Mourinho: stars and young blood will keep Blues top

JOSE MOURINHO is confident Chelsea’s policy of signing superstars and emerging prospects will keep them at the summit of English football.

Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko are the biggest names to have joined the Blues this summer, with their arrival pointing to another one-horse Barclays Premiership title race.

Both players will add further class to a squad that was already the best in the league but at 29, neither has been bought with the future in mind.

Instead, Mourinho has swooped for talented African pair Salomon Kalou, 20, and John Obi Mikel, 19, to safeguard Chelsea’s long-term future.

“We’ve made some really top signings for next season, champions like Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko,” said Mourinho.

“They have great status which they will bring to our team of champions.

“But we also have young boys like Salomon Kalou and John Obi Mikel, players with big potential.

“I have also signed a top professional in goalkeeper Hilario, who has a big history with me in Portugal.”

Chelsea’s business in the transfer window is not finished yet with Mourinho determined to sign a full-back.

Arsenal defender Ashley Cole is reportedly close to completing a move across the capital and could be a Chelsea player in time for the club’s pre-season tour to the USA, which departs on Tuesday.

Mourinho is also interested in Italian World Cup winner Gianluca Zambrotta but must wait while the 29-year-old attempts to engineer his preferred move to AC Milan.

The addition of Cole or Zambrotta — or even both — is unthinkable for the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United as there would be no weak links in Chelsea’s lineup.

The biggest challenge facing Mourinho is finding the most potent gameplan and formation for his host of stars, while keeping them all happy will also be an obstacle.