Chelsea striker Fernando Torres is key to talks between Blues owner Roman Abramovich and Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho.

The People says Abramovich has ­arranged to meet Mourinho this week to discuss a possible return to Chelsea for The Special One.

Mourinho is said to be keen for Chelsea to ship out Torres - or reach an agreement that Abramovich would not insist on the £50m Spaniard having any special treatment.

And such discussions are key to the power battles which made it impossible for the two men to continue working together in 2007 - and which may yet put the block on Mourinho's return.

Abramovich spent £30m on Andriy Shevchenko, against the manager's wishes, in 2006 and the Portuguese always believed that the misfiring Ukrainian was a major factor in his Chelsea departure.

He does not want to get into the same situation with Torres, believing a failure to return the ex-Liverpool man to his former glories have played a significant part in the downfalls of previous Chelsea bosses Carlo Ancelotti, Andre Villas-Boas and Roberto Di Matteo.