Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is set to continue his pursuit of Chelsea defender Ashley Cole after a source from the club said he would ‘fit the bill’ at the Bernabeu, according to Goal.com.
The 29-year-old, who returns to pre-season training today after being given extra time off following England’s World Cup campaign, has been linked with a reunion with former Blues boss Mourinho throughout the summer.
Mourinho has reportedly told Real Madrid general manager Jorge Valdano that he must tempt Chelsea with a straight cash offer for the £20 million-rated full-back or use playmaker Rafael van der Vaart as bait in a cash-plus-player deal.
A Real source told The Sun: "Talk surrounding Cole coming here is not confined to the media. Mourinho wants people with experience and confidence and Ashley fits the bill."
Despite ongoing reports since the end of the season that Cole could be on his way to Madrid, Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti remains calm about the situation.
Ancelotti said: "If a player is not happy, I`ll find a way to make things better. Maybe I`ll tell him a joke.
"But I think Ashley will stay. He has never said he is not happy."
