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Jose Mourinho
Jose Mourinho: wants to team up with Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba once again

Mourinho reveals Chelsea raid plan

Simon Johnson, Football Correspondent
19 Jun 2008


Jose Mourinho today told Chelsea that he wants to be reunited with Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba at Inter Milan.

It's the first time Mourinho has spoken about his plans to launch a transfer raid on Stamford Bridge and comes amid reports that Lampard's talks over a new Chelsea deal have hit a snag over the length of any new deal.

Lampard, who turns 30 tomorrow, wants to stay at Chelsea but is demanding a four-year extension to his current contract. The club are reportedly only prepared to offer him two years.

The England midfielder will have talks with new manager Luiz Felipe Scolari in a bid to resolve the problem but it is now clear that Mourinho is ready to offer one of his favourite players a way out of Stamford Bridge with a £10million bid.

The former Blues boss, who is also keen to sign Barcelona's Deco - who he managed atPorto and is also a target for Chelsea - said: "I am not nostalgic but I really like those three players, they helped me win some great titles.

"I cannot forget Deco, Lampard and Drogba. These are players who I could never say no to. I would love to work with them again in future, but I am not too obsessed with this idea. I don't know which of the three will leave their clubs but we'll see."

His declaration of intent comes three days after president Massimo Moratti revealed the midfielder was the club's No1 target. More surprising is the former Chelsea coach's continued desire to sign Drogba as Moratti said yesterday that Mourinho had no strikers on his shortlist of transfer targets. Chelsea are still in negotiations with Barcelona over the fee for Deco as they are not prepared to pay the £15m asking price.

Barcelona vice-president Marc Ingla claims they are no closer to agreeing a deal for the 30-year-old and said: "We can't guarantee his career will continue at Chelsea because we are yet to receive an offer from this club."

Mourinho could now be ready to beat them to his signature as Deco has made no secret of his admiration for his former manager at Porto.

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