it's going to be liverpool.
i finally admitted it to myself. i've known it all along, i just realized, but finally got myself to admit it.
Jose fancies himself as one of the best in the world. therefore, you know he will only pick a world-class club. he said he didn't want his next job to be in England, and you assume he wouldn't yet want a national team assignment, so he'd have to look to either Spain or Italy. The only club in Germany he'd take might have been Bayern, but that's even a stretch. beyond that, there are no clubs in France or Holland or elsewhere big enough for him. so to Spain he will go and end up with either Madrid or Barca, or Italy to Inter or Milan or Juve. maybe a few other clubs in the mix (Valencia, Villareal, Roma, etc.), but not many.
so assume he is there for 3-5 years and comes back to England. if he accomplishes what we would assume he would accomplish at such a big club with resources -- a few league trophies, a few domestic cups, maybe another European championship -- he will still think of himself as elite, and will demand an elite club. Which is Chelsea, Man Utd, Arsenal or Liverpool. And no other options.
it could be Utd, but they seem a little too stodgy to transition from SAF to Jose. and Arsenal certainly could be a destination, but are they ready to splash cash around the way that Jose will want? He's certainly no Wegner when it comes to finding diamonds in the rough on the cheap. which leads us to liverpool.
i hate to admit it, but i think it's going to happen.