Jose Mourinho is hopeful of tempting his former player Ricardo Carvalho away from Chelsea to join him at Serie A champions Inter.

The Portugal defender, who played under his compatriot at Porto and Chelsea, was linked to Inter after Mourinho took over last season but a deal never materialised.

"Carvalho is one of the best central defenders in the world," Mourinho was quoted as saying by Friday's La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"A year ago it was impossible to think of him. Now I think it is."

Mourinho said Inter were also interested in signing Dutch club Twente Enschede's 20-year-old Austrian winger Marko Arnautovic.

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