Mourinho eyes 18-year-old Spanish sensation.
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Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is ready to launch a January bid for highly-rated Atletico Madrid midfielder Oliver Torres, according to the Daily Star.
The 18-year-old playmaker is one of Spanish football’s most highly-rated prospects, already drawing comparisons with Real Madrid starlet Isco and attracting interest from several of Europe’s top clubs, including Manchester City and Barcelona.
Chelsea are now hoping to jump the queue for his signature, as Mourinho continues to eye up the best young talent from around the globe as he seeks to develop a long-term project at Stamford Bridge.
It is thought that the Portuguese coach would have been willing to wait until next summer to sign Torres, though a season-ending injury suffered by Marco van Ginkel in midweek has forced Mourinho to reconsider, and he may speed up his pursuit of the Spanish Under-21 international.
Torres’ current contract with Atletico expires in 2018, though the club are likely to be anticipating continued interest in their prized asset before then, and could be tempted to cash in on the player if a good enough offer comes in from the Blues.
Torres is no relation of former Atletico striker Fernando Torres, who now also plays for Chelsea.