Sunday 26th January 2014 7:30
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Jose Mourinho is prepared to be patient to find the right man to be Chelsea's long-term leading striker.
The self-proclaimed 'Special One' has spoken of building a team for the next decade at Chelsea, while challenging in the present, and has identified striker as the key position.
Mourinho insists Chelsea will not be signing a frontman in the winter transfer window, which closes next week, and that they will make their move when the time is right.
"We know what we are doing and if we do (something) now we are not doing the right thing," the Portuguese boss said.
"I know that people probably can think 'what they need is a striker to score 30 goals like (Sergio) Aguero, (Edin) Dzeko, (Luis) Suarez' and all these guys.
"But the most important thing for us is not today. The most important thing for us is the perspective of future and doing the right thing.
"When we do the striker, we do the right thing. And the right thing is not, for sure, now.
"Normally the market is easier in the summer, more time, more players, more changes. It's much better."
A striker will be the summer priority for Mourinho, who had two bids for Manchester United's Wayne Rooney rejected last close-season.
Even if Rooney were to move from Old Trafford to Stamford Bridge at the end of the campaign, it appears in Mourinho's eyes he would be something of a stop-gap option as the England forward is 29 in October.
Chelsea's present strike options are Fernando Torres, Demba Ba and Samuel Eto'o, who are aged 29, 28 and 32, respectively.
"All our three strikers, no-one is the future for 10 years, like we have in other positions," Mourinho said.
"Not one of them is the player for 10 years like (Eden) Hazard or like Willian or (Andre) Schurrle or all these guys.
"Normally one of these three strikers would be replaced for somebody with this perspective of long term and this perspective of evolution."
Romelu Lukaku, who is on loan from Chelsea at Everton, could be one option.
"I'm convinced he can be a good player," Mourinho added.
Mourinho has often spoken of a transitional period at Chelsea and he is trying to steer the club to prolonged success; the success of the last 10 years can be attributed to a large extent to Mourinho, who was boss from 2004 to 2007.
He added: "In this moment we still have fantastic players in this team - Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, John Terry - that don't belong to the next decade.
"In this moment if you have a team of (Cesar) Azpilicueta, Gary Cahill, Ramires, (John Obi) Mikel, (Nemanja) Matic, Willian, Oscar, Schurrle, (Mohamed) Salah - this is a team for 10 years."
Chelsea play Stoke in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday, with Mourinho in agreement with those who believe replays in the competition should be scrapped.
It would be his only alteration to English football, although he took the opportunity when discussing fixtures to take a swipe at Arsenal.
He said: "It would be the only thing I would change, the replays of the FA Cup, if I could. Or get the same influence that Arsenal has on the fixtures and choose the days to play.
"The congestion period of December-January is, for me, untouchable.
"The fact you can have a replay and the replay has to be played in a week where you have other matches.
"For example now, if we have a replay with Stoke, instead of playing Man City on the Monday (February 3), we have to play on the Saturday (February 1). I know if it was Arsenal they could play on the Sunday.
"In this moment I'm making a working plan for my team, and suddenly because I get a draw everything I did this week means nothing or is counter-productive, because instead of playing Monday, I have to play Saturday."
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