Jose Mourinho has given a clear hint Chelsea will make a third big-money attempt to buy Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney before the transfer window closes on September 2nd.
The London club has already had two sizeable offers for the unsettled England international rejected, with reports putting the most recent bid at £25 million.
“We will try to the last day to add a new player to the squad, a striker, but at this moment every striker has a club,“ Mourinho said after Chelsea launched their Premier League season with a 2-0 home win over promoted Hull City yesterday.
“I don‘t think it‘s ethical that I name a player that belongs to another club . . . but if we have to make the bid we will do it in an ethical way, not like some clubs. We don‘t speak to players, we speak to clubs. We don’t do what many clubs do and go around and try to influence players to behave in a certain way. We go direct to the club in a correct manner and we are going to try to do that until the last day of the window.”
Mourinho’s long anticipated return to the Premier League was preceded by a rare visit from Roman Abramovich to the home dressing room to address the players as Chelsea presented a united front after all the discord and rancour of last season.
The Portuguese manager received a rapturous reception from the home support and duly saw his team ease to a comfortable victory over Hull to kick-start his second spell in charge, extending his unbeaten Premier League run at home to 61 games.
The Russian’s own decade in charge was also celebrated here and the oligarch made a point of speaking to the players before kick-off. “It’s great, especially for the players, to feel the atmosphere around the place,” said Mourinho. “It’s the fifth season I’ve started with Chelsea but the first time Mr Abramovich has come to the dressing room to be with us before the match. We are together and know where we want to go.”
Chelsea’s win was secured by goals by Oscar and Frank Lampard, the latter having earlier missed a penalty.
Guardian Service
and Reuters
