Mourinho signs up Chelsea defender Carvalho

Real have paid ?8 million (Dh38.7m) for the 32-year-old defender for a two-year contract, with the option of a further year.

Carvalho had made no desire secret to re-unite with Mourinho.

Jose Mourinho, the Real Madrid manager, has raided his former club Chelsea to sign Ricardo Carvalho. Real have paid ?8 million (Dh38.7m) for the 32-year-old defender who has signed a two-year contract, with the option of a further year at the Bernabeu. The defender spent six years at Stamford Bridge with the English Premier League side but has made no secret of his desire to be reunited with Mourinho, his fellow countryman, who he worked under at both Porto and Chelsea. Carvalho becomes Real's fifth summer signing following the arrivals of Angel Di Maria, Sergio Canales, Pedro Leon and Sami Khedira but he is unlikely to be the last with Mourinho thought to be the favourite to sign Mesut Ozil, the German playmaker, from Werder Bremen. [e-mail]