Former favourite is expected to arrive at Stamford Bridge shortly and Mourinho insists it is for playing rather than emotional reasons
Jose Mourinho has confirmed that striker Didier Drogba is set to make a return to Chelsea.
He is out of contract and is understood to favour Chelsea’s offer over rival bids from Juventus and Major League Soccer clubs in the United States.
Mourinho, the Chelsea manager, believes Drogba can still be a key player for the club, two years after he left with the penalty kick that secured Champions League success, and the move has the backing of owner Roman Abramovich.
“We want to win matches and win titles, and Didier is one of the best strikers in Europe, who is still very adapted to the needs of the Premier League, and we are thinking about it in a non-emotional way,” said Mourinho.
“If you bring him back, it is not because he is Didier or scored the most important goal in the history of Chelsea, or because I read I need an assistant, no.
"If I bring him back and the decision has to be made soon, because I want to close the dressing-room door, it is because as a player he has certain qualities to make the team stronger.
“Mr Abramovich does not speak a lot. But as you can imagine, he is very intelligent and he feels that people belong to the club. We feel that Didier belongs to us.”
Following spells at Shanghai Shenhua in China and Turkish club Galatasaray, Drogba is now 36 but Mourinho insists the Ivorian is not too old to play again for Chelsea.
“I was not a top professional player,” said Mourinho. “I communicate a lot with players and former players to understand the situation better.
"When they become older, the point is not to lose quality as a player, it is about how they recover from match to match.
“A young kid plays today and in 48 hours is ready to play the next game. And in a season can play 50 matches.
"Between 20 something and 30, they are the same good players, same football brains. It is important how they recover from match to match.
“With Didier’s profile, being a squad player I think could be important for any team.
"And because we know his heart is pushing him to where he feels he belongs, and because our boss has this big feeling towards him, we are thinking about the possibility.”
Other than Drogba, Mourinho also expects midfielder Frank Lampard, who has joined New York City, to return to Chelsea in some capacity.
“The way Mr Abramovich approached the Frank Lampard situation is amazing,” said Mourinho.
“‘You go if you want to go, you come back if you want to come back. And you come back the way you want – to be an assistant, to be an ambassador, to be a director to be a coach, to be an assistant coach’. That is fantastic.
“I have a message for Frank. Good luck and see you back at Chelsea in a couple of years.”
