The Rumour Mill Goes On Overdrive

Speculation over the managerial position at Chelsea seems to have intensified over the last 24 hours. And if any of these rumours are to be believed, it won't be cheap bringing Jose Mourinho back to Stamford Bridge.

The Daily Express claims Jose Mourinho would be willing to move back to Chelsea only if the Blues offer him a salary of GBP12 million a year. Mourinho is currently the highest paid manager in the world with a reported annual salary of GBP11.2 million.

But Roman Abramovich will have more to worry about that just Mourinho's salary. The Daily Express further claims that Mourinho will want full control of Chelsea's transfer policy and the first player he'll bring in will be compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid.

If you recall, Ronaldo cost Madrid GBP80 million in 2009. Judging by the Portuguese star's form of late, a potential transfer to Chelsea would cost Abramovich in excess of the GBP80 million Madrid paid Man United.

Still, Mourinho and Ronaldo at Chelsea would certainly turn things around.

But there's more!

In addition to Ronaldo, the Daily Star say Mourinho would return to Chelsea for a second term only if the club acquire Napoli's highly-rated Edinson Cavani.

Cavani, if you remember, scored a goal and created another in Napoli's first leg Champions League last-16 fixture against Chelsea. I guess the new philosophy is if you can't beat them, buy them.

The Daily Star also says that Mourinho has another pre-condition to returning to Chelsea: Fernando Torres needs to be sold first. Talk about being demanding.

Last but not least - and this is just for laughs - another former Chelsea manager, Avram Grant, has decided to defend Abramovich amidst the various criticism being hurled at the Russian billionaire in the wake of Andre Villas-Boas' (AVB) sacking.

"Chelsea it is not about training and playing games and then going home, it is about so much more than that.

"Abramovich does not like sacking managers. But he is passionate about football and as much as he wants stability, if he can see the club is not going in the direction he wants he will act," he said, according to a report in the Sun.