfer fee: £9m

Nuri Sahin

The £9 million purchase of Nuri Sahin felt like a real coup for Real Madrid in 2011. The Turkish midfielder had shone brightly at Borussia Dortmund but, for whatever reason, it failed to happen for him at the Bernabeu. Being lost among the vast array of supremely talented players in the Real Madrid engine room, Sahin never became a first-team regular in Spain.

After failing to impress on loan at Liverpool, Sahin signed for Dortmund on loan before re-joining the Bundesliga outfit permanently in 2014. He made just 10 appearances for Los Blancos, scoring one goal. His career did pick up when he returned to Germany, leaving his spell in Madrid and Liverpool as small blemishes on his record.

Nuri Sahin's Real Madrid Statistics

Appearances

10

Goals

1

Assists

1

7. Ricardo Quaresma

Transfer fee: £22.1m

Quaresma

It’s such a shame things failed to work out for Ricardo Quaresma at Inter because the Portuguese winger was a serious talent. He scored a hugely disappointing one goal in 32 games for Inter and also underwhelmed on loan at Chelsea before being offloaded to Besiktas in 2010.

Quaresma ended up back at Porto for a year in 2014, and was last seen with the Portuguese side Vitoria de Guimaraes in 2022. To think, he was once considered by some football fans as a more talented player than Cristiano Ronaldo. It's safe to say, things didn't pan out that way at all.

Ricardo Quaresma's Inter Milan Statistics

Appearances

32

Goals

1

Assists

2

6. Mateja Kezman

Transfer fee: £5.3m

Kezman

Buying prolific strikers from the Eredivisie is unquestionably a gamble. For every Ruud van Nistelrooy or Luis Suarez, there’s an Afonso Alves or, indeed, a Mateja Kezman. The Serbian striker was signed by Chelsea in 2004 after scoring 38 goals in 43 games for PSV Eindhoven, but struggled to produce the goods in the Premier League, bagging just four goals in 25 games.

At the end of his first season at the Bridge, Kezman was moved on to Atletico Madrid. This was the beginning of the number nine curse at Chelsea that has seen many strikers struggle to make an impact at the west London club.

Mateja Kezman's Chelsea Statistics

Appearances

41

Goals

7

Assists

2

5. Juan Cuadrado

Transfer fee: £23.3m

Juan Cuadrado

Juan Cuadrado proved he was a top-level winger during his time at Fiorentina, which convinced Mourinho to bring the Colombia international to Chelsea in February 2015. Having shown blistering form during his time in Serie A, fans were led to believe they would see the pacey winger cause many opposing full-backs problems.

But he never did. Cuadrado ended up playing just 15 games for Chelsea before joining Juventus permanently in 2017. The 35-year-old then signed for Inter Milan in 2023. This can go down as a calamitous deal for the Blues, which is shown by their willingness to part company with the Colombian on loan after just six months at Stamford Bridge.

Juan Cuadrado's Chelsea Statistics

Appearances

15

Goals

0

Assists

1

4. Radamel Falcao

Transfer fee: Loan

Radamel Falcao

After Radamel Falcao flopped on loan at Man Utd, Mourinho thought he could bring the best out of the Colombian striker at Stamford Bridge. But, alas, he could not. Falcao, who was arguably the best No. 9 in the world at his peak, scored one goal in 12 games for Chelsea before his disastrous spell in English football came to an end.

The South American went on to resurrect his career, to an extent, with Galatasaray and then Raya Vallecano. His time in England will be forever remembered as a failure after Falcao struggled to make any positive impression on either Chelsea or Man United.

Radamel Falcao's Chelsea Statistics

Appearances

12

Goals

1

Assists

0

3. Papy Djilobodji

Transfer fee: £4m

Djilobodji

Shortly after Papy Djilobodji’s arrival, Mourinho told reporters it wasn’t his choice to bring the Senegalese defender to Chelsea - which, let’s face it, would explain a lot. That said, Mourinho was still the man in the hot seat at the time, so Djilobodji officially goes down as one of his signings.

The defender made just one appearance for the Blues before moving on to Sunderland, who ended up sacking him for breaching his contract. The 34-year-old has been with Turkish side Gaziantep FK since 2019, in case you were wondering.

Papy Djilobodji's Chelsea Statistics

Appearances

1

Goals

0

Assists

0

2. Andriy Shevchenko

Transfer fee: £30m

Andriy Shevchenko

In the summer of 2006, when it was announced that Chelsea had signed the world-class Andriy Shevchenko from AC Milan, it felt like the back-to-back Premier League champions were about to become unstoppable. Nobody would have predicted that the revered Ukrainian striker would struggle quite so badly at the Bridge.

Twenty-three goals in 76 games was such a massively underwhelming return from a striker of his calibre - and he’ll always be remembered as one of Chelsea’s biggest flops as a result. It could be argued that his move to west London even damaged his legacy as one of the greatest strikers of his era.

Andriy Shevchenko's Chelsea Statistics

Appearances

77

Goals

22

Assists

12

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1. Alexis Sanchez

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Alexis Sanchez

Alexis Sanchez is a strong contender for the unwanted title of Man Utd’s worst ever signing. The Chilean forward, who was handed the club’s famous No. 7 shirt following his shock move from Arsenal, was an unmitigated disaster at Old Trafford.

Five goals in 45 games is all United got in return from a supposedly world-class player on a ludicrous £500,000-a-week contract. It's still baffling when you think how badly he struggled in Manchester. After all, he'd been nothing short of sensational for Arsenal. Some things just aren't meant to be...

Alexis Sanchez's Manchester United Statistics

Appearances

45

Goals

5

Assists

9