Chelsea upset Mourinho over transfer deals

The Special One is moaning again. Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho has accused his former club Chelsea of moving the goalposts to make it difficult for him to sign two Portuguese players who want to rejoin their old boss, defender Ricardo Carvalho (right) and middlefield playmaker Deco (left).

"Every time I'm interested in one of their players, it looks different,"
Mourinho. "In the summer we were told he [Deco] was almost free to come. Two weeks later, when they know Inter are interested, it goes zero to five [million] and for Carvalho from five to 15 [million]. Something like that."

Both Carvalho and Deco were in the Porto team Mourinho famously took to Champions League victory in 2004 before Roman Abramovich tempted him to Chelsea. Carvalho was one of Mourinho's very first signings when he arrived at Stamford Bridge and played a significant role in Chelsea's two Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006.

Deco went from Porto to Barcelona and did not join Chelsea until 2008, after Mourinho's departure. But he quickly fell from favour at Stamford Bridge and recently admitted he would like to be reunited with Mourinho.

As for the recent gossip that Patrick Vieira might be moving from Inter back to his old club Arsenal - or even to the Gunners' north London rivals Tottenham - Mourinho said he had received no formal request. "If they want him, they have to let us know," he said. "I have to say until this moment, no Tottenham, no Arsenal. They have not contacted us."