Andre Villas-Boas is on a mission to buy top English stars

THAI HIGH ... goalden oldie Didier Drogba chats with Andre Villas-Boas in Bangkok yesterday

ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS is on a mission to sign up the best English talent - because he has no room left for any foreigners.

Due to Premier League rules insisting at least eight players in a 25-man squad must be homegrown, Chelsea's new boss has found himself in a corner.

He has only one slot left for a foreign signing and that has been earmarked for Spurs' Croatian midfielder Luka Modric.

Villas-Boas has tried to farm out the likes of Salomon Kalou, Yuri Zhirkov, Florent Malouda, Nicolas Anelka, Jose Bosingwa and Paulo Ferreira but either there were no takers or the players are not interested in leaving.

The likes of Manchester City winger Adam Johnson, Bolton's Gary Cahill, Jack Rodwell of Everton and Birmingham's Scott Dann are being linked with the Blues.

But a Chelsea source admitted: "It's a big problem for Andre. Unless he can get rid of some of the overseas players he is restricted in what he can do.

"It's why English players are commanding bigger fees than perhaps they are worth."