Mourinho targets striker, amid Falcao links
ESPN FC’s Stewart Robson and Gab Marcotti discuss how Radamel Falcao would fit in at Chelsea after Manchester United opted not renew his one-year loan.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says that his side will target a striker and “two or three” players this summer, with former Manchester United frontman Falcao reportedly among his targets.
Mourinho is looking to replace the departing Didier Drogba and, with injury doubts over Diego Costa and Loic Remy all season, the Premier League champions are keen to bolster their strikeforce.
Falcao, 29, struggled at United while on loan from Monaco this season — managing only four goals — but the Sunday Times report that the Colombian striker is on Chelsea’s shortlist of five.
“We have to buy a striker because we want to have three strikers of a good level,” Mourinho told the paper. “We do not want to have just one [transfer target]. Then you lose a good position on the negotiation table.”
Mourinho knows he is in for a tough task this summer as he seeks more squad depth, but is looking to improve his side across the board.
“It will be difficult to find players to go straight into the team,” he said. “Because it’s not easy to find a better striker than Diego (Costa), a better keeper than (Thibaut) Courtois, a better midfield player than (Nemanja) Matic or (Cesc) Fabregas.
“This season is about improving the squad, bringing players to make us more consistent, so we don’t go through difficult periods like last season when we had crucial injuries. We have to try and protect that situation by adding two or three players.”
The Portuguese coach also insisted that he was not ready to lose players this summer, despite reported links to Real Madrid for Eden Hazard and Costa.
“We will be better,” Mourinho added. “I don’t see our team losing players. I don’t see our team losing our qualities, especially our mental, emotional approach to matches, to the season, to the competition.”
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