JOSE MOURINHO has distanced himself from the Newcastle United job because of the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the direction the club is heading following the departure of Rafa Benitez.

Sources close to Mourinho say that the former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss will not be pushing for the post and that is largely down to the fact it is so unclear what the Magpies’ ambitions are.

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley is yet to draw up a short-list for the post to succeed Benitez following confirmation that the well-liked Spaniard will be leaving once his contract has expired on June 30.

There is no shortage of interest from up and coming managers as well as names who have a more successful CV behind them, including from the likes of former Premier League title winner Claudio Ranieri and ex-Feyenoord boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

It is hard to imagine any appointment made by Ashley will make up for the loss of Benitez in the fans’ eyes, and the club’s support has uttered as much in a statement.

The Newcastle United Supporters’ Trust stated: “The inability of the club to strike a deal with a hugely popular and charismatic manager is a blow the club might never recover from. It damages the football club, the city and region.”

Such a scenario is hardly ideal for a manager being asked to fill the void left by someone adored like Benitez, who gave the impression he was desperate to stay if the conditions were in place for him to help the club challenge for a top ten spot.

Mourinho is known to have a place in his heart for Newcastle as his mentor, Sir Bobby Robson, was once manager there.

However, despite being out of work since leaving Manchester United last season, he is said to want to return to management at a club which matches his own ambitions.

The Portuguese is said to be one of those who will be considered by the Bin Zayed Group if they can complete a takeover of Newcastle from Ashley.

But even though the Group maintain their attempts to buy the club remain credible and ongoing, the Premier League remain insistent that an official takeover process has still not started.  If that ever does begin, it would be a further four weeks from that point if everything went to plan. That suggests Newcastle will be heading into the new Premier League season with Ashley still in control at St James’ Park.

That is why the managerial situation is so difficult because Newcastle can’t afford to be managerless at the start of the new campaign, with newly-appointed Under-23s coach Neil Redfearn expected to lead first training as things stand next week.

Ashley and managing director Lee Charnley are being made aware of significant interest in the job regardless of the doubts surrounding its long term ownership, with former France manager Laurent Blanc and ex-Sunderland manager David Moyes two to have made contact. Other names to have been touted are Steve Bruce, Gennaro Gattuso and Arsene Wenger.  Former Fulham and Watford boss Slavisa Jokanovic, who had been heavily interesting Middlesbrough and West Brom, is another who is known to be keen.

Given the situation Newcastle finds itself in, it is hard to imagine Ashley handing out a long term contract unless any would-be buyer of the club approved.  Benitez turned down the offer of a one-year deal because of a variety of reasons including how he would not have had full control over transfers.

That is why Ashley and Charnley are not ruling out a change of structure, whereby there would be a return to a head coach model rather than appoint a manager who would want control of deals.

Benitez was desperate to secure the services of Salomon Rondon but Ashley was reluctant to pay the £16.5m clause in the striker’s contract for the 29-year-old, despite the fact that he enjoyed such a good season on Tyneside.

West Ham United are understood to have made a £10m offer for the Venezuela striker in the last few days that has been rejected by the Baggies. Benitez’s imminent exit is likely to have put paid to any hope of seeing Rondon back in the North-East.