Jose plays down Chelsea’s title chances

Jose Mourinho has suggested that Chelsea will struggle to be serious title contenders without signing a forward in January.

This season Mourinho has defended the decision to loan Romelu Lukaku to Everton and insisted he was happy with only three out-and-out strikers – Fernando Torres, Demba Ba and summer signing Samuel Eto’o – in his squad.

But the Blues boss, whose side slipped to third after losing at Stoke on Saturday, says they cannot compete with their title rivals without more firepower.

He said: “Aguero has already scored 10 or 12 goals, Negredo 10 or 12, Dzeko four or five, Rooney eight or 10, Giroud eight or 10, ­Sturridge eight or 10 and Suarez 10 or 12.

“Would I like my strikers to score eight, 10 or 12? Yes. If we had eight, 10 or 12 we would be top of the league. That’s the reality, but my strikers give everything.”

Torres, Ba and Eto’o have scored only four goals between them so far this season but Mourinho says he does not expect to make new signings when the transfer window opens.

And he has been quick to point out that the squad he inherited was a long way short of being title contenders.

His comments are bound to be seen as an attempt to persuade club owner Roman Abramovich to sanction at least one big-money deal next month.

“Remember that in the past two years this team finished 25 points and 14 points behind the winners,” he argued.

“We are not speaking about my team being champions last year or finishing one or two points behind.

“Who told you we are the first contender to win the league? I don’t think we are. I think we are one of the six teams that are ­potential contenders.”

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