Jose Mourinho is keen on raiding his former club Chelsea for two players who have yet to play a single minute under Mauricio Pochettino this campaign.
The self-proclaimed 'Special One' has reportedly prioritised signing a centre-back in the coming months. Roma have been linked with a move for Arsenal's Jakub Kiwior, who is also being chased by Atalanta and AC Milan.
But despite his lack of first-team minutes under Mikel Arteta this season, it appears the Gunners are unwilling to let the Polish centre-back leave, according to Italian outlet Calciomercato.
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The report also reveals that Mourinho is keen on bringing Chelsea pair Malang Sarr and Trevoh Chalobah to the Stadio Olimpico; two other players who have struggled for game time in recent months.
Sarr, who joined the Blues in 2020, spent last season on loan at Ligue 1 side Monaco, where he made a total of 17 appearances.
The 24-year-old returned to Stamford Bridge in the summer although it was a far-from-ideal start, when Mauricio Pochettino appeared to forget who Sarr was ahead of a pre-season clash against Luton.
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Sarr has not been named in a single matchday squad this season.
Chalobah, meanwhile, is another player who has been deemed surplus to requirement. He has been linked with a host of clubs, including Manchester United, Newcastle and Bayern Munich.
But Mourinho will be hoping to snap up the talented defender, who is “100 per cent” certain to leave Chelsea in January, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Romano wrote in his Caught Offside column: “One player who is expected to leave Chelsea, however, is Trevoh Chalobah, who was a target for both Bayern Munich and Nottingham Forest during the summer.
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"He remains out of the first-team picture and so, as previously reported, I 100% expect him to leave Stamford Bridge this January.
“Still, I’m not convinced by the recent rumours linking Chalobah with Manchester United – it seems to me like easy ‘guess work’ because he is leaving Chelsea and Man United want to sign a centre-back. It seems like normal links, but I’m honestly not aware of anything concrete there, with no negotiations as of now.
“My understanding remains that United want a CB signing as a priority in 2024, with targets such as Goncalo Inacio, Antonio Silva, Edmond Tapsoba and Jean-Clair Todibo on their list when I spoke to sources recently.
"There has been no mention of Chalobah, and I will update you if anything changes on that front, but so far there is nothing new.”
Featured Image Credit: Getty ImagesTopics: AS Roma, Transfers, Chelsea, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours, Jose Mourinho