Chelsea are considering joining Arsenal and Manchester United in pursuit of Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin and Nathaniel Clyne.
Southampton’s instinct will be to resist sales, but Schneiderlin has already made clear his desire to play in the Champions League next term.
Clyne has attracted interest from Manchester United, who came close to securing the England full-back when he departed Crystal Palace in 2012.
José Mourinho does not expect a summer of frantic business at Stamford Bridge, though his options in the market should be boosted by a new £40m-a-season sponsorship deal with Yokohama Rubber.
“Everything starts with the squad we have, and the players we want to keep,” he said when asked about transfer plans last week. “And in that regard there is not a big space for new faces. The new faces will be a couple and will be a consequence of what the market dictates. So that will be an easy job.
“The team is good, the players are good, and I will try and be loyal to players. They deserve that loyalty for what they’re giving this season. Even if direct competitors come in with huge amounts to buy top players, if my squad gives everything and gives us the Premier League title, loyalty will be stronger than a desire to buy new players. I would think the squad would be very, very similar to this one.”
