Chelsea transfer news: Blues 'to back Jose Mourinho' with January moves for John Stones and Marquinhos

Chelsea's dismal start to the 2015/16 season could result in renewed pursuits for the Everton and PSG defenders

Everton's John Stones remains a transfer target for Chelsea (Getty Images)

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is ready to back under-pressure manager Jose Mourinho by sanctioning two big money moves to strengthen the defence in January in a bid to salvage the Blues’s 2015/16 from spiralling out of control.

The defending Premier League champions are already 10 points off leaders Manchester City and languish down in 16th in the table following a dismal run of just two wins in their opening eight matches in the top flight.

With doubts over who features in Mourinho’s first-choice defence given the inconsistent form of the likes of John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic, the Mirror reports that the Blues will mount a serious recruitment drive when the transfer window reopens on 1 January by resurrecting their interest in Everton’s John Stones.

It’s added that along with a move for Stones, Chelsea will also increase their interest in Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Marquinhos, who has attracted the interest of Mourinho for some time.

Chelsea saw an intense pursuit of Stones during the summer fall flat as the Toffees stood firm over their desire to hold onto the England international, who has proven to be one of their best performers so far this season until injury ruled him out of action.

The Blues made four separate bids for Stones – the final one of £38m – but both manager Roberto Martinez and club chairman Bill Kenwright stood firm over their resistance to let the 21-year-old leave.

Chelsea also saw a late £30.6m bid rejected for PSG defender Marquinhos – also 21 years old – as panic began to set in towards the end of the summer transfer window. The failure to land any of their prime targets saw Chelsea make a surprise £2.7m move for former Nantes defender Papy Djilobodji, and the 26-year-old Senegalese international has played just one minute of competitive football having come off the substitutes’ bench in the Capital One Cup win over Walsall.

Chelsea saw a £30m bid for PSG's Marquinhos rejected

Baba Rahman also joined the Stamford Bridge outfit during the summer in a £14m deal from Wolfsburg that could potentially rise to as much as £22m, but the Ghanaian has found it difficult to break into the first team due to Mourinho’s persistence of playing Cesar Azpilicueta at left-back to accommodate Ivanovic on the right.

However, Ivanovic picked up a hamstring injury during Serbia’s 2-0 win over Albania in their Euro 2016 qualifier this week, and the blow looks certain to see Azpilicueta revert to right-back with Rahman filling in on the left.

The reports come after Abramovich took the unusual decision to sanction a public statement to back Mourinho amid suggestions that a failure to improve their form could result in his being sacked by the club for the second time, having originally been dismissed back in 2007.

The strange situation Chelsea find themselves in continued when both Diego Costa and Ramires felt it necessary to come out in support of Mourinho. Despite last season’s title success boosting Mourinho’s stature as a club legend, not even the ‘Special One’ is safe from the axe, and unless Chelsea can improve their league table position dramatically before Christmas, he could find himself facing uncomfortable questions from within the club.