Chelsea Transfer News: Jose Mourinho Targets Identified in Latest Rumours

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says he has no interest in making a move for Juventus star Paul Pogba this summer, but the Blues are being linked with a sensational push for Gareth Bale's signature.

Juve star Pogba is being tipped for a move to one of Europe's major powers in the near future, but Mourinho insists the current crop of midfield talent at his disposal is satisfactory, per the Daily Star's Chisanga Malata:

"I don’t speak about Pogba or other players. The only thing I can tell you is that we look to our midfield players and between [Cesc] Fabregas, [Nemanja] Matic, Ramires, Ruben [Loftus-Cheek], [John Obi] Mikel is injured, but between these guys we have a good group."

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As things stand, Matic and Fabregas make up Mourinho's central midfield pairing of choice, while the recent emergence of Loftus-Cheek as a first-team asset is a pleasing development for Blues fans to see.

Having a long line of options isn't something that's necessarily stopped the Portuguese from investing further in the past, although any move for Pogba would require huge payment.

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Having nurtured the French talisman since his arrival from Manchester United in 2012, Juve are adamant they want to keep hold of Pogba as long as possible, although the lucrative options outside Serie A may prove too tempting.

Bleacher Report's Garry Hayes doesn't believe Chelsea require a squad overhaul in order to challenge for next season's Champions League title, despite their recent exit from the competition at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain:

Matic and Fabregas have been successful in leading the Blues to the summit of the Premier League and arguably sit as one of the continent's finest engine-room tandems at present.

Should Mourinho change his mind and Chelsea decide to move for Pogba, they'll face extreme competition from the likes of PSG and the big guns of Spain, according to Juve director Pavel Nedved, via David Amoyal of GianlucaDiMarzio.com:

The possibility is that Pogba could one day go on to rival the world-record transfer fee, but Chelsea are also associated with the current title holder in that regard, Gareth Bale.

A drop in form this season has seen the Welshman linked with a Real Madrid exit and Spanish outlet Fichajes.net (h/t Metro's Jamie Sanderson) reports a £72.3 million offer is in the pipeline.

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Los Blancos president Florentino Perez may not be willing to give up on Bale so easily, having worked so hard to bring the winger to Madrid in 2013.

The fee associated is some £12 million less than Real paid Tottenham Hotspur for Bale's services, an indication of how his status has dropped of late. However, ex-Real Madrid midfielder David Beckham recently spoke to Alvaro De La Rosa of Spanish newspaper AS, voicing his admiration of Bale:

"

Gareth had the perfect season last year – he scored important goals; he arrived at Real Madrid as one of the most expensive players in football so there was always going to be expectations. Gareth is one of the best players in the world and he’s joined a team with a lot of other great players.To play with Cristiano, to play with Sergio [Ramos], to play with Iker… and all the other players he’s playing with, that’s going to make him a better player.

Last season was a perfect season for him; this season, he’s still doing well but there’s always going to be moments when doesn’t do as well in games – that’s normal as he is one of the best players. He’s scored great goals already this season and he’s a great character. For me, he’s one of the best.

"

For some, the 25-year-old may not be a necessary figure at Stamford Bridge, especially when Chelsea are still attempting to make a success out of January addition Juan Cuadrado.

The Colombian is still settling in at the west London outfit and is yet to score under Mourinho, while Eden Hazard and Willian remain important parts of the manager's setup.

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Bale may consider a return to the English top flight, where his success at Tottenham Hotspur paved the way to his initial emergence as a world-class player.

However, his struggles this season have been typified by a barren spell against some of La Liga's higher powers, as illustrated by Ben McAleer of WhoScored.com:

That lack of scoring prominence has seen the spotlight on Cristiano Ronaldo only intensify, leading some of Los Merengues' support to question their belief in Bale.

Chelsea would undoubtedly welcome another wing wizard in the shape of Bale, but the financial requirements behind the deal make it an incredibly difficult move to pull off this summer.