Drogba: Jose for Chelsea

Didier Drogba has backed Jose Mourinho as the ideal replacement for Rafa Benitez and says it would be "special" to see him return to Chelsea this summer.



The Ivory Coast striker was one of Mourinho's first signings at Stamford Bridge and they won two Premier League titles together during the Portuguese's first spell in charge between 2004 and 2007.

Chelsea are currently 22 points behind leaders Manchester United in this season's Premier League title race and interim boss Benitez has confirmed he will not continue in the role after this season.

And Drogba says Mourinho, who is expected to leave Real Madrid this summer, would be able to revitalise Chelsea if owner Roman Abramovich was to offer him the chance to return.

He told Sky Sports: "I don't know the other options, but the only man I know is Jose and if there's a possibility for him to come back I think it would be great for the club.

"And for the fans because everybody loves him there and everybody respects him. We know he's got something special.

"He creates something that brings all the players together and a special feeling like a family. We are like a family with him.

"We can go to war - we love this expression - we can go to war with him and that's what makes his team win."

Drogba, who signed for Galatasaray in January, is preparing to face his former boss in the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder trained together as they are ready to face Real Madrid tonight, a game World Football will cover you all goals on Facebook.

After ending his eight-year spell at Chelsea last summer, he says he is committed to the Turkish giants, but hinted he could be tempted to return to Stamford Bridge if he was given the chance to work with Mourinho again.

"Why not?" Drogba added. "It would be interesting."

"But for now I'm really happy here and I want to go until the end of this experience and see what I can bring to this club.

"This club has more than 25million fans all around the world, so it's a big club with big potential. They can work on this and that's why they've signed big players like Wesley Sneijder and like me.

"I think the team can create a big surprise in this Champions League because we are ambitious, we are passionate and we have a good team."

FIFA reject Drogba loan appeal

FIFA have turned down a request from Didier Drogba to be allowed to leave Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua on loan ahead of the transfer window.



The Ivory Coast striker, who has been linked with a short-term move back to previous club Chelsea, had put in a request to the world governing body only for it to be rejected.



FIFA said in a statement: "We can confirm that the player Didier Drogba submitted a request for authorisation to be registered outside an open registration period for a club on a loan basis.



"FIFA has informed him about the relevant regulations... that players may only be registered during one of the two annual registration periods fixed by the relevant association."



FIFA said the only exception was when a player's contract expired outside a transfer window.



Drogba had been hoping to get a temporary move to build fitness ahead of the African Nations Cup in January.

Drogba requests Shanghai exit on loan

Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has asked for special permission to move on loan from his Chinese club despite the official transfer window being closed.

FIFA says it is considering the request for an exemption from international rules which currently prevent Drogba from representing another club until January 1.



Drogba's season with Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua finished this month and a move would allow the Ivory Coast captain, 34, to play for a new team and prepare for the African Cup of Nations, begins on January 19. Drogba is contracted with Shanghai until 2014.



Since Drogba's departure from Chelsea last summer the club's attacking options have been limited, leading to speculation that a short-term return to Stamford Bridge could be considered, as well as Roman Abramovich's longer-term desire to sign Radamel Falcao from Atletico Madrid.

Since his departure to Chinese club, Chelsea

 missing  the hit-man badly. 

Liverpool are keen to buy Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea, having failed to land him on-loan in the summer transfer window, and with the England striker anxious for regular football there could be a flurry of transfer activity following the departure of manager Roberto Di Matteo on Wednesday morning.



Manchester City and Real Madrid are also interested in Falcao, 26, but the Colombian striker's €48 million buy-out clause has not been met, and Atletico Madrid have shown no intent of dropping their asking price.



With Fernando Torres' days at Chelsea looking increasingly numbered, Abramovich could concede defeat in his £50 million gamble and offer the Spanish striker as a makeweight in the deal.



Falcao, who scored a hat-trick against Chelsea in the European Super Cup, recently talked up a move to the Premier League, and claimed to have been a big fan of Chelsea great Gianfranco Zola.



"Chelsea are champions of Europe and there is not much more to say than that," he said. "Even after winning the Champions League they still go and sign players of the highest quality. Their ambition is clear.



