Brave Blue world - Jose plans to back young talent

Posted Tuesday, May 21, 2013 by The Sun

SPECIAL DELIVERY ... Jose Mourinho already has his plans in place for when he takes over at Chelsea

JOSE MOURINHO is already working on his Chelsea blueprint for next season.

The Special One wants to hit the ground running when he walks back into Stamford Bridge to start work in July.

So, even though he still has two matches left at Real Madrid — and wants to win them both — he is also looking ahead to next term.

Mourinho watched all of the Blues’ games over the past few months to study the squad he will inherit.

And he has also been drawing up a wish-list of players he wants to bring to the King’s Road.

But the man who won six trophies in his first three-year reign in SW6 is planning an entirely different approach to life at Stamford Bridge second time around.

The emphasis this time will be on promoting exciting young talent, rather than buying in ready-made stars.

Mourinho wants to emulate Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and create a team and build a dynasty — a vision shared by Chelsea’s billionaire owner Roman Abramovich.

That is a stark contrast to when Mourinho arrived in a blaze of glory in 2004 having just won the Champions League in his native Portugal with Porto.

A host of big-money, big-name signings arrived with him as Russian Abramovich splashed the cash to hand Mourinho a squad that could compete with the Premier League’s dominant forces Manchester United and Arsenal.

First to arrive were Didier Drogba, Arjen Robben, Petr Cech, Ricardo Carvalho, Paulo Ferreira, Tiago and Mateja Kezman as the Blues made a £90million statement.

The following summer, after setting a Premier League record points tally of 95, the champions splashed out another £50m on Michael Essien, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Asier Del Horno.

Then, in 2006, £30m striker Andriy Shevchenko, Germany captain Michael Ballack and Ashley Cole were unveiled.

And over the years those big names helped win the big games as Chelsea enjoyed the most successful spell in their history.

CAV-A-GO HERO ... Napoli striker Edinson Cavani is one of Jose Mourinho's top summer targets

They won back-to-back titles in Mourinho’s first two seasons to establish the Londoners as a dominant force at home and in Europe.

Not this time.

The Blues may not be dominant any more but they have a strong squad full of quality that Mourinho believes can be winners again with some astute additions.

So the focus now will be on bringing in the best young talent and then grooming them to stardom.

Chelsea have already started along that route with the recruitment of Oscar, 21, and 22-year-old Eden Hazard.

More youngsters Romelu Lukaku, 20, and 21-year-olds Kevin De Bruyne and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois have been signed up and sent out on loan.

And Mourinho is keen to continue the policy.

There will be only one exception to the new rule, though, as the Blues desperately try to land a top-quality striker to lead their push for glory.

The Champions League and Europa League holders want £50m flop Fernando Torres out in the summer to make way for a big-name replacement. They have been linked with Cristiano
Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Robert Lewandowski, Radamel Falcao and Edinson Cavani.

Ronaldo is a no-go for a variety of reasons — not least that the Madrid superstar and boss Mourinho have fallen out.

The incoming Chelsea boss is also convinced the £80m world-record signing will stay at the Bernabeu for at least another season.

Chelsea also believe Borussia Dortmund’s Lewandowski will sign for Bayern Munich after Saturday’s Champions League final and Rooney will stay at United.

And they have also been told that Atletico Madrid’s Falcao has already agreed a deal elsewhere, with Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain both keen.

So Cavani is the one — but the Uruguayan will not be cheap and he will not be easy.

Chelsea’s new main man will be aided and abetted in attack by Bayer Leverkusen’s Andre Schurrle, who looks sure to arrive at the Bridge.

The Blues will definitely keep Demba Ba and Mourinho is currently deliberating over whether to bring back Lukaku, who spent the season on loan at West Brom.

He was a huge success at Albion and scored 17 goals for Steve Clarke — Mourinho’s former right-hand man.

So if the Special One needs any help with that decision, he knows who to ask for advice.

Other summer targets are a holding midfielder and a dominating centre-half — and expect both of them to be young and full of promise.

But the one thing that will not change is Mourinho — and his desire to lead his team to glory again.