Mourinho expects to be outspent

Mourinho does not expect to be among the big spenders

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho expects to be outspent by Premiership rivals Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal this summer.

Mourinho has led the big spenders in previous seasons, backed by owner Roman Abramovich's vast financial resources.

But he expects a significant change this year.

He told Chelsea magazine: "The spenders will be Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham and maybe Arsenal. It won't be Chelsea for sure."

I hope that next season the media put pressure on the big spenders because the big spenders, for sure, will not be Chelsea Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho

And Mourinho admitted he hoped the weight of expectation piled on Chelsea in the past because of their spending will be transferred to their main competitors for the title.

He said: "Maybe at the beginning of next season they will say that Chelsea are not the favourites anymore because the club did not spend so much money."

Mourinho has signed striker Claudio Pizarro, midfielder Steve Sidwell and defender Tal Ben Haim on free transfers but has been told by Blackburn that striker Benni McCarthy is not for sale.

It is a marked change in policy from the mega-spending of previous years - and follows a season in which Chelsea won the FA Cup and the Carling Cup but lost the Premiership to Manchester United.

Mourinho added: "People ask Chelsea, 'Last season you won two trophies, why did you not win four?' But not many journalists ask Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, 'Why zero?' And not many people ask Manchester United, 'Why only the Premiership?'

"Is it about money? If it is, I hope that next season the media put pressure on the big spenders because the big spenders, for sure, will not be Chelsea."