Chelsea leads the race to land Man United target.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is ready to head-to-head with his Manchester United counterpart Louis van Gaal in the battle for Barcelona centre-back Gerard Pique, according to reports from The Express.

The Spaniard is rumoured to be available for around £20m this January amid talk that he’s no longer seen as a vital player at the Camp Nou.

A return to United – where he spent some of his early career – has been mooted, with the Red Devils known to be in the market for a new central defender after failing to replace the likes of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand over the summer.

But Mourinho is keen to beat his rivals to Pique as he plots for life beyond ageing captain John Terry.

The ‘Special One’ raided Barca for Cesc Fabregas during the last window, and is confident that the lure of working with his former team-mate and the virtual guarantee of Champions League football at Stamford Bridge will sway the commanding World Cup winner.

FIFA agent Francois Gallardo has also talked up the possibility of Pique joining either Chelsea or United:

“The player is angry and Barca are open to his departure.

“He could end up at Manchester United or Chelsea.”