Lisbon - Jose Mourinho is set to become coach of Italian football champions Inter Milan, news reports in his native Portugal said on Monday. The Publico broadsheet said that Mourinho will sign a three-year contract before the end of the week. The deal is allegedly worth 9 million euros (14 million dollars) per season.
The sports paper A Bola said that Mourinho has asked Inter to sign Barcelona's Deco and Frank Lampard from Chelsea as new players.
Mourinho has been out of coaching since being sacked at Chelsea last September. He worked with Lampard during his term at the English top side and also with Deco at Porto where both won the Champions League title.
There was no confirmation from Milan, where Alberto Mancini said several weeks ago that he will step down after four years as coach after the season despite a contract until 2012.
Inter won a third straight Serie A title but then lost the cup final to Roma last weekend.
Italian dailies reported that Inter president Massimo Moratti would meet with Mancini over the next days to discuss the future, seemingly trying to persuade him to stay on.
"I talked to him by telephone. He was exhausted after a hard season. Therefore I have no intention to urge him. On the contrary, I want to let him relax.
"It will be a conversation between people who like each other. I, for myself, like Mancini very much," Moratti ti told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
