Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho welcomes summer signings

Posted Thursday, July 11, 2013 by skysports.com

Jose Mourinho has given his seal of approval to Chelsea's three summer signings as the Premier League club prepare for their trip to Asia.

The Europa League champions had brought in Germany international Andre Schurrle and Holland midfielder Marco van Ginkel before they confirmed the arrival of veteran goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer on Tuesday night.

All three will head overseas with Mourinho and their new team-mates on Thursday as the Portuguese prepares to start his second stint in charge of the club, and the 50-year-old is happy with the business the Blues have done.

"Andre Schurrle is still so young but he already has great history because he plays in his national team, he has played Champions League and he played three complete seasons for Leverkusen," he told Chelsea's official website.

"So he is a player who is absolutely ready and he gives us more than one position in attack and adds quality. He will be important for us.

"Marco van Ginkel is one of the best prospects. He is not yet like Schurrle - close to being a finished product - but he is a player with great potential.

"Of course he needs to play and he will, because he is a player with great potential and physically he is more than ready. He is a natural athlete.

"By the technical and the tactical point of view of course he is a kid, he has to learn, but I think he is very open-minded and we analysed him for quite a long time."

Schwarzer is at the other end of the age scale at 40 and has penned a one-year deal as he looks to remain in the frame ahead of next year's World Cup.

Mourinho does not see a way he can dislodge Petr Cech, but he is pleased to have the Australian on board.

"Mark Schwarzer is what we need. I never say this one is the first choice and this one is the second and this one is the third, but of course as a starting point Petr Cech is Petr Cech - he is the best in the world with deference to all the others and Mark knows that he comes to be an important member of the squad.

"To compete with Petr and to give us in that position what we have in any other position where we have competition and options, giving protection to each other.

"With Mark we have a goalkeeper who has played an incredible number of matches in the last 10 years in the Premier League and he is more than ready for this."

Mourinho, back in England after six-year absence with Inter Milan and Real Madrid, is also counting Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and Tomas Kalas as new signings.

The trio have been out on loan at West Brom, Werder Bremen and Vitesse, but are now considered ready for action.

"They are good players with a very good value in the market and we have these players this season for free, after an investment that the club did before," Mourinho added.