"I would not be worried about the physical aspect of the Premier League. I have scored goals in Argentina, Portugal and now Spain. I am confident I can adapt my game to any league. I would welcome the challenge of the Premier League.



"I was also a big fan of Gianfranco Zola when I was growing up. I have watched the Premier League for a long time. There is so much quality and it is such an exciting league. Of course it is nice to think I might play in it.'



Didier Drogba's departure from Chelsea in the summer, has limited the team's options in attack, and the priority is to find a new goalscorer now that Torres continues to misfire in front of goal.



Abramovich promised Torres, 28, his big chance this season by declining to buy a replacement for Drogba but he has failed to make the expected impact, scoring only four Premier League goals so far.



After facing Falcao in the 1-1 draw between Brazil and Colombia in New Jersey, David Luiz welcomed any potential move for the Atletico man.



"I'm happy when there are great names attached to Chelsea," he said. "He's a great player. It would be a good choice for Falcao to come to Chelsea. All of the players would be happy."

Monday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Marseille have rubbished suggestions they could land former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba on loan.



- Newcastle could miss out on top target Mathieu Debuchy as Juventus are ready to enter the race to sign him.



- Liverpool chairman Tom Werner insists the Reds have no intention of selling Luis Suarez.



- Liverpool are trying to strike a deal with Sporting Lisbon for Jeffren Suarez, according to talkSPORT.



- Liverpool have contacted Chelsea about Daniel Sturridge's availability as they aim to make an immediate mark in the January window, according to Dailymail.



- Raheem Sterling is set to sign a new long-term contract at Liverpool, according to manager Brendan Rodgers.



- Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson admits he would like Real Madrid ace Cristiano Ronaldo to return to the club, but admits the Portugal international is "unbuyable".



- Manchester United are keen on signing Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Lars Bender next year, according to the Sunday Mirror.



- Rio Ferdinand's 10-year career at Manchester United could end this summer when his contract expires after revealing to friends there is a 'big chance' he will be leaving.



- Manchester City could be encouraged to make a summer move for Stevan Jovetic after Fiorentina revealed their intention to "evaluate" his situation at the end of the season.



- Manchester City officials are set to fly to Croatia later this week to broker a deal with Dinamo Zagreb for wonderkid Alen Halilovic.



- Fernando Torres is facing the embarrassment of being axed for Chelsea's Champions League clash against Juventus as it emerges he wants to move back to Spain, according to Dailymail.



- Porto striker Jackson Martinez, who has been linked with Chelsea and Liverpool, has admitted to Ojogo that he is pleased his performances have been noticed by some of Europe's biggest clubs.



- Barcelona are prepared to cool their interest in Gareth Bale because they believe the Tottenham winger will join Real Madrid should he move to Spain, according to the Sunday Mirror.



- Scottish giant Celtic could be welcoming a new investor in the near future. The rapper formerly known as Snoop Dogg (he now calls himself Snoop Lion) has expressed an interest in acquiring a stake in the team and sitting on the club's board.



- Championship side Charlton have signed highly-rated Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong on loan until January 1.



- Portsmouth have re-signed Ricardo Rocha on a one-month deal, subject to Football Association clearance.

Didier Drogba plays down speculation

Didier Drogba maintains he is fully committed to Shanghai Shenhua amid on-going speculation regarding his future.



Reports last week claimed the former Chelsea striker could have been set to be released from his contract in China as a result of a power struggle in the Shanghai boardroom.



Rumors suggested some club officials were unhappy at the salaries being paid to certain star players, including Drogba and ex-Chelsea team-mate Nicolas Anelka.



The striker, who only left Stamford Bridge this summer, was consequently linked with a shock return to the Premier League with Liverpool or a reunion with Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid.



But Drogba is adamant he wants to stay in China and will return to Shanghai after the international break, when he is playing for Ivory Coast against Senegal on Saturday in African Cup of Nations qualifying.



"My start has generated good and bad reviews but I've always taken on my choices," he is quoted as saying by L'Equipe regarding Shanghai.



"For the 2013 African Cup of Nations, I will do everything to remain competitive by being in China. Do not worry."