The London club are stepping up their interest in young French defender Raphael Varane according to, amongst others, The Guardian.
The youngster has just come off the back of winning the Champions League final against Atletico Madrid on Saturday. Widely considered one of the most promising players in Europe it would make a significant statement of intent from the Chelsea manager and further his investment in youth.
However, Varane still has a number of years left on his contract at Real Madrid and the club may not want to sell a player with such a bright future. Nevertheless Chelsea have made enquiries to see if the player is available.
Varane originally joined Real Madrid, while Mourinho was manager, from Lens in 2011 for a fee believed to be around €10 million. He has made 38 league appearances for the Spanish giants, being largely second choice to Sergio Ramos and Pepe.
It could be a rollercoaster year for the 21 year old. As well as winning The Champions League he has also been called up in Didier Deschamps’ France squad for the World Cup in Brazil, meaning it is likely he will add to his 5 international caps.
That Chelsea are looking to invest in defensive players should not come as a surprise. David Luiz has been heavily linked with a move away from The Blues over the last couple of weeks. The Guardian believes that a move to PSG is imminent for a reported fee of around £50 million.
John Terry is also closer to the end of his career than the beginning. Although at 33 he could still have many years of football left, it is safe to assume that the Chelsea captain will be playing less football in the coming seasons.
Chelsea already have one young centre back joining their squad in the form of 19 year old Kurt Zouma. Jose Mourinho sanctioned a £12 million deal for the Saint-Etinne player in January before loaning him straight back out to the French club.
By Nathan Gibson
