Phil Scolari reveals his Chelsea transfer targets

Luiz Felipe Scolari sold Roman Abramovich his vision of a Chelsea side that will give the Russian the fantasy football he craves.

Scolari sat down with the Stamford Bridge owner to explain how he would transform the Russian's hopes into reality.

And as the Brazilian outlined his attacking philosophy by promising a Chelsea team to take the breath away, it soon became a meeting of minds which ended with Abramovich determined to ensure the 59-year-old became Avram Grant's replacement.

The meeting took place on the Chelsea owner's yacht at the end of last month, within days of Grant's departure.

Initial contacts between Chelsea and agent Jorge Mendes, who was acting for Scolari, had indicated the Portugal boss would accept the job description outlined by the club.

What Chelsea wanted was a dressingroom dictator, a man who would chop down the egos when they got out of control and take an iron grip through his sheer sense of personality.

At the same time, the new man at the helm had to accept Abramovich's desire to feel properly involved with the club on which he has spent more than £600million already, rather than being made to feel like an outsider as he was under Jose Mourinho.

But equally key, indeed the dealmaker, was for the next Chelsea boss to guarantee - as far as anybody can - that Abramovich would finally see the type of football he envisioned on the day he bought out Ken Bates and began the biggest spending spree in the history of the game.

Scolari had the track record to show he could. In fact, he was first considered as a potential Chelsea manager last summer before the Russian briefly patched up his fragile relationship with Mourinho. First with the Brazil team, illuminated by the talents of Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho, that won the 2002 World Cup.

Then with the Portugal side he moulded into Europe's most electrically exciting force.

Like Mourinho, he is tactically bold, willing to change his team shape to meet the evolving match situation, by making them confident of switching mid-game, believing in the manager and his insight, inspired by a man who kicks every ball with them.

But perhaps unlike 'The Special One' whose "untouchables" policy ensured loyalty from the key lieutenants but alienated other members of the Chelsea squad, Scolari does not believe in sacred cows.

For Scolari, hooking a big-name player who is not performing is a duty, not a chore, as he demonstrated by hauling off Portugal skipper and icon Luis Figo against England in the Euro 2004 quarter-final, making the changes that turned the game around.

For the Brazilian, what matters most is that his side shows style as well as steel, a winning mentality derived from the fundamental principles he holds dear.

By outlining those beliefs, explaining how he could ensure that he could eclipse Mourinho's successes without resorting to the Portuguese's methods and tactics, Scolari convinced Abramovich that he was the man to take Chelsea forward.

It was not the hardest deal to strike and when Chelsea lost patience with the games being played by Carlo Ancelotti, who alienated the Stamford Bridge hierarchy with his posturing, Abramovich decided the time was right to go for the Brazilian.

There will be changes and new faces, dipping into the seemingly bottomless Chelsea coffers to make moves for Kaka, Deco, Ricardo Quaresma and David Villa while Mourinho mainstays Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard will be allowed to go.

But the players he inherits are already sold on the new boss.

Goalkeeper Petr Cech has praised him and Brazilian defender Juliano Belletti was equally receptive, suggesting Chelsea already knew the calibre of the man they are dealing with.

Belletti said: "He must only have accepted the job because they met his demands. He is very intelligent. He will know how to deal with everything.

"He was the one who was responsible for putting me in the national team, for the World Cup. For me and Alex it will be great to have a Brazilian manager."

Scolari's approach to the game was again in evidence on Wednesday, after Portugal had clinched their passage to the knock-out stage of Euro 2008 with the win over the Czech Republic.

"When things are going wrong, they have to be sorted by the players," said Scolari.

"They have the right to do that and I will let them - although I cannot repeat what I said to them at half-time. "What is important is how you play.

I like talented players but also daring ones.

"It is easy to play football without daring but you need to be expressing yourself. If you express yourself you will make mistakes but it is what I want to see - a solid team, wonderful physical players and spectacular football."

Abramovich, who was in Geneva to watch Scolari's team, will only have nodded in agreement.

He wants to see a fusion of Barcelona, Brazil and Portugal in a blue shirt at Stamford Bridge.

The new man offered him that assurance.

I like talented players but also daring ones. I want to see a solid team, wonderful physical players and spectacular football.

Let us know who you think Scolari should sign - and keep on top of all today's other transfer gossip - on our new Football Spy blog .