Jose Mourinho ready to swing his Stamford Bridge axe.
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Jose Mourinho has ran out of patience with a number of his first team squad and has received the backing of Blues owner Roman Abramovich to make big money moves in both of the next two transfer windows, though moves for high profile additions will be in part funded by player sales.
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CaughtOffside understands that Mourinho has been in lengthy talks with Abramovich over the past week and the Russian billionaire is ready to back the returning Chelsea boss to the hilt, confident that the Portuguese boss is the man to guide the West London club to the Premier League title and a renewed push to capture the Champions League.
Mourinho is ready to adopt a quality over quantity approach to his Chelsea squad and is ready to listen to offers to many of his playing staff with as many as ten set for a possible exit either in January or next summer.
Amazingly Chelsea have a first team squad numbering over 50, with 26 players sent out on loan deals, and as such the number of players Mourinho is willing to offload will be significantly higher than the number of top targets he wishes to usher in.
Mourinho is ready to listen to big money offers for Spaniard Juan Mata, who he opted to leave out of his first team starting line-up for some weeks in preference to using Oscar and when the former Valencia man has been used the Chelsea manager has not been impressed with his effectiveness.
Indeed the 25 year old’s return of just two assists and zero goals in 12 Premier League fixtures is hard to fathom given the massive impact Mata had made in his first two seasons at Chelsea. PSG and Atletico Madrid are said to be interested and Abramovich would want at least £30m from any potential sale.
Similarly David Luiz found himself frozen out of first team affairs with Mourinho making veteran John Terry an ever present and then preferring to team the Chelsea captain with Gary Cahill and the Blues have managed just two clean sheets in the eight Premier League matches the Brazilian has figured in. Barcelona are known to be keen on the former Benfica man but again a fee of £30m+ will be required for the fan favourite.
Ashley Cole is unlikely to be offered a new contract and the 33 year old England man will have to consider his options at the end of what may well turn out to be a frustrating season for the left-back who made his first Premier League start in almost two months on Boxing Day.
Mourinho is happy to retain his faith in Czech keeper Petr Cech and with youngster Thibaut Courtois said to be unwilling to return to Chelsea just to warm the bench, with the Belgian now into his third successful season at Atletico Madrid, the Blues boss is willing to listen to offers for the 21 year old.
John Obi Mikel is another player Mourinho is willing to make available, with the Nigerian battler having started less than half the club’s Premier League fixtures.