Porto set to accept Mourinho departure

Porto today looked to have accepted the inevitable by lining up Jose Mourinho’s replacement as the Champions League-winning coach prepared to fly out for talks with Chelsea.

Mourinho is poised to be officially confirmed as Chelsea’s new manager by the middle of next week, with an announcement to the Stock Exchange following the Bank Holiday weekend.

While the Porto boss is understood to have given his word on the move, he must still finalise the exact details of his proposed contract of up to £4m (€6m) a year.

He did not fly into London today for talks, as some reports had indicated, but he is expected to meet Chelsea officials at a neutral venue over the weekend.

Porto, meanwhile, responded by starting their own talks over finding a new manager, with Chievo coach Luigi del Neri among the front-runners.

“It would be fantastic to coach the European champions and to guide them in the competition next season,” he told Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport.

“I know there have been contacts between my agent and Porto. The negotiations are very specific but there is nothing in writing, so I will have to wait and see.”

Del Neri, 53, not only guided unfashionable Chievo to promotion to Serie A in his first season in 2001, but has kept them ever since and achieved a UEFA Cup spot in 2002.

He is renowned for unearthing young players, a task which may face him again if Mourinho takes some of Porto’s most valuable assets with him to Stamford Bridge.

Porto playmaker Deco today admitted: “The idea of playing in England excites me. I know there are other offers and Bayern Munich want me. They’re a great club and I’m flattered.”

Chelsea nevertheless look to have missed out in their apparent bid to sign Marseille striker Didier Drogba, who scored twice against Newcastle in the UEFA Cup semi-finals.

The French club insisted that 25-year-old Drogba was not for sale – even for a reported £17million.

“We met Chelsea and Juventus officials,” confirmed Marseille spokesman Christophe Bouchet.

“Chelsea have contacted us about Didier but have not made a precise bid. But a transfer is out of the question as we want to build a team around Didier.”

As for Claudio Ranieri, he has simply been told by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich that he will spend the weekend mulling over the Italian’s future.

Ranieri was summoned to a meeting with Chelsea bosses in Milan yesterday, just as he was called to London earlier this week, but he was simply asked his views on player signings and departures.

Chelsea officials maintain that they are not trying to force the Italian into resigning, while his representatives are determined not to do anything that would compromise a possible £7million pay-off.

Any interest that Ranieri may have in the newly-vacant Roma post will therefore not be publicly discussed until he is released by Chelsea.

While Tottenham are another possibility, Roma could nevertheless offer an attractive proposition for Ranieri in returning to his native city.

After all, Fabio Capello has just left the cash-strapped club to succeed Marcello Lippi at Juventus on a three-year contract.

Then again, nothing seems certain when even Abramovich is being cast as a mild-mannered onlooker in the Chelsea dressing-room.

Celestine Babayaro told the Evening Standard: “He is a very humble man and doesn’t say very much.

“He comes into the dressing room and sits down in the corner with his hands on his knees. If you didn’t know who he was you’d think he was a cleaner!

“He shakes the players’ hands and observes what’s going on but that’s about it. He’s very quiet and modest.”

Abramovich did not make his fortune without being decisive, however, and Ranieri is about to find out just how decisive the Russian is.