Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has revealed that he is going to buy a defender this summer, reports the Daily Star.
The Portuguese guided his team to the Premier League and the Capital One Cup last season, but were knocked out early on in both the Champions League and the FA Cup. A new defender will help cover for the ageing legs of 34-year-old John Terry, as well as give extra depth in case of injuries at the back.
“I am looking for a defender to finish this balance in our squad and after that we are ready to answer anything that can happen to our players,” Mourinho said.
“If one of our players in a specific position wants to leave, we agree a deal for a player to leave and we have to answer immediately and bring in somebody else, because at the moment we have balance in the squad and we cannot lose that.”
This comes as the Blues have been linked to making a £26 million-bid for Everton star John Stones [Daily Express]. However, they may not have too much luck with a move for the 21-year-old, as the Toffees have already made clear that the player isn’t for sale.
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Manager Roberto Martinez has hit back at Mourinho for the openness of their bid for the player, and reiterated that the Merseyside team aren’t a selling club [BBC].
“There is the disappointment of a club making a statement to the press and making it openly,” said Martinez.
“I don’t think we’d do it and speak about a player. John Stones is an Everton player, full stop.
“We are not a selling club. We are not a club that needs to be worried about what other clubs put through the press.”
Even if the Stamford Bridge outfit aren’t able to bring in the Everton man, they have been linked to other young centre-backs. Stuttgart’s Antonio Rudiger is one who has been linked, and is even keen on a move according to the Metro. This would likely make him far easier to sign than Stones.
Olympique Lyonnais defender Samuel Umtiti has also caught the eye of the Blues [Daily Express]. However, the player could be just as difficult as Stones to pick up, with the Ligue 1 side not keen to sell one of their best prospects and offering him a new contract [London Evening Standard].