Mourinho kallsinig till Lyons krav
Chelsea är fortsatt angelägna om att knyta till sig Mickaël Essien. Men inte till vilket pris som helst. Det poängterar José Mourinho.
Lyon har kontinuerligt höjt prislappen, som för närvarande är 32 miljoner pund plus en spelare. Men Chelsea väntas bara berett att betala 20 miljoner pund. Parterna står långt ifrån varandra, Essien, som vill till Chelsea, mår dåligt och tiden anses knapp.
Men i en intervju med Sky Sports i dag tar Mourinho lugnt på Lyons krav, som klubbens president Jean-Michel Aulas använt medierna till att basunera ut. Nedan följer oöversatta citat från Mourinho.
Om Lyons krav:
"There is a market, there is a price, there are some rules around the market, and just because our owner is Mr Roman Abramovich we cannot make what is not correct. But I would love for the correct price, for the correct chase, I would like very much to have the player, yes."
Om ryktet att det är Tago som Lyon vill ha tillsammans med cash för Essien:
"Nobody has put it to me in that way. The only thing I can say about Tiago is that I'm very, very happy with what he did for us last season. The first year in English football coming from Portuguese football its not easy to adapt and he did well for us and this season is a player that I trust very, very much."
Om kritiken från Aulas om att Chelseas intresse stör Lyon och Essien:
"At the moment it is very easy to say things about Jose, and to say things about Chelsea and Peter Kenyon, it is fashion now to speak about it."
Om de ansträngda relationerna med Londonrivalen Arsenal:
"It does not concern me, no relations, so no problem, so that's what I hope can happen. What concerns me? No problems as I have no relations. When you a have a relationship, even a very close relationship, you have problems now and again, friends, parents, wives, good relationship, love, but sometimes problems. No relation, no problem."