After struggling to make a major impact in the Champions League last season, even though that was the job he was expressly hired for, manager Jose Mourinho will seek to strengthen his squad with two members of the team that he lead to glory in 2004 with Porto.

Defender Ricardo Carvalho and midfielder Deco have had less than stellar seasons at Chelsea and could both follow their former manager to Italy. Both were rather keen to leave the London club, the BBC has reported.

The Special One is edging closer to signing his two compatriots, who have fallen out of favour at Stamford Bridge where and have increasingly found themselves on the fringer of the first team. Mourinho, however, has decided to salvage their career, adamant that the players still have a lot on offer.

Both players were part of  Porto's historic Champions League season when they lifted the Champions League trophy in 2004 against Monaco.

Inter president Massimo Moratti was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport that negotiations were currently under way that would facilitate the double deal from Chelsea to Inter. He said, as quoted by the Daily Mail: "Mourinho has asked us for Deco and Carvalho and we are working towards making him happy."

Deco arrived at Stamford Bridge in an eight million pounds sterling move from Barcelona in the summer of 2008, but has had a lacklustre season which has relegated him down the pecking order - and recently admitted he hoped to be reunited with Mourinho in Italy.

Moratti told La Stampa that "Deco insists he would welcome a reunion with Mourinho. It’s something that is nice to hear."

Carvalho, who was an almost automatic starter in the centre of defence for most of his four-year spell at the club, was slowed down by injury last term and struggled to recover ever since, mustering only 18 appearances for the club.