Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho made scouting trip to watch Ukraine winger Yevhen Konoplyanka, says Mircea Lucescu

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is interested in signing Sevilla winger Yevhen Konoplyanka, says Shakhtar Donetsk manager Mircea Lucescu. The Blues boss was a spectator during Ukraine's 1-0 defeat to Spain in their final European Championship qualifier last week, sparking suggestions he was casting an eye over potential signings ahead of the January transfer window.

The trip could have had a more innocent motive, however. Chelsea taking on Dynamo Kiev in their next Champions League game on Tuesday 20 October, with seven members of the Ukrainian champions also on international duty that night. But Spanish newspapers Sport and AS claim Mourinho was also in attendance to personally scout winger Andriy Yarmolenko, who the Blues will reportedly make an offer for.

Shakhtar manager Lucescu was also watching on at the Kiev Olympic Stadium that night and claims he spoke to Mourinho, who was watching over both and Yarmolenko and Konoplyanka. Lucescu also suggested the Chelsea boss was also interested in his 25-year-old Brazilian midfielder Alex Teixeira.

"Mourinho is interested in Yevhen Konoplyanka," Lucescu said, Sky Sports report. "I was at Ukraine versus Spain with Mourinho and he is interested in some players.Perhaps it is Yarmolenko or Teixeira, if not, then it is Konoplyanka."

Konoplyanka was strongly linked with a move to Liverpool in January 2014 and again with Tottenham Hotspur during the recent summer transfer window, with the Daily Mail claiming the north London side were in talks with the winger at one point. The 25-year-old eventually signed for La Liga side Sevilla from Dnipro on a free transfer.

His international teammate Yarmolenko is also firmly on the Blues' radar, with Sport suggesting Mourinho has been tracking the winger since his time as Real Madrid manager, but opted against taking the plunge then as the Ukraine star was too young.

The 25-year-old is expected to feature against the Premier League Champios in Kiev on Tuesday.