Mourinho keeping tabs on Three Lions stars.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is keeping an eye on the performances of three big-name targets in England’s World Cup squad this summer, CaughtOffside can reveal.
After a somewhat surprising trophyless campaign in 2013/14, the Blues have already made big steps towards strengthening for next season with the signings of Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona and Diego Costa from Atletico Madrid, addressing two key areas of the squad at Stamford Bridge.
Still, the Portuguese coach remains keen on bringing in a new left-back to replace the departing Ashley Cole, while one more striker is also likely to be brought in as the likes of Fernando Torres, Demba Ba and Romelu Lukaku could all be set for the axe.
There is also some doubt over the future of Brazilian midfielder Ramires, who is being linked with Real Madrid, and although it has been reported that Chelsea are looking at doing a swap deal with the Spanish giants for former Tottenham Hotspur playmaker Luka Modric, there is also a rising young English talent for that position coming under consideration.
3) Luke Shaw (Southampton)
With Saints youngster Luke Shaw being selected ahead of veteran full-back Ashley Cole for the England national team this summer, it could now be that the talented 18-year-old will replace the Blues star in that slot at Chelsea next season. Although the player is widely acknowledged to be a £27m target for Manchester United, it has been reported that the Red Devils are becoming frustrated at how long it has taken to conclude a deal, with new manager Louis van Gaal now thought to be considering other options such as Barcelona and Spain star Jordi Alba.
Shaw has been linked with Chelsea in the past, and although United are believed to be his main choice for the moment, he has revealed his boyhood support for the Blues, and Mourinho is seemingly ready to pounce if a proposed move to Old Trafford does end up falling through. Atletico Madrid’s Filipe Luis has also attracted plenty of attention from Chelsea, but Shaw is more appealing in that he is a far more long-term option than the Brazilian, who is ten years his senior.
2) Ross Barkley (Everton)
A superb young talent who lit up the Premier League in 2013/14, Ross Barkley is now getting the chance to shine on the international stage with a key role to play for Roy Hodgson’s side in this summer’s World Cup. The 20-year-old Everton starlet came on as a substitute in the Three Lions’ 2-1 defeat to Italy on Saturday and made a noticeable impact straight away.
His fine form and mental toughness will not have gone unnoticed by Chelsea, who were linked with the player earlier on in the season. Manchester United have also shown a strong interest in this superb young talent, who has been compared with England legend Paul Gascgoine, as well as former Chelsea and Germany star Michael Ballack. Although the Blues are well stocked in the midfield department, particularly now with the signing of Fabregas, Ramires’ departure could see Mourinho move for another signing in midfield, and Barkley is believed to be up there with his top targets, though Atletico Madrid playmaker Koke is also an option.
1) Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool)
In what could be one of the shock deals of the summer, Chelsea are also considering a move to bring England striker Daniel Sturridge back to the club from Liverpool. The 24-year-old has taken his game to a whole new level since making the move to Anfield in January 2013, scoring 35 goals in just 49 appearances to establish himself as one of the deadliest finishers in the Premier League. This is some contrast to his form at Chelsea, when he often played out of position on the flank as a youngster, and looked out of his depth among the other big names at Stamford Bridge.
It remains to be seen if the player himself would consider returning to the Blues, and it would almost certainly take an enormous fee for Liverpool to even consider letting him go at this stage, but with Mourinho keen to bring in one more quality signing upfront to replace the misfiring pair of Fernando Torres and Demba Ba, as well as unsettled youngster Romelu Lukaku, Sturridge has been identified as a serious option for the club as they look to build a title-winning squad for next season.
Sturridge will no doubt have impressed with his performances so far in Brazil, as he got himself on the scoresheet and looked a threat throughout despite England’s 2-1 opening day defeat to Italy.
SEE ALSO: The Fastest Players on Fifa 14