The Roma defender, Mehdi Benatia, is a wanted man after some impressive performances in Serie A last season. The Italian side won their first ten league games of the season although they could only finish second behind Juventus.

Premier League champions Manchester City are on the lookout for a centre-back and have identified Benatia to strengthen their centre of defence for next season. It has been reported that City had already agreed personal terms with Benatia but still have to agree a deal with Roma.

There has been interest from some other clubs but Chelsea are now the favourites for his signature. They have reportedly bid in the region of £18 million, along with offering in-demand striker Romelu Lukaku as a makeweight in the deal, according to the Express.

The Blues have pocketed a cool £50 million from the sale of centre-back David Luiz and Mourinho wants to replace the Brazilian with Benatia.