Raheem Sterling: Every player has his price, says Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho's Chelsea lead the Premier League by six points with a game in hand

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says "every player has a price" after being asked about Raheem Sterling's contract wrangle at Liverpool.

The Portuguese said he understood the stance of Reds boss Brendan Rodgers, who said Sterling would not be sold.

But Mourinho said: "I don't like players that don't want to play for me and my club, clearly."

Chelsea are among the clubs linked with the England forward, 20, after he rejected a £100,000-a-week contract.

Mourinho said striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was sold to Barcelona when he was Inter Milan boss after asking to join the Spanish club.

"Every player has a price. It doesn't matter which player," said Mourinho. "If you ask me now, for example, Eden Hazard, we can speak about him because he's signed a new contract.

"Do I want him to leave Chelsea? No. If he wants to leave, if he doesn't want to work with me, if he doesn't want to play for Chelsea, does Eden Hazard have a price? I think he has a price."

Sterling has two years left on a contract worth £35,000 a week and Mourinho added: "I also understand the philosophy of managers and clubs who want to keep the players at any price, who want just to say, 'there is no price to sell - the player stays, whatever'.

"My philosophy is not better than that - it's just different. Either way, when a player has a contract with a club, the club, the manager and the board have the power to decide what to do."

Mourinho admitted he faces a difficult decision over Petr Cech after the long-serving goalkeeper said he did not want to remain second choice behind Thibaut Courtois at Stamford Bridge.

"Chelsea gave him a lot, but for what he is giving to the club still, he deserves a special perspective," he said.

"I think he won the right to be part of a discussion and a decision."