Chelsea expect Ricardo Carvalho and Deco to join Internazionale this week, with the London club prepared to sanction the departures of the Portugal internationals for less than half the £27.95m that was spent on recruiting them. Talks are ­ongoing between the two clubs but a deal is believed to be close, with Chelsea willing sellers and Carvalho and Deco keen to be reunited with Jose Mourinho, the Inter manager whom they have played under before.

Carvalho yesterday confirmed his desire to work again with Mourinho as he criticised Chelsea, claiming they could have done more for him last season while he was injured. "The club should have supported me more, which did not happen," the defender said. "When a player plays, everything is beautiful but, when things do not run so well, there is no support. I believe my time at Chelsea has come to an end. I am happy such a big club as Inter is interested in me. It would be good to return to working with Jose Mourinho."

The injuries and loss of form suffered by Carvalho and Deco last season prompted concerns within Stamford Bridge that age – they are both 31 – is starting to catch up with them and that their best football could be in the past. Carvalho has been an influential presence at Stamford Bridge for four of his five years at the club but Deco, who joined last summer from Barcelona in an £8m deal, faded badly after a bright beginning and managed only 22 starts in all competitions.

Chelsea hope the exits of Carvalho and Deco will be followed by the return of Glen Johnson, with the England international set to make a decision early next week as to where he will be playing his football next season. Portsmouth are resigned to losing the right-back and it is understood that Johnson, despite interest from Manchester City, has narrowed his options to a straight choice between Chelsea, whom he first joined from West Ham United in 2003, and Liverpool.

Liverpool were reported last night to have had a bid accepted for Johnson of a similar size to the £18m Chelsea are believed to have offered Portsmouth. They are unlikely to match the personal terms the 24-year-old can expect at Stamford Bridge but Rafael Benítez, the manager, remains hopeful he can ­convince Johnson to move to Anfield.

There is certainly little chance of him joining Manchester City, with Champions League football known to be a key motivation and Johnson underwhelmed by the prospect of moving to a club in a transitional phase. City have a far more realistic chance of signing Carlos Tevez when the striker's loan at Manchester United expires at the end of this month, although Chelsea are set to make a late attempt to persuade him to move to Stamford Bridge. Their manager, Carlo Ancelotti, is understood to have called the Argentinian to emphasise his regard for him.

In the meantime Inter hope to complete the transfers of Carvalho and Deco, who were both part of the successful Porto side that won the 2004 Champions League under Mourinho. "Mourinho has asked us for Deco and Carvalho and we are working towards making him happy," said Massimo Moratti, Inter's president. "Our wish is to sign both players and I have seen that the players' intention is to join us. We still haven't reached an agreement with Chelsea but I think we will do in a short time."

While few Chelsea supporters will shed a tear at the sight of Deco moving on, Carvalho was a key figure during the club's renaissance under Mourinho and for a period was seen as a more steadying influence in defence than John Terry. Yet he managed only 11 Premier League starts last season and struggled to displace the Brazilian Alex as Terry's first-choice ­partner in central defence after recovering from injury.

Mourinho believes Carvalho's experience will be a key asset to Inter, particularly in European fixtures, while Deco has been identified as the ideal mentor for Philippe Coutinho, an exciting 17-year-old attacking midfielder who has agreed to join the Serie A club from Vasco da Gama and who plays in a similar position to the former Barcelona playmaker.

"We are interested in Carvalho primarily for the Champions League," added Moratti. "He has the right experience, he is calm under pressure and brings ­experience in the defensive line. Deco will have two tasks: to do well immediately and to help Coutinho mature as a player. Coutinho will arrive next season and plays in the same role as Deco."