Luka who's on Chelsea's radar

Posted by ESPN Staff

Jose Mourinho is wasting no time getting his house in order at Chelsea, with The Sun newspaper reporting he is keen on bringing Luka Modric with him to Stamford Bridge. The Portuguese tactician is leaving Real Madrid this summer and looks all but certain to take over from Rafa Benitez at his former club Chelsea. Having worked with Modric at the Bernabeu, Mourinho is set to launch a GBP;30 million bid for the Croatian playmaker - the same amount he spent to bring Modric from Tottenham to Madrid. Modric has struggled to settle in to life in Spain and is claimed to be eager for a return to the Premier League.

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Monaco attempt to lure Kompany away

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Manchester City are bracing themselves for an attempt from AS Monaco to lure Vincent Kompany away from the Etihad Stadium, the Daily Mail reports. The Ligue 2 champions are on a significant recruitment drive ahead of their return to Ligue 1 and City's captain is the number one target for Claudio Ranieri's defensive stocks. But although Monaco are set to offer a bumper GBP;26 million for Kompany, City have balked at the prospect of losing the Belgian and are prepared to reject any offer they receive.

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Save the date - Mourinho back in June

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The date has been set - Jose Mourinho will return to Chelsea on June 2. That's according to the Daily Star, which is reporting outgoing Real Madrid manager Mourinho will fly into London on that date and sign a four-year contract worth GBP;250,00-a-week. That would leave Mourinho little time to say his goodbyes at the Bernabeu, with Madrid playing their final game of the season against Osasuna on June 1. But Mourinho wants to get straight to work on his second coming at Stamford Bridge, with the Mirror suggesting the Special One has outlined a six-man transfer list to shoot the club back to the top of the Premier League.

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Luiz just a sideshow at Chelsea as Barca, Real circle

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It seems a series of cracking goals and a successful move into the midfield wasn't enough for David Luiz to impress Chelsea's likely next manager Jose Mourinho. According to the Daily Mail, Luiz could be the first casualty of Mourinho's reign, with the Real Madrid boss not a fan of the 26-year-old's defensive abilities. The Mail reports Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid would consider making a move for Luiz if he becomes available in the summer, with Chelsea looking to make a profit on the GBP;21 million they paid for the Brazil international in 2011.

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Bale wages key to new Spurs deal

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Gareth Bale's future at Tottenham continues to make headlines, with the star Welshman reportedly seeking a wage increase to GBP;200,000 a week. The Daily Mail states Bale has put forward his demands to Spurs' hierachy to compensate for missing out on Champions League football next season. With the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona still reportedly looking at the 23-year-old, summer negotiations will prove critical. However, both The Guardian and the Daily Telegraph report that Bale may be persuaded to stay at White Hart Lane for GBP;150,000 a week if a release clause of GBP;50 million is inserted into his contract.

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Spurs back in the market for Moutinho

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Fresh from the disappointment of missing out on next season's Champions League competition, Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas has set his sights on bolstering his squad for next campaign, with Joao Moutinho re-emerging as his top target. Spurs missed out on Europe's premier club competition on the final day of the season, but Villas-Boas has wasted no time in making his preparations for the new campaign, stepping up his chase for Moutinho, according to a report in The Sun. Indeed, the FC Porto midfielder - who played under Villas-Boas in Portugal - was close to moving to White Hart Lane at the start of the season before the deal fell through at the eleventh hour.

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Holy Falcao! City to spend big for Atletico ace

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Manchester City have reportedly agreed a British record transfer fee for Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao, according to the Sunday People. Falcao has been heavily linked with a move to French side Monaco over the last week, but it is believed City have pipped the Ligue 2 champions to the Colombian striker. Reports suggest the deposed Premier League champions have met the mammoth GBP;54 million buy-out clause in Falcao's contract, with the likely appointment of Manuel Pellegrini as City's next boss a key factor in securing the player's signature.

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Future Blues emerge from red mist of Madrid

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Jose Mourinho hasn't even finalised his reported move back to Chelsea yet but he is already dominating the backpages with the Daily Mail claiming that the Real Madrid coach wants Cristiano Ronaldo to swap the Bernabeu for Stamford Bridge. Mourinho and Ronaldo have formed a successful working partnership at Madrid (despite both being sent-off in the Copa del Rey final defeat against Atletico Madrid) and the 50-year-old has targeted his countryman as the perfect catalyst to send Chelsea back to the top of the Premier League.

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Rooney targeted by Gunners

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Arsenal are plotting a summer swoop for unsettled Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, according to a report in the Daily Mail. Less than 12 months after Robin van Persie moved in the opposite direction, Rooney now appears to be a prime candidate for the Gunners, who are said to have GBP;70 million to spend in the coming months. The rather large stumbling block could come in the form of Rooney's wages, which currently stand at GBP;250,000-per-week. Arsenal remain linked with Fiorentina's Stevan Jovetic and Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic as Arsene Wenger aims to end the club's trophy drought.

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Malaga homecoming for Martinez

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Wigan's FA Cup-winning manager Roberto Martinez is being lined up as the number one candidate to replace Malaga's outgoing coach, Manuel Pellegrini. Pellegrini is expected to take the vacant Manchester City job at the end of the season after reportedly having his contract's buy-out clause waived by the Spanish club and, according to the Daily Mirror, Pellegrini's exit paves the way for Martinez's arrival. Martinez's future with Wigan has come under increasing speculation in recent weeks, with the FA Cup adding a glint of silverware to the Spaniard's impressive record of performing successive survival acts with the Premier League club.

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United targeted Ancelotti, got Moyes instead

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Incoming Manchester United manager David Moyes may not have been the club's first choice to replace Sir Alex Ferguson. According to the Daily Star, the Red Devils were hoping to lure Paris Saint-Germain manager Carlo Ancelotti to Old Trafford after reports emerged that the Italian could leave the French capital following the club's Ligue 1 success. But with Real Madrid rumoured to be interested in the former Chelsea coach, Ancelotti politely refused the move back to the Premier League, hoping to replace another former Blues manager - Jose Mourinho - at the Bernabeu.

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City keen on Robben United of title

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Manchester City's next manager has big shoes to fill, particularly given Roberto Mancini was sacked after winning three trophies in three seasons. But whoever it may be - Manuel Pellegrini certainly looks extremely likely - it seems there will be some top-class players available to City in the summer. The latest out of the Daily Mail suggests Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben is in talks with the Premier League side after being warned he is not a significant part of Pep Guardiola's future plans.

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