Out-of-favour Man City man could become Mourinho’s new Drogba

As Chelsea supporters laud the return of Jose Mourinho to Stamford Bridge, their mouths salivate at the prospect of the potential signings that will follow his arrival.

And The Special One is wasting little time in identifying his chief summer targets, with moves for several high-profile players across the continent mooted.

Perhaps his most surprising potential addition at first glance though, comes from fellow Premier League challengers Manchester City, in the form of imposing striker Edin Dzeko.

Dzeko was utilised as little more than a fringe player during Roberto Mancini’s reign at the Etihad Stadium, but maintains an impressive scoring record nonetheless, notching 40 goals in 109 appearances across all competitions for the Sky Blues, with whom he is 3/1 to remain beyond this summer.

The powerful Bosnian started only 62 of those matches, but could find regular first-team action far easier to come by under Mourinho, who traditionally loves to utilise a strong yet mobile striker to spearhead his attack.

Indeed, with Derlei helping his Porto side claim the Champions League, Didier Drogba’s influence bringing two Premier League titles to Stamford Bridge, and Diego Milito’s brilliance inspiring Inter Milan to a treble under Mourinho’s stewardship, the importance the Portuguese places on having a physical presence up front is obvious.

And despite proclaiming that Romelu Lukaku will not be allowed to leave the Blues on loan again next season, Mourinho is still keen to bolster his frontline with a £15m move for Dzeko, with 13/8 the price that the 27-year-old makes the switch.

Meanwhile, the outgoing Real Madrid chief is keen to swell his ranks in all areas of the pitch, and is thought to prioritise a move for ex-Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic, now of Benfica.

The Serbian playmaker, 24, was allowed to leave the Blues for only £1.5m back in 2009, and it would likely take a bid of around 10 times that fee for the Eagles to even consider doing business.

But Matic isn’t the only man that Mourinho plans to pluck from his homeland, with a raid on former club Porto also planned.

Central defender Eliaquim Mangala is the subject of the 50-year-old’s attention, and he will look to complete a £20m deal for the Frenchman, 22, after sanctioning the £30m sale of David Luiz to Barcelona.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.