Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said Dynamo Moscow's Portuguese midfielder Maniche, whom he coached at Benfica and FC Porto, would be perfect for the London-based club.

"I am looking for a player who knows me deeply and would adapt with a click, who plays with a high intensity, either defensively or in attack," he wrote in his weekly column in Portuguese sports magazine Record Dez on Saturday.

"The conclusion was easy and immediate: Maniche is the best option, he meets all the requirements of the sought after profile," he added.

The Portuguese coach said talks between Dynamo and Chelsea for Maniche, 28, were continuing.

"We are seeking to establish agreeable conditions for all the parties involved. I wait tranquilly but I don't hide the fact that I want Maniche and Maniche could become a historic player in my career, the only one to play under me at three different clubs: Benfica, Porto and Chelsea," he said.

"Maniche would be the final piece to give stability in a key sector," he added. Mourinho said Chelsea are short in midfield after the departure of Tiago Mendes and Alexei Smertin and face losing Ghana midfielder Michael Essien next month as he takes part in the African Nations Cup in Egypt.