Jose Hints At Zouma Move After Confirming Mata Asked For Man Utd Switch

With the January transfer window in full flow clubs are working hard to try and strengthen their squad for the second half of the season, so we’ll keep you up-to-date with all the latest news, gossip and rumours. Today, Jose Mourinho has his say on his interest in Kurt Zouma and selling Juan Mata.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has been speaking at his pre-match press conference today and has hinted at a move for French youngster Kurt Zouma as well as revealing that Juan Mata asked to leave for Manchester United, according to the Express.

This weeks big news has been the proposed transfer of Mata to United and Mourinho was predictably asked for his thoughts on the decision behind agreeing to sell Chelsea’s two-time player of the year.

The Portuguese coach told reporters that after Mata made it clear he wanted to leave once the bid had come in from the Champions, they felt it was only right to let him leave out of respect for the player while also pointing to the fact it was a good deal for the club.

Jose went on to reveal that the deal is heading in the right direction and should be finalised ‘sooner rather than later’.

“I asked him ‘are you really happy to go,’ and he was saying ‘yes, I am really happy to go,’ so after that we have mixed emotions. Here we are all happy, but at the same time we are all sad and I think for him it was a bit the same: very happy to go from Chelsea to Man United, still in England, still in Premier League, probably with guarantees that he’s going to play, and going to be important player for them.

“We decided not to stop him, it’s good for Juan, good for the Premier League and the offer, with financial terms for us, is the right offer. Compared to what the club played two years ago it is fantastic.”

“Things are really going in a good direction and I think sooner rather than later things will be finalised.”

“In spite of not playing for us, especially in the last period, he could be a very important player for us but Juan had this fantastic opportunity, another big club wants him, in a country where he loves to be and loves to play.

“It is an offer that is the right offer for us, so in spite of probably many clubs, many boards and many managers who think you shouldn’t sell a top player to a rival club, especially not in the same country you play, we feel and we think differently.

“The player deserves respect, deserves to be happy and play where he wants to play, and because the offer is obviously what we consider the right offer for the quality of the player, we allowed him to negotiate with them, and didn’t close the door.

“It’s a good offer. I don’t want to say one more million, one less million, it’s a good offer, respectful to us, respectful to the value of the player that allows us to try to bring in another player, because we need another player.

“We still have fantastic profit on the investment Chelsea made in the past with Juan, and with the two deals, Juan and Kevin de Bruyne [to Wolfsburg], we have put ourselves in a very good position in relation to financial fair play.” Mourinho is quoted as saying by ESPN

So it looks like Mata’s move to Old Trafford is on the verge of being completed and Chelsea wasted no time in finding a replacement after confirming yesterday they have agreed a deal with FC Basel for attacker Mohamed Salah.

Mourinho has also been linked with a move for St Etienne centre-back Kurt Zouma in recent weeks and when he was asked about his interest in the 19-year-old French international, the Chelsea boss hinted he could be another player the club are in negotiations over this month.

“As you can see Chelsea thinks about the future and when we think about the future we have scouts and contacts.

“We contact clubs, we contact agents and players when we have permission from clubs to do it which is the case obviously.” Mourinho is quoted as saying in the Express.

Zouma is a highly-rated centre-back and would be expected to come in as the long-term replacement for John Terry if Chelsea do end up making their interest official and lure him to Stamford Bridge this month.

Speculation has suggested that the Blues are closing in on an £11m deal for the player and while Mourinho failed to confirm anything concrete was in the pipeline, he didn’t exactly dismiss the idea of signing Zouma either, so it’s certainly one we should keep an eye out for during the closing week of the window.

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How do Chelsea fans feel about Juan Mata’s move? Would Zouma be a good signing? Share your thoughts below.