Real Madrid will try to lure Jose Mourinho to the Bernabeu after Arsene Wenger declared he will be staying at Arsenal. Spanish TV reported last night Florentino Perez will now target the former Chelsea boss if he wins the election to become the club's new president next month.
Mourinho has just won the Scudetto in his first season with Inter Milan but he has divided their fans with his abrasive manner and failed in the Champions League.
The former Porto manager, who has now won the title in three different countries, has always stated his desire to manage in Spain. He was Bobby Robson's assistant at Barcelona before taking up management back in his native Portugal.
Mourinho has been promised funding to spend in the transfer market this summer by Inter president Massimo Moratti to mount a new campaign in Europe next season.
He is ready to take advantage of Chelsea's need for a summer rebuild by attempting to finally land old favourite Ricardo Carvalho.
San Siro chief Mourinho, who has already targeted Blues midfielder John Obi Mikel, noted outgoing boss Guus Hiddink's admission that the Chelsea "house" must be refurbished by lowering the average age of the squad.
And former Chelsea chief Mourinho's response will be to table a £6million bid for the 31-year-old Portuguese defender. The injury-hit Carvalho was one of Mourinho's first signings at Stamford Bridge, arriving in 2004 in a £19.8m move from Porto.
Although Carvalho fought to establish himself in the back division, with William Gallas initially preferred to him as John Terry's defensive partner, he became a mainstay of the team under Mourinho and then Avram Grant.
But this season Carvalho has been restricted to just 16 starts by a succession of injuries and found himself relegated behind Alex in Hiddink's defensive hierarchy.