Mourinho: I'm on way

Jose Mourinho's proposed move to Chelsea appeared closer to fruition today following reports that he has told coaching staff at Porto he will be at Stamford Bridge next season.

According to Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha the Porto manager took his backroom staff to an Oporto restaurant to celebrate a second successive championship and told them of his intention to move to London in the summer.

It is also claimed that the 40-year-old plans to take his assistant manager Baltemar

Brito and goalkeeping coach Silvino Louro to Chelsea.

Mourinho is Chelsea's No1 choice to replace Claudio Ranieri, though senior sources at Stamford Bridge stress that the deal is far from done.

The Portuguese coach has yet to discuss his ideas with anyone from Chelsea after he withdrew from a planned meeting with Roman Abramovich in Spain last week, but they are due to meet next week following Porto's Champions League semi-final against Deportivo La Coruna.

Although Peter Kenyon was abroad on unspecified club business yesterday he is understood not to have met Mourinho this time.

Porto have already accused Chelsea of illegally approaching Mourinho and claimed they were going to make an official complaint to UEFA although that does not appear to have happened.