CHELSEA TARGET ROMA’S DESTRO

dressing room even when his magic touch in front of goal deserted him.

But the £32m signing of Diego Costa and the return of Didier Drogba meant Torres was doomed to spend the season as third- choice striker and he could see the writing on the wall when, after being named as an unused substitute in the win at Burnley, he didn’t even get on the bench for the home game against Leicester.

Mourinho, who yesterday let promising youngster Patrick Bamford join Middlesbrough on loan, will now try to bring in another forward before Monday night’s transfer deadline.

He has been linked with Roma’s Mattia Destro, who was an emerging youth team player at Inter Milan when the Chelsea boss was manager.

‘Mattia was a kid when I was at Inter,’ Mourinho said.

‘He was playing the Primavera team, our Under 21s, training with us so many times. Everyone knew at the club that his potential was there to be a top striker.

‘He was unlucky because we had Ibrahimovic and Adriano, then Eto’o, Milito . . . so it was not easy for him to come into the first team. The ones that got the chance were Santon, Donatti . . . but Mattia didn’t have that chance because we were full of top strikers.’

Mourinho could also make a late move for French star Loic Remy at Queens Park Rangers. Remy had been due to join Liverpool, but the transfer hit a snag at the last minute. Arsenal, too, were reportedly interested, but have been put off by the striker’s £90,000-per-week wages.

Mourinho had explained earlier in the day why Chelsea were willing to change their stance and let Torres move, saying: ‘This is a very human club in the way we approach this kind of situation.

‘If he wants to leave it is because he tries and wants to try a new life, a new club, probably a new league. I believe it is to try to be happier than he was in the last couple of years.’