Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has missed out on one of his top January targets as Inter Milan have confirmed Fredy Guarin is no longer for sale.
Reports in the build-up to the January transfer window had suggested Mourinho’s priority was to bring in a striker, with current trio Samuel Eto’o, Fernando Torres and Demba Ba managing just seven Premier League goals between them to date this season.
The Portuguese boss has since insisted he is not looking for a forward but Mourinho is keen to add to his squad in January and Inter have now revealed they have snubbed an approach for midfielder Guarin, with speculation suggesting Chelsea would not match the Italian side’s £15million valuation.
Inter’s sporting director Piero Ausilio said: “Guarin is an Inter player and we are happy to keep him.
“Denying the contacts with Chelsea would be denying the evidence. It is a source of pride to talk with them about one of our players, but everything stopped there.
“We are happy Guarin could stay with us for a long time. We don’t have the intention to sell him. He’s an important player.”
Chelsea are expected to sell Juan Mata and Kevin de Bruyne in January and as such Mourinho is keen to bring in cover in midfield, although a move for 27-year-old Guarin is now no longer an option.
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