Mourinho rues big spenders and rules out move for Pogba
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has hinted he sees John Stones as a replacement for John Terry but has ruled out attempting to buy Paul Pogba.
Chelsea have already had a £20million bid for Stones rejected by Everton but are expected to return with an improved offer as Mourinho seeks a long-term replacement for 34-year-old Terry.
"We have three [central defenders] plus Ivanovic, so that is four," Mourinho told The Guardian. "We have two who are more than 30 years old. We would like to have two less than 25 years old, which would give us the next 10 years. But as you can imagine it's not something urgent, it is not something we are desperate for it.
"I think 10 years ago or five years ago every Chelsea supporters would say: 'I can't see Chelsea win a title without Frank Lampard.' And Chelsea won the title without one of the three best players of the last 10 years and we did it. No one is irreplaceable. Difficult to replace, yes. To replace one by one is very difficult, very difficult. To replace by good time, a good structure, a good dynamic, good options, it's possible.
"One day when he stops, and I don't think it will be next season, we have created already a situation for John to be replaced. I always think in this direction, I always did imagine now for the first time in my career my perspective is to stay in the club for more time than before.
"I had this thing in my mind to go to different countries and try to win different leagues. I will be here for the next 10 years if the club doesn't sack me."
While Mourinho is keeping an eye on potential replacements for Terry, the Portuguese is not looking to improve on any of the players in his current first XI.
"Pogba is one of the top players in the world," Mourinho said. "Pogba goes to any team and improves that team automatically. If he stays at Juventus, Juventus will be very strong again. If he goes somewhere else he will improve immediately a team.
"This is not our case. We are changing Cech for Begovic, we are changing Didier for Falcao and we are changing kids by other kids.
"I think everybody has an interest in Pogba. But there are things you can do and things you cannot do. I love the Eiffel Tower but I can't have the Eiffel Tower in my garden. I can't even have the Eiffel Tower of Las Vegas.
"To go for somebody it's because I lose somebody. It's because somebody wants to leave and because somebody brings the perfect offer for Chelsea to accept. I think the market is inflated.
"This season we are saying: 'Oh, look at this amount for Sterling.' But it will be worse next season. Next season someone will pay £60million.
"Football is like this - one season is financial fair play, the next is a way to dribble [past] the financial fair play. It doesn't upset me. I'm happy with the way that we are doing things I am happy with the challenge of fighting against this power.
"I told the players that we are the same team and the others are not the same team. I cannot stop opponents to make an assault to the banks and spend millions and millions. I cannot stop that. I cannot stop [that] the others have a feeling that we are playing against the champions.
"The others are spending. The others are buying a lot to try to be better than us and the fact that we are the same - we are changing a goalkeeper for another one, a striker for another one."
