Mourinho plots second Chelsea raid, for £13.5m midfielder
Roma manager Jose Mourinho is set to move for another Chelsea player this summer, as he’s reportedly made Ruben Loftus-Cheek his top target before the transfer window shuts next week.
Mourinho has already spent close to £90million on new players this summer, including £36million on Tammy Abraham.
The former Chelsea striker impressed on his debut for the Serie A side, contributing two assists in a 3-1 win over Fiorentina.
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And according to Corriere dello Sport (via the Daily Mail), Mourinho is keen to return to his former club to strike a deal for Loftus-Cheek.
Mourinho – who worked briefly with Loftus-Cheek in his second stint in west London – sees the £16milloon-rated playmaker as the ideal addition to his squad.
The report claims Roma have already made an approach and their transfer chief Tiago Pinto is working hard to get a deal completed in the coming days.
The 25-year-old – who spent last season on loan at Fulham – is unlikely to get a look-in under Thomas Tuchel this season and his departure will be sanctioned if a suitable deal can be struck.
It’s understood that Roma are keen on an initial loan deal with an option to buy him permanently for £13.5million.
Meanwhile, former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has lauded the impact of current Chelsea boss Tuchel on the players at Stamford Bridge.
“Frank’s respectful and I think he’s honest enough to know and would say Tuchel has done an amazing job,” Ferdinand told FIVE.
“But at the same time I’m sure Frank’s sitting there thinking, ‘well I didn’t see these certain players performing like this when I was there’.
“But then it’s about Frank looking at himself, looking at his tenure there, did he approach things the right way. I’m sure he’s doing all this, he’s looking at, ‘Could I have handled this situation better, could I have handled that player better?’
“That’s what Frank will be going through and he’ll be looking to make sure he rights the wrongs from his time at Chelsea.
“But you can’t do anything but respect and pay homage to what Tuchel has done.
“Look at Rudiger, he’s arguably since Tuchel has been there [at Chelsea], been the best defender in the Premier League. Him or [Ruben] Dias in that time. He’s been unbelievable, he’s like an animal.”