José Mourinho today identified Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole as the type of signings he would like to make at Real Madrid, causing consternation in the boardrooms of Liverpool and Chelsea.

Mourinho is poised to succeed Manuel Pellegrini as Real manager, having announced his departure from Internazionale and he sparked intrigue as he name-checked the trio of World Cup-bound England internationals. During his time in charge at Chelsea, he almost signed the Liverpool captain Gerrard while he has retained a close relationship with Lampard and Cole.

Cole, 29, is understood to be considering his future in England as he contends with the fall-out from the break-down of his marriage. The left-back feels he is being persecuted by sections of the media. Gerrard, who turns 30 on Sunday, and Lampard, 31, are considered by Mourinho as photo-fit signings in midfield.

"I like players at the end of their careers," Mourinho said. "I love to have some players who are 33 or 34-years-old. They are players who you buy and you do not recover the money but if they give you good performances for two or three years, you've got your money's worth. Both [Gerrard and Lampard] are great players who always give everything."

Real's interest in Gerrard predates their move for Mourinho. They have talked about making a bid for him, although their valuation would most likely have been laughed at in Liverpool, as it has been in the region of €15m. They paid €30m last summer to Liverpool for another midfielder, Xabi Alonso.

Mourinho referred to Cole as he explained the tactics that he intended to use at the Bernabéu. "Normally, we play with four [at the back] but with two offensive full-backs of the style of Ashley Cole or Maicon," he said. "In midfield, we can play in a diamond or triangle. If we play with the triangle, then we line up to three forwards."

Mourinho went on to say that he saw Sergio Ramos, who generally played at right-back for Real under Pellegrini, as potentially one of the best central defenders in the world, suggesting he might have a vacancy at right-back. Maicon played in the role for him at Inter. Left-back, meanwhile, is a problem position for Real.

Liverpool and Chelsea would resist any moves from Mourinho for their players.

One of the most significant details of Mourinho's deal at Madrid is that he will be granted control of transfer policy by the president Florentino Pérez. Pellegrini complained that his relationship with Pérez was difficult from the very beginning and that important players were sold over his head.

For Mourinho, however, the situation could hardly be more different. Real have won nothing in each of the last four seasons under Pérez and, for the first time, the president is prepared to entrust his coach with building the squad.

The star signing is Mourinho and the players need not necessarily be. When Pérez announced the Portuguese's capture, the rhetoric of style, spectacle and stability had gone. Madrid's identity was instead summed up in a word: success.

Although Pérez insisted he had not even talked to Mourinho about signings, it was significant that he mentioned it at all. Mourinho will make the decisions and the players he has talked about, the type of footballers he has earmarked, do not necessarily fit the galáctico model.

Asked what Real needed, Mourinho responded simply: "I want three or four defensive players."

He was keen to stress, though, that his team would look to balance defence with attack. "My Madrid will always play well, attack and will be winners," he said. "However, there will be times when we will have to face the game in a different manner.