Defending Premier League champions Chelsea FC is reportedly eyeing a £40 million swoop of Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke when the football transfer window re-opens in January.
Blues manager Jose Mourinho, who according to rumors is getting closer and closer from being sacked by Stamford Bridge officials, is said to be adamant in bringing the 23-year-old Spanish playmaker to his side soonest in an attempt to salvage a lost season.
Metro reported that midfielders "Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas and Oscar have all failed to impress so far this season", which is prompting the 52-year-old Portuguese coach to plan in spending more during this coming winter window.
The report also indicated that the Madrid native is in the crosshairs of La Liga champions Barcelona, which is also in dire need of scoring depth after Pedro left for Chelsea last month.
Mourinho had actually long been a fan of Koke, which the Pensioners had also targeted this summer, as noted by the Daily Express. The transfer was just not pushed through because Atleti was reportedly asking for more money, which in the range of £40 million as mentioned above.
Mourinho was left disappointed as the move was one of many that failed for Chelsea during the summer window, leaving the team fighting off relegation in the current Premier League season with only eight points to boot in the overall standings. So far, they are at 16th place and 10 points behind league leader Manchester City.
Fabregas will reportedly be the odd man out for Mourinho once Chelsea has successfully lured in Koke to Fulham. According to reports, the two players have similar styles but the former Arsenal midfielder was older and slower at 28.