Chelsea are plotting a £10million raid to make Roma star Daniele de Rossi their new midfield general, the Mirror reports.

Returning Blues manager Jose Mourinho is seeking to strengthen his squad, with John Obi Mikel's Stamford Bridge future now in grave doubt.

And the Chelsea boss is set to try to take advantage of de Rossi's fall-out with his boyhood club to lure the Italy ace to the Premier League.

De Rossi has been labelled Roma's "future captain" for most of the past decade, but fell foul of former boss Zdenek Zeman last season before the Czech was sacked.

The Stadio Olimpico fans also turned on de Rossi, who turns 30 this month, leaving the defensive midfielder increasingly disaffected.