Best Guesses on Who Jose Mourinho Will Sign at Chelsea This Summer

Even before Jose Mourinho's return to Chelsea had been confirmed, there were reports that he was planning to spend even more of Roman Abramovich's billions in his second spell in charge.

Although The Especially Happy One will be working with some of the most exciting young talents in Europe at the moment, there is no doubt that Mourinho will need to strengthen the depth of his squad.

Andre Schurrle has already signed a deal that will see him join Chelsea's preseason training in July. That leaves the attacking side of midfield as the only area that does not need any work.

With the names linked to the Blues covering the full range from realistic to ridiculous, here are the best guesses as to who Mourinho will bring to West London this summer.

Forwards

With a heavily weighted and highly rated attacking midfield, it has felt recently that the traditional striker position at Chelsea has become a tad redundant. This is mostly due to the inconsistent form of Fernando Torres, who has spent much of his time in Blue looking like he is terrified of the goal.

Romelu Lukaku has been recalled from his successful loan spell at West Bromwich Albion to give Chelsea more options up front, but the rumours persist that the Portuguese is in the market for a big-name forward to ease the burden on Juan Mata and Eden Hazard.

Edinson Cavani is the most frequently mentioned name, and The Guardian reports the striker has expressed a desire to work with Mourinho. However, according to Goal.com's Scott Rumsey, the striker's mother claims Cavani hasn't even considered a move to Chelsea.

With Real Madrid also in the running for the Uruguayan's signature, this pursuit is likely to end in a similar way to that of Radamel Falcao, who joined Monaco after a long courtship by Chelsea.

Another player who is said to be on Mourinho's radar is Brazilian forward Hulk, as reported by The Telegraph's Jeremy Wilson. Chelsea were unsuccessful in their attempts to sign the star striker from FC Porto last summer, as he ended up at Zenit St Petersburg.

Having paid the best part of £40 million under 12 months ago, it is unlikely that the Russian outfit will let him leave at this stage of his contract.

The Especially Happy One is also following the progress of Macnehster United striker and Pixar character Wayne Rooney. The England star has felt marginalised at Old Trafford, and talks over a contract renewal are ongoing.

Reports in The Independent say Mourinho has encouraged Rooney to "move where he will find happiness" ) rather than following the money, and the stalwart northerner is unlikely to find joy in West London.

Of all the strikers who are apparently joining Chelsea, Edin Dzeko is the most likely to swap shades of blue this summer. The Bosnian has been frustrated by his status as a super-sub at the Citizens and is looking to make a move to a club where he is guaranteed regular starts. 

Whilst this would only happen at Chelsea if Abramovich was to sanction the sale or demotion of Fernando Torres, and Manchester City would prefer not to sell their striker to a Premier League rival, signing Dzeko would be Mourinho's first statement of intent in his second spell at Stamford Bridge.

Midfield

Whilst there are at least 11 players in the Chelsea senior squad with MF next to their name, the majority are lacking a strong defensive aspect to their game. John Obi Mikel and Oriol Romeu were both injured for large parts of last season, and Mourinho will want to ensure he is not saddled with a makeshift holding pair next year.

Wesley Sneijder won the treble under Mourinho at Inter Milan. His form has dropped following a January move to Galatasaray, and the Express reports Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal's stance on the idea of the midfielder moving to the Premier League.

Galatasaray are said to be willing to let the Dutchman leave for a fee in the region of £13 million, but the player has recently reiterated his desire to remain in Turkey, as Metro reports.

Marouane Fellaini has long been on Chelsea's radar. After issuing a "come and get me" plea in January, the no-nonsense midfielder is currently being monitored by several clubs. Following David Moyes' move from Everton to Manchester United, it looks more likely that Fellaini will link up with his old boss at the Premier League champions rather than joining the growing Belgian contingent at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues are also said to be interested in hijacking Tottenham Hotspur's bid for 24-year-old Brazilian Paulinho. With a deal between the midfielder's current club, Corinthians, and Tottenham all but done, it is left up to the player to decide where his future lies. 

If Chelsea are planning to make a move for Paulinho they will need to be quick, as he is set to make his decision following the conclusion of the Confederations Cup.

However, with the introduction of Financial Fair Play, The Independent have reported that Mourinho is looking at a younger, cheaper option in Sevilla's French defensive midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia. The 20-year-old averaged 2.8 tackles per game in La Liga last season, and his £10 million price tag presents an appealing long-term option for the Blues.

Defence

Ironically, the area that Chelsea need to work on most is the one that has been neglected by the rumour mill. The Blues have vehemently adopted the "attack is the best form of defence" philosophy with mixed success, and Mourinho will be looking for a return to the disciplined back line that conceded a miserly 15 goals in the 2004-05 Premier League campaign.

With David Luiz more than likely to be moving to a more advanced midfield role, and John Terry entering the twilight of his career, Chelsea are left with just two recognised centre-halves in Branislav Ivanovic and Gary Cahill.

Sky Sports reported a link between Marseille's Nicolas N'Koulou and Chelsea in the January window. The 23-year-old committed his short-term future to the French club then, but he was unable to confirm where his future lay beyond the end of the 2012-13 season. With five effective clearances per game on average and an ability to adapt to playing as a defensive midfielder, N'Koulou could present a viable option for the Blues.

Another Chelsea target who is currently playing in France is Saint-Etienne's Kurt Zouma. The 18-year-old made an average of 6.7 tackles per game in his 18 appearances last season, and he is equally proficient at centre-half and right-back. The youngster is flattered by the interest from the Europa League champions, and his minimal price tag could present an excellent bit of business for the Blues.

Porto's 22-year-old Eliaquim Mangala is the biggest name linked to the Blues defence. The £30 million rated defender would take a sizeable chunk out of Mourinho's budget, but his ability to play at left-back as well as his natural centre-half position adds to his value.

He is refusing to be caught up in speculation surrounding his future, but if Chelsea are willing to meet Porto's valuation, Mangala is the best bet for Mourinho's to bolster his defence with.