Chelsea close in on ‘new Mourinho’

Chelsea are poised to appoint Andre Villas-Boas, the hottest managerial ticket in football, as the successor to departed Italian boss Carlo Ancelotti.

Villa Boas, who captured the Portuguese title and the Europa League with Porto this season, has been described as ‘the new Mourinho’ because of his lack of a credible playing career, his snazzy style, his success with Porto, who Mourinho guided to the Champions League title in 2004, and the fact that he served as an assistant for the Special One at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan.

Still only 33, Villas-Boas has earned rave reviews for his success and his attractive playing style and is also reported to be a target of Inter Milan, who parted company with manager Leonardo last week.

The Nerazzurri, however, were put off by the quite hefty release clause in the Portuguese's contract.

Villas-Boas has a clause in his contract which allows him to speak with clubs who offer €15 million for his services, small change to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, who cast the popular Ancelotti aside despite a Premier League and FA Cup double in his first season in charge.

Current Turkey manager Guus Hiddink was thought to be the favourite to fill the managerial vacancy at Stamford Bridge, but Abramovich apparently sees Villas-Boas as his latest shiny new plaything and what the Russian wants, he usually gets.

There are already suggestions that Villas-Boas will pocket a cool €5 million a year at Stamford Bridge, a salary certainly not to be sniffed at.

Porto president Pinta da Costa is resigned to the fact that Villa-Boas will leave the Portuguese champions, admitting that the club were powerless to stop anyone that meets the release clause.

"Villas-Boas has a contract and a clause of 15million Euros,” he said.

"If someone deposits 15million Euros into our account and he wants to go, we can not do anything because it is something that is contractually specified."