José Mourinho expects the summer transfer market to be warped, likening it to “Wall Street collapsing”, as rival clubs – intent upon mounting a title challenge next term – overpay in a bid to strengthen their squads.
Chelsea, who have already pinpointed their potential recruits, expect to make three or four additions of their own but will balance those signings with departures from the current squad. Yet Mourinho is braced for Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool to sanction significant outlays to ensure they muster more of a challenge next year.
“The market is difficult,” said the Portuguese. “I can imagine that, this summer, it will be like Wall Street collapsing. I can imagine that some clubs are coming into the market with such determination that they will disrupt the market and take it in unexpected directions. But we are in a good situation. We have this stability in our squad. We don’t need dramatic changes. We have to be loyal to our players because we believe in them.
“What other clubs are going to do is not going to affect our direction. If others buy 10 players each, that will not push us to do things we don’t want to do. We are stable. I’m in a different position to last season. Then, I was more than keen for my club to sell some players and in this moment I’m very, very happy to keep my players. The base last year was to sell to buy. The base this season is to keep my squad, but to give some extra motivation to the squad and a couple of extra options to improve.”
The Premier League champions have an interest in Antoine Griezmann at Atlético Madrid, whose current contract includes a buy-out clause set at £43m, and have put together an extensive list of prospective targets in anticipation of losing Filipe Luís and Didier Drogba. “Every player is linked to our club: some because they want to come; some because they want better contracts in their clubs,” said Mourinho. “That’s the nature of the market. We are not going to get into this game. It doesn’t affect us. It is what it is, but we know what we want, and it’s not much.”
Mourinho continues to hope Petr Cech will be retained next season, despite the player’s lack of first-team involvement this term. Talks are planned with the club’s hierarchy in the summer. “The player has a contract with Chelsea and Chelsea will have a very important say in the decision,” said the manager. “I want my best players [to stay]. Petr is one of my best players. I want my important players. Petr is one of my important players. So I would like him to say.
“That’s my position. I am positive, I am optimistic, and I’d like him to stay, so yes I expect him [to stay]. I’m optimistic he can be here next year.”
André Schürrle, who was sold to Wolfsburg for £23m in January having started five Premier League matches over the first half of the season, had revealed earlier this week that Mourinho had texted him to invite him to Stamford Bridge for the final game of the season against Sunderland. The same offer has been extended to Mohamed Salah and Mark Schwarzer, who were loaned to Fiorentina and released to Leicester respectively, as well as the youngster, Lewis Baker, who ended the season on loan at MK Dons.
The Premier League will supply the champions with 40 winners’ medals which are technically for players who have made five appearances, though in practice they can be distributed however the club see fit.
“André, Salah, Schwarzer, Lewis, all of those who started the season with us, have been invited to the last match and the Player of the Year dinner,” said Mourinho. “They belong to the group. We are not sure they can all make it – we know Lewis can – but at least they know we feel they belong to this title.
“I know that, by the rules, they only give a medal to a player who had five appearances and, in this case, not all of them will get an official medal. But yes, we are going to buy medals for everyone, and replicas of the cup. Obviously, for me the ‘champions’ are those who have played every minute like John Terry, but also people like Schwarzer who were not involved. Branislav Ivanovic also wants to play every game, and [Eden] Hazard wants to start every game in the Premier League. So if we can do that, we’ll do that.”