And, according to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona will go in for the centre-back this January and go head-to-head with Mourinho’s Blues for the defender’s signature.
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Chelsea are interested in a January move for Paris Saint-Germain defender Marquinhos after failing with a summer bid, according to Le 10 Sport.
PSG’s No. 5 now finds himself behind both Thiago Silva and former Chelsea man David Luiz in the pecking order at the Parc des Princes and could see the move as a way of getting more regular first team action.
The London outfit made an initial bid for the Brazilian on deadline day after failing to secure the services of highly rated English defender John Stones.
Everton refused four bids for England global Stones, the last of £38million, as the Merseysiders stood firm.
As such, Chelsea were forced to turn their attention to Papy Djilobodji, who signed from French signed Nantes. Stones and Marquinhos could feature in a young back-four completed by summer arrival Baba Rahman and Spanish full-back Cesar Azpilicueta.
The reports come after Abramovich took the unusual decision to sanction a public statement to back Mourinho amid suggestions that a failure to improve their form could result in his being sacked by the club for the second time, having originally been dismissed back in 2007.
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The Chelsea players have also come out to defend their under-fire boss following criticism of his methods, with Diego Costa and Ramires both speaking out this week.
