Jose Mourinho has warned his title rivals that he is building another Chelsea empire fit to last for up to a decade at the top.
Mourinho has been thrilled with the impact of his £75million trio of Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas and Filipe Luis and the way they have responded to his demands in pre-season, adding to the feeling his may be the team to beat in the title race.
The Chelsea boss is confident the new recruits have added the missing ingredient to a squad packed with young and emerging talent and which retains a sprinkling of grisly know-how in the shape of John Terry and Didier Drogba.
‘We have the squad that we want to have,’ said Mourinho. ‘We don’t say it’s perfect, we don’t say it’s the best. There is no manager in the world that says his squad is perfect and could not improve in certain positions.
‘We say we like very much our squad. It is a squad for tomorrow, for next season and also a squad with big possibilities for the next five or 10 years with so many young people. So, I like my squad very much.’
Mourinho applauded the Stamford Bridge board for striking fast to fulfil his requests in the transfer market.
‘I love the club because the club was fantastic and gave me the three targets I was asking for, in the left back, a midfield player and a striker,’ he said. ‘In fact, they gave me two strikers because Didier is also back.
‘We have bought three people in Filipe, Diego and Fabregas, all in the best stage for a football player, between 25 and 30. They are three experienced players with quality to strengthen immediately our team. Last season we went into the season with a different profile when we bought people like Mohamed Salah and Andre Schurrle; people that needed some time. We also went to people like Kurt Zouma, but these players — Cesc, Costa and Luis — are ready.
‘The squad improves, for sure, and the team can show qualities on the pitch that in the past we didn’t. The team has to be better. But obviously, this is the Premier League and every team tries to be better, especially at the top.
‘Are we ready for that? Yes we are but this is England. In other countries the title race is between two teams and sometimes only one. Here it is between five or six.’
Chelsea’s summer recruitment drive has been offset by the sale of David Luiz and Romelu Lukaku, just as their moves in January for Nemanja Matic, Salah and Zouma was offset by the sale of Juan Mata and Kevin de Bruyne.
It is dividend for their policy to buy younger players with a sell-on value, in line with UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules. Even if that policy cost them a few trophies in the past couple of years, Mourinho has been able to raise funds for his rebuilding programme.
Can't wait for season 2start..up blues!
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