• Defender claims he has a deal to leave Stamford Bridge
• ‘It would be a dream to play for Madrid,’ he says

Ricardo Carvalho has revealed he has an agreement with Chelsea which will mean he could leave Stamford Bridge this summer and he has made it clear he would like to join his former José Mourinho at Real Madrid.

Carvalho followed Mourinho to Chelsea in 2004, after winning the Champions League with him at Porto, and he was repeatedly linked with a move to Inter during Mourinho’s two years in charge at San Siro and is now desperate to be reunited with him in Spain.

“If there was a possibility to sign for Madrid, I would go there right now swimming or running,” Carvalho told the Spanish sports newspaper AS. “Chelsea have a commitment with me to let me go this summer, for reasons which those responsible at the club and I know.

“It would be a dream to be able to play for Madrid, which for me is the best club in the world, and to do so under the orders of the best coach in the history of football.

“With Mourinho I experienced two marvellous periods at Porto and Chelsea. To have the opportunity to win another Champions League with him at Real Madrid would be something tremendous.”

After helping Chelsea to three Premier League titles and three FA Cups, Carvalho believes his time at Stamford Bridge has come to an end. The 32-year-old has not played for the club since March after picking up an ankle injury – from which he recovered in time for the World Cup – but insists that despite his advancing years he is in the prime of his career.

“I find myself in the best moment of my career, because physically I am at the top and moreover I have a great experience,” he said. “I spent six spectacular years at Chelsea and I had the opportunity to experience a glorious period of this club, but I repeat that to sign for Madrid would be a dream.

“I’m very grateful to Roman Abramovich for signing me and making me part of the Chelsea project for six years. He was a very important person for English football and Chelsea, who became one of the best teams in the world.”

Reports suggest Chelsea would agree to release Carvalho for a cut-price €6m (£5m).

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• Spain striker wants assurances before deciding his future
• Roman Abramovich returns to South Africa to pursue signing

Fernando Torres will hold talks with Liverpool after the World Cup before making a decision over his future as Chelsea prepare to step up their interest in signing the Spain international.

Torres, 26, who has endured a frustrating World Cup but is expected to retain his place in Spain’s starting line-up for tomorrow’s semi-final against Germany, has said that he wishes to speak to the Anfield board, as well as Roy Hodgson, the new Liverpool manager, after the weekend to discuss the club’s position and their long‑term plans.

Hodgson has stressed the importance of retaining Torres and telephoned the striker within hours of his appointment as Rafael Benítez’s successor to try to persuade him to stay at Liverpool. Martin Broughton, the Liverpool chairman, has also made it clear that the club’s top players are not for sale, but Chelsea are expected to test that resolve and hope to convince Torres to leave Anfield for what is likely to be a record British transfer fee.

Roman Abramovich, Chelsea’s owner, is reported to have flown back out to the World Cup to pursue the former Atlético Madrid forward, who has long been on the club’s radar. Manchester City are also admirers of Torres and had hoped to compete for his signature but their failure to qualify for the Champions League has significantly reduced their chances. City have had an offer turned down for another striker, Internazionale’s Mario Balotelli, according to the player’s agent.

Torres has emphasised he will decide nothing until the World Cup is over. “I suppose that when the World Cup finishes I will speak to the people at Liverpool and they will explain to me the real situation of how things are at present, the future of the club,” he said in an interview with the Spanish newspaper El Mundo Deportivo. “And I will talk to the new coach.

“There’s time for [Liverpool], but I want to finish the World Cup, go on holiday, as I haven’t had a holiday for three years, rest and then there will be time to talk about all of that. The situation isn’t going to change whether we talk soon or later. Honestly, teams won’t be able to do anything until the World Cup has finished. The players here prefer to wait – there is time.”

Torres has previously become frustrated by Liverpool’s failure to deliver on promises of fresh investment and he is likely to seek assurances about imminent signings – he said in March “we need four or five top-class players to compete” – as well as the prospect of new owners. Broughton has said he is “hopeful” a deal for the club will be agreed by the time the transfer window closes at the end of next month, though that appears optimistic.

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• Midfielder to head for the exit at Valencia
• Manchester City and Chelsea favourites for signature

David Silva, the Spain international midfielder, has had a change of mind about moving to England and is deliberating whether to choose Manchester City or Chelsea amid firm interest from both clubs.

Silva’s reluctance to leave Spain was described as unflinching when City opened formal talks with Valencia at the end of last season but the player has gradually come round to the idea of playing in the Premier League, not least because of the realisation that Real Madrid’s new manager, José Mourinho, is not keen on recruiting him.

Barcelona also have other targets, having already signed David Villa from Valencia, and Silva is now left with a choice of remaining at Valencia or moving to England. His representatives have informed Valencia in the last 48 hours that he would like to take the option of a transfer.

That now boils down to a straight choice between City or Chelsea depending on a financial arrangement being agreed with his current club. That, however, is proving far from straightforward, with Valencia asking around €40m (£33.2m), a fee that is considered exorbitant at Eastlands and Stamford Bridge.

City were the first club to register an official interest in the 24-year-old and have the financial power to offer more than Chelsea in terms of both the transfer fee and the player’s salary, which currently stands at £3m a year and could easily be doubled if he were to join Roberto Mancini’s team. Chelsea, however, have the lure of playing in the Champions League next season and of joining a club that has just deposed Manchester United as champions.

Silva is described as open-minded but it is understood he marginally favours Chelsea on the basis that City’s reputation in Spain is not yet of one of Europe’s more powerful clubs, at least not in football terms. The likelihood is that he will wait until after the World Cup in case a good tournament persuades Madrid or Barcelona to look into his availability.

City’s pursuit of Silva partly originates from their knowledge that two of their more creative players, Robinho and Stephen Ireland, both want to leave the club this summer. Robinho, one of Brazil’s more impressive players in the 2-1 defeat of North Korea, has made it clear he does not want to return to Manchester when his loan arrangement with Santos expires on 4 August and his representatives are due to meet the City chief executive, Garry Cook, to make that official. That meeting was due to take place today but will now be held next week.

Manchester CityChelseaSpainTransfer windowValenciaDaniel Taylorguardian.co.uk