CHELSEA MANAGER Jose Mourinho will not reignite his interest in Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney in the January transfer window.
The Stamford Bridge club were the subject of two failed bids for the England international in the close-season before eventually conceding defeat in their pursuit.
With Chelsea’s regular strikers notching just four league goals between them this term, speculation mounted that Mourinho could once again move for the 28-year-old.
But Mourinho has rejected those claims and insisted he would not be looking to bolster his forward line in January. When asked about Rooney and the prospect of a new forward, Mourinho answered: “I don’t think so. I think it is the case (we will not buy a new striker).”
The Portuguese moved to defend his own attacking players, despite a lack of goals from the likes of Fernando Torres, Demba Ba and Samuel Eto’o.
“Some strikers they are players with fantastic individual qualities and by themselves can do what the (whole) team is not able to do,” he added. “Our strikers are not individual players, with this kind of quality or potential, they are more for the team organisation and dynamic and they do other jobs. I don’t criticise them because they do other things for the team.
“The number of goals is quite frustrating not just for me but especially for them. But the contribution is good. Do I expect them to score a bit more? Yes. But I cannot expect Demba Ba, or Fernando to get the ball and dribble past four players and shoot, they are different players.”
Chelsea’s Fernando Torres rues a missed chance on goal. Pic: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire/Press Association Images
Mourinho also denied fresh claims centre-back David Luiz will join La Liga champions Barcelona and suggested a move for Southampton’s left-back Luke Shaw was not in the pipeline.
“At this moment it is clear, he (Luiz) is our player,” he continued. “No (we will not bid for Shaw), the market is closed. The market opens in January but I don’t think we will be there buying or selling.
“At the end of the season, of course, normally every club does it (transfer business), Chelsea does it, at the end of the season Chelsea will be analysing the situation.”
Chelsea face Crystal Palace on Saturday looking to get back to winning ways in the Premier League following a 3-2 defeat at Stoke City last weekend.
