JOSE MOURINHO is ready to once again test the loyalty of Steven Gerrard as he prepares to launch a fourth bid to prise the Liverpool skipper away from Anfield.

Mourinho will be officially confirmed as Real Madrid coach in the coming days after Manuel Pellegrini was sacked from the post on Thursday.

But already the Portuguese, who this season led Inter Milan to the treble of Italian league, cup and the European Cup, has spoken of his possible shopping list once installed at the Bernabeu.

And Mourinho has reiterated his long-time admiration for Gerrard by including the Liverpool midfielder, and England team-mate Frank Lampard, among four likely targets this summer.

“I like players in the final part of their careers,” said Mourinho. “I love to have some players who are 33 or 34 years old... they are players that you buy and you won’t recover this 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.

“I like to play with four at the back, although my teams are always ready to play with only three – a system I have used to win many games over the years.

“But normally we will play with four, but with two offensive full-backs in the style of Maicon and Ashley Cole.”

As Chelsea manager, Mourinho made two very public pursuits of Gerrard in 2004 and 2005 before the Liverpool skipper ultimately decided to stay at Anfield.

Gerrard, who is 30 on Sunday, also revealed last week that the Stamford Bridge outfit made a third attempt to lure him away during the World Cup in Germany in 2006.

The player has said he will put thoughts of his Liverpool future to one side until after returning from duty with England in South Africa.

Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton has previously promised Gerrard does not need to be sold to service the club’s debt, comments backed up this week by co-owner Tom Hicks.