Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho admitted he admires Wayne Rooney “very, very much” on Friday but stopped short of saying he hoped to sign the unsettled Manchester United star.
Mourinho was speaking at the start of Chelsea’s Asian tour in Bangkok.
“It’s a funny, tricky question because from the ethical point of view, I cannot speak about players from other teams,” Mourinho said.
“But again you know me and you know it’s not my kind of character to speak with a little bit of hypocrisy. I always say what I feel, what I think.
“I’ve always said he’s a player that I like very, very much but I cannot say more than that. Being fast and direct, I like him very much but he’s a Man United player.”
Mourinho is seeking a striker to complement the erratic Fernando Torres and he has brought back Romelu Lukaku after a loan spell at West Bromwich Albion following his return to the London club.