ON A day when it became clear that the Lyons president had been talking through his hat by accusing Chelsea of treating him as a beret-wearing bumpkin, José Mourinho warmed up for the new season by accusing his rivals of talking too much. Chelsea are finally on the verge of signing Michael Essien, the Ghana midfield player, for £24 million, despite the baffling remarks and posturing of Jean-Michel Aulas, the Lyons president, and Mourinho is fully focused on the start of his team’s title defence.

Essien trained with Lyons yesterday but cut a disgruntled figure. “This is not the Essien that we know,” Jean-François Gomez, a journalist with Le Progrès, said. “He is not happy.”

It has been the saga of the summer, with Aulas muddying the waters by saying that the deal was off and on and then claiming that Essien would remain at Lyons and sign a long-term contract. He failed to inform Essien of that, however, and the player, who had threatened to go on strike, said that he would do no such thing.

That forced Aulas to eat his vacuous words and go cap in hand to Roman Abramovich, the Chelsea owner. Peter Kenyon, the chief executive, is likely to travel to France before the weekend to conclude the deal. No players will be used as makeweights in the transfer.

Mourinho will be delighted to get his man. Although Chelsea were incredulous at the £34 million valuation put on Essien by Aulas, the 22-year-old will provide a timely boost as the season starts. With his team flushed with confidence, Mourinho said that anyone hoping to dethrone Chelsea should adopt a silent approach.

“When I see people speaking about Chelsea every day, I think it’s too much. I think they have to concentrate on themselves,” he said. “When I speak I try to be short and objective and directed and I try to hurt. When they speak about us they speak Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. They are never strong enough to make us shake.”

Explore Football

• Premier League

• Football League

• Scotland

• European Football

• International Football

• TheGame

• Live Match Tracker

• The Fink Tank

• Fantasy Football