Mourinho’s secret advice fuels Coventry’s Premier League comeback

Coventry City manager Frank Lampard has revealed he consulted Jose Mourinho over an undisclosed player earlier this summer, a conversation that comes as the Sky Blues prepare for their Premier League return after a 25‑year absence.

Mourinho consultation and Netflix spotlight

The discussion resurfaced this month alongside the release of “Mourinho”, a three‑part Netflix documentary chronicling the Special One’s storied career. The series, produced by Getty, highlights Mourinho’s return to the Bernabeu after recent spells with Roma, Fenerbahce and Benfica.

Lampard told reporters, “Jose’s always there. Between us now, I did message him the other day about another player – not a Real Madrid player – but a player that he worked with previously and he’s always on call.” He added that Mourinho took “a couple of days” to reply with a “very, very detailed talk” about the target.

During the interview, Lampard’s former England teammate Darren Bent jokingly asked whether he could call in a favour with Mourinho and “nab a few unwanted Galacticos this summer – maybe Kylian Mbappe or Rodrygo?” Lampard replied, “Yeah, I’m sure Doug [the Coventry owner] would love the wages. It would be triple or quadruple our wage bill!”

Arsenal chase as Liverpool and Real Madrid target €25m midfielder

Coventry’s Premier League comeback

Guiding Coventry to promotion, Lampard is back in the Premier League and will face champions Arsenal in the 2026/27 season’s curtain‑raiser on Friday night, a match broadcast live on talkSPORT.

The former Chelsea midfielder recalled a memorable moment from the documentary: in a 2004 shower at Stamford Bridge, Mourinho told a young Lampard he was already the best player in the world, a confidence boost that preceded Lampard becoming Chelsea’s all‑time record goalscorer.

Reflecting on his managerial influences, Lampard said, “Lots. I’ve watched the doc and it was great memories… Mourinho transformed me into one of the greatest players in world football.” He added that he strives to be “close to the players” and to balance on‑pitch and off‑pitch priorities, lessons he attributes largely to Mourinho’s impact.

The exchange underscores how high‑profile networks continue to shape transfer discussions, especially as Mourinho returns to Real Madrid for a second spell, adding another layer of intrigue to the broader market.