Chelsea are Interested in Signing Atletico Madrid Defender Joao Miranda

Chelsea are set to re-enter the transfer market with a £20m bid for Atletico Madrid defender Joao Miranda.

According to Spanish newspaper Marca, Jose Mourinho is keen to bring the defender to Stamford Bridge, to add defensive depth to the squad. The Blues lost David Luiz to Paris Saint-Germain earlier in the summer and have not yet brought in a replacement.

Mourinho has earlier said that Chelsea were done with the transfer market, as he was happy with the team at his disposal. However, it looks like the Portuguese manager has changed his mind and has decided to bring experienced cover for Gary Cahill and John Terry.

Miranda, who will turn 30 later this year, is an experienced defender and was a key member of Diego Simeone's La Liga winning side.

If the Brazilian defender becomes available, Chelsea could face stiff competition for the player's signature, as Spanish giants Barcelona and Premier League rivals Manchester United have made their interest in the player very clear.

Both the clubs were interested in signing the Spanish capital club's defender, but were put off by Atletico's insistence that they match the £24m release-clause in the player's contract. In that context, even Chelsea are way off from meeting the La Liga champions' demand.

Atletico's Argentine manager is furious that so many of his players are being targeted by the top European clubs, and will be especially annoyed at Chelsea as they have already managed to snare Diego Costa and Filipe Luis from his title winning side.

According to the report, Miranda is keen on a move away from the Spanish champions despite returning for pre-season training with the club. Apart from that, Chelsea have an added advantage in this transfer battle for the defender, as Miranda's agent Jorge Mendes also manages Mourinho, Costa and Luis.