Outgoing Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez believes his successor at Stamford Bridge will be given £100 million to spend this summer, according to
The Sun. Jose Mourinho has been widely tipped to take charge of the newly-crowned Europa League champions next season, and though Benitez remains coy on who his eventual replacement will be, he is sure of one thing - he will have vast funds to spend. The former Liverpool manager was quoted by Spanish radio
Onda Cero as saying:
"What I am sure about is that next season Chelsea will be much better because they will spend £100 million and they will sign three or four players. The foundation is already there. The future is bright for them. I dont know who the next coach will be, I am not the one who should say, even though everyone speculates the same person.
Benitez was speaking after guiding the Blues to Europa League glory on Wednesday night, and the interim manager believes he will depart West London having turned around the form of his squad, in particular that of the often maligned Fernando Torres. The Spaniard scored the opening goal in Wednesday's 2-1 win over Benfica after cooly rounding the goalkeeper and slotting into an empty net, but he is still without a Premier League goal in 2013. However, Benitez remarked of his fellow countryman:
I keep repeating that he has improved he has worked well with the fitness coach Paco de Miguel and he has made great improvements with his power, his strength and his speed. And thanks to that he manages this type of goal of that has always been one of his strengths hanging on the last defender and then sprinting away from them.
Of the four players who Chelsea may sign this summer, the Blues have been heavily linked with
Andre Schurlle of Bayer Leverkusen, Everton midfielder
Marouane Fellaini, Porto star
Joao Moutinho and the highly rated
Radamel Falcao of Atletico Madrid. It is clear then that Abramovich is prepared to spend big yet again as he goes in search of the Premier League title and Champions League next season.