Chelsea Transfer News: Jose Mourinho Eyes January Deals Amid Blues Exit Rumours

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has reportedly pleaded with club owner Roman Abramovich to give him the chance to put things right in the January transfer window by releasing some of the squad’s deadwood, per the Sun.

The Blues’ woeful start to the 2015/16 Premier League season has seen Mourinho and many of his players come under the spotlight, and the Portuguese boss feels that a clear-out is the best way to get back on the road to redemption rather than adding to his underperforming roster.

A source close to Mourinho told the Sun the following: “He wants to get to the January transfer window to remove the players he considers to be bad apples in the squad and get the club moving in the right direction again.”

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Many believe that the manager is, however, the sole bad apple at Chelsea and that his dismissal would be the only way to turn the disastrous campaign around.

The stats don’t help the boss’ cause, either, as ESPN.com’s Miguel Delaney revealed that Mourinho is breaking records for all the wrong reasons:

Chelsea showed more grit and guile against Stoke City on Saturday, yet another narrow defeat proved that things still aren’t right at Stamford Bridge.

And it seems as though the poor results can’t last much longer if Mourinho wants to remain at the helm, as the Sun’s source continued: “Jose does not want deadlines put on him for improvement but Roman has told Mourinho he needs to see signs of an upturn.”

That upturn could start with the manager shaking up his squad, but the fact remains that he needs to get to January to make that possible.

Still, Abramovich is unlikely to set Mourinho’s head on the block anytime soon thanks to the fans’ faith in their manager, per Dave Armitage of the Daily Star.

According to Armitage, while the Russian owner is alarmed at how Chelsea have been performing this season, he’ll give the Special One more time to justify the supporters’ adoration.

The players matter, though, and there’s been ample talk of Mourinho losing the Chelsea dressing room.

The likes of Eden Hazard and Diego Costa, who were unplayable last season, have looked like shadows of their former selves in 2015/16—and, naturally, the boss gets the blame.

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However, defender Kurt Zouma told French show Telefoot that all of the players are behind Mourinho despite not being able to explain why the club have stuttered—as Tom Dutton of the London Evening Standard reported.

"We might not be at last year's level when it comes to our performances, but we are all together as a team," he said. "We all trust in Mourinho, just like the fans. I cannot explain our catastrophic start. It really is bizarre. We were Premier League champions last season. ... Maybe it is a mental issue."

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The international break gives Mourinho time to mull over how to restore his and the team’s reputation, while "generous" fixtures in the coming weeks will help him put it all into practice.

The Blues will return to action at home against Norwich City on November 21 in a game that has the look of a relegation six-pointer.

And if Mourinho can’t find a way to earn three points at Stamford Bridge, Abramovich's and the fans’ patience could start to wear thin.