Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will back Jose Mourinho over player contracts this year.
The Telegraph says Abramovich has underlined his faith in Mourinho by granting him the autonomy to decide whether Chelsea offer Frank Lampard, John Terry and Ashley Cole new contracts.
In a shift in club policy from the tenures of Rafael Benítez and Roberto di Matteo, Abramovich is placing full trust in his manager to oversee the transition of the squad and make football judgments about the future of key players.
