Drogba and Lampard enjoyed a successful three-year spell under Mourinho with English side Chelsea.

Deco also played under the Portuguese coach's guidance in the early 2000s.

Mourinho, who took over at Inter following the sacking of Roberto Mancini, made no secret of his desire to bring the trio to San Siro.

"I am not nostalgic but I really like those three players, they helped me win some great titles," he told ESPN.

"I cannot forget Deco, Lampard and Drogba. These are players who I could never say no to.

"I would love to work with them again in future but I am not too obsessed with this idea. I don’t know which of the three will leave their clubs but we’ll see."