Jose Mourinho expects the summer transfer market to be warped, likening it to "Wall Street collapsing", as rival clubs – intent upon mounting a title challenge next term – overpay in a bid to strengthen their squads.

Chelsea, who have already pin-pointed their potential recruits, expect to make three or four additions of their own but will balance those signings with departures from the current squad. Yet Mourinho is braced for Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool to sanction significant outlays to ensure they muster more of a challenge next year.

“The market is difficult,” said the Portuguese. “I can imagine that, this summer, it will be like Wall Street collapsing.

“I can imagine that some clubs are coming into the market with such determination that they will disrupt the market and take it in unexpected directions. But we are in a good situation. We have this stability in our squad. We don’t need dramatic changes. We have to be loyal to our players because we believe in them.

Very happy

“What other clubs are going to do is not going to affect our direction. If others buy 10 players each, that will not push us to do things we don’t want to do. We are stable. I’m in a different position to last season. Then I was more than keen for my club to sell some players and in this moment I’m very, very happy to keep my players.”

The Premier League champions have an interest in Antoine Griezmann at Atletico Madrid, whose current contract includes a buy-out clause set at £43 million, and have put together an extensive list of prospective targets in anticipation of losing Filipe Luis and Didier Drogba.

“Every player is linked to our club: some because they want to come; some because they want better contracts in their clubs,” said Mourinho. “That’s the nature of the market. We are not going to get into this game. It doesn’t affect us. It is what it is, but we know what we want, and it’s not much.”

Mourinho continues to hope Petr Cech will be retained next season despite the player's lack of first-team involvement this term. Talks are planned with the club's hierarchy in the summer. "The player has a contract with Chelsea and Chelsea will have a very important say in the decision," said the manager. "I want my best players [to stay]. Petr is one of my best players. I want my important players. Petr is one of my important players. So I would like him to stay.

“That’s my position. I am positive, I am optimistic, and I’d like him to stay, so, ye,s I expect him [to stay]. I’m optimistic he can be here next year.” Guardian Service