January Transfer Rumors 2014: Jose Mourinho Says Juan Mata Not For Sale, Blues Did Not Make Bid For Gonzalo Higuain

The January transfer period continues to pick up and clubs including Manchester United, Arsenal, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain among others remain heavily involved in the open market. With multiple teams across the international spectrum of soccer looking to upgrade their current rosters, the winter window serves as a great opportunity to land some of the games top talent for the final stretch of the season. It can also be a way for many clubs to land highly regarded players that might have escaped their clutches during the previous summer transfer stage.

Another team linked with possible additions and subtractions during the January window is Barclays Premier League affiliate Chelsea. Led by head coach Jose Mourinho – who returned to Chelsea this season after spending the previous three years with La Liga giants Real Madrid – the Blues are in contention for a 2013-2014 BPL title and upgrading in the current transfer window may better their chances of reaching the top. According to multiple sources however, the acquisition of current Napoli star striker Gonzalo Higuain will not be one of those moves.

“No. No bid. No,” Mourinho said regarding news that Chelsea had tabled an offer for Higuain. “He’s a player that I know we cannot get. He’s a player that moved from Real to Napoli six months ago. He’s doing very well, he’s adapting very well to Italy. Napoli is a club that normally doesn’t sell. In the last years, they sold one player per year, when they were feeling it was not possible to keep Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edison Cavani, but they don’t sell. They want to win the Scudetto. I think now in the Europa League they want to win that, so I don’t believe they are interested in selling Higuain. So why should we be interested in buying something that is impossible to come?”

In addition to turning away speculation that the Blues would reel in Higuain, Mourinho also indicated that attacking midfielder Juan Mata will not depart Stamford Bridge during the current transfer window. Speculation around the mid's future heightened when he was removed from Chelsea's recent 3-0 win over Southampton.

“I think he is focused on what I said after the game at Southampton, when I said 'I don't want him to leave,'” Mourinho said. “I think he is focused on that and not on when I said 'the door is always open.' He trained in a fantastic way and so there are no problems.”