Benayoun Relishing Chelsea Challenge

Chelsea's Yossi Benayoun is ready for the challenge of breaking into a team which won the Premier League and FA Cup double last season.

After three years with Liverpool, the Israel international finally quit Merseyside when he joined the Blues in a £5million move in July.

A niggling groin injury halted his progress in pre-season but Benayoun is determined to make an impact for Carlo Ancelotti's side as the Blues look to defend their domestic titles.

"There are a lot of good players, big players, for me it is the beginning and I have to work hard and prove I can bring something to this club," said Benayoun.

"The only thing I can promise is I will work hard and do my best, and hopefully it will be good enough.

"I had offers from a few teams but when Chelsea came in for me it was the obvious and only thing to think about, and I am glad it came out in the end."

Benayoun made his last appearance for Liverpool against the Blues on May 2, when Chelsea took a giant step towards the league title with a 2-0 win.

"The last home game I knew it would be my last for Liverpool, I tried to do my best but Chelsea were strong," added Benayoun.

"All the years here in England, five years, Chelsea were always a difficult side to play against with big players and that's why they are always there at the top fighting for trophies. That's why I am glad to be a part of it now."

Benayoun's pedigree is second to none. As a talented youngster in Israel, he was asked to join the Ajax academy at just 15.

He began his senior career two years later with Hapoel Beer-Sheva before moving on to Maccabi Haifa in 1998.

After completing national service he left Maccabi having scored 55 goals in 130 appearances and joined Racing Santander in Spain in 2002.

But his goalscoring exploits soon brought him to the attention of English clubs and West Ham snapped him up for £2.5million three years later.

He helped the Hammers to finish ninth in the Premier League and reach the 2006 FA Cup final under then manager Alan Pardew.

He played one more season at Upton Park before making a £5million move to Anfield in 2007 where he replaced Luis Garcia, who moved back to Spain as part of the transfer deal that saw Fernando Torres join Liverpool.

His time at Liverpool was spent in and out of the side with Rafael Benitez never really appearing to treat him as a regular first-team player.

Last season he started 29 games and scored nine goals including a late one against Atletico Madrid at Anfield that looked to have put Liverpool into the Europa League final before Diego Forlan's last-gasp strike ended that dream.

Captain of the Israel national side, Benayoun has quickly felt at home after making the move back to London.

"It is a great training ground and you can see it is one of the best clubs in the world from the way the people here treat you," added Benayoun.

"It is a good challenge for me and I am ready for it."

Coach Ancelotti admitted that much of Benayoun's appeal lay in his versatility. The midfielder is equally at home on either wing and his trickery will cause plenty of problems for opposing defences.

"Yossi has a lot of quality in midfield and can play in lots of positions. I like his behaviour on the pitch," said Ancelotti.

"He will do a great job."

Is Mikel Arteta The Solution?

Recent weeks have seen us linked with just about every able bodied player on the planet.

One player that the media have missed is probably someone who should be on the forefront of plans this season. I am of course talking about Spanish playmaker Mikel Arteta.

Now the Premier League is often considered devoid of true playmakers, with Fabregas being the first that springs to mind. The other, and second only to Fabregas is Arteta. Everton's player of the year in 2005/06/07/08.

Arteta has been established as Everton's greatest sun. Linked with Chelsea in the past and continuously with Arsenal this summer as Fabregas considers Barcelona's offer, at £10million he offers a bargain that could prove a steal.

A graduate of the Barcelona academy, Arteta has proved himself in the Premier League and with the constant cries of Chelsea lacking a playmaker in the truest form, it is a surprise few mention his name on the site.

Mikel Arteta began his career as a holding player in the Guardiola mould and played with his best friend Xabi Alonso in San Sebastian. A meeting with a brilliant manager by the name of David Moyes sent his career rocketing towards the sky.

Moyes realised that he is best suited further forward and since then Arteta has never looked back. Capable of playing the Ballack role deep in midfield, spraying the ball and linking up the attack, Arteta would fit seamlessly in the 4-3-3 system.

Also more than capable of playing at the so called 'tip of the diamond position' as has been made famous by valued member Lukamolski on the site.

His defensive abilities allow him to play in other positions and formations if necessary. Mikel is an amazing crosser of the ball and has excellent passes and vision in the final third. His spot-kicks, be they free-kicks, corners or penalties are simply astounding.

He may not be among the very top brass of world football, but the man who replaced Gravesen at Everton and was declared the Premier League's best midfielder in 2006/07 by SkySports but he has a lot to offer, and a move to a bigger arena may be great, for him and the club in question.

Having discussed options in the likes of City's Rejects I thought it my civic duty to raise it up a notch.

Ramires Claims Chelsea Bid

Benfica midfielder Ramires has claimed Chelsea have lodged a bid for his signature.

The Brazil international has been linked with a switch away from Benfica this summer, with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea all mooted as potential suitors.

Ramires has made no secret of his eagerness to join Premier League holders Chelsea, who are said to be in talks with Benfica over a £20million deal.

The 23-year-old is quoted as saying in the Daily Mail: "There has been a bid for me from Chelsea.

"To play for the best team in the Premier League and for a club with so much history, it would be my dream.

"I've had a fantastic year at Benfica but this is a dream that I cannot let go."

The Price Is Far From Right!

Sometimes you just have to wonder what goes through some peoples minds!

A couple of times this summer the name of Gregory van der Wiel has been linked with Chelsea.

The Dutch defender, currently on the books of Ajax, had a decent enough World Cup and is rumoured to be on the move.

Bayern Munich were the prime candidates for his signature but rumour suggests that deal is not going to happen now.

His club, Ajax, has financial worries and has told Martin Jol he has to sell before buying, naturally, because of our history, we get linked.

But the price tag now being quoted by some sources is laughable, a huge £20 million!

It’s not going to happen at that price is it?

Nicolas Anelka Sues L'Equipe Over World Cup Rant At Raymond Domenech

The France striker Nicolas Anelka is taking the French newspaper L'Equipe to court for libel after it printed details of his expletive-filled World Cup rant at the then France coach, Raymond Domenech.

Anelka has never denied ranting at Domenech during half-time in the group match against Mexico on 17 June, which France were drawing 0-0 at the time and went on to lose 2-0. But has said the newspaper distorted his words – splashed across the front page with the expletives included.

L'Equipe said on its website that the case is likely to start this autumn and the newspaper will defend itself by calling the "various witnesses to the scene".

The French Football Federation sent Anelka home from the World Cup as a result of the story, and the following day the entire squad went on strike in protest at the decision.

Wycombe Wanderers 5 - 1 Chelsea XI:

A sensational four-minute hat-trick from Jon-Paul Pittman helped Wycombe Wanders come from a goal down to win 5-1 against a Chelsea XI side on Thursday night.

Aliu Djalo opened the scoring for the London club after 13 minutes, only for Scott Rendell and Ben Strevens to put the League Two side into the lead before second-half substitute Jon-Paul Pittman completed the rout.

The only first-team players to be included in the Chelsea side were Scott Sinclair, Franco Di Santo and Jack Cork, with new signing Phillip Prosenik starting on the bench.

Despite the weak line-up, Chelsea came out strongest and broke the deadlock after 13 minutes when a Scott Sinclair shot brought a smart save from Wanderers goalkeeper Nikki Bull, but the parry fell into the path of striker Djalo who tapped into an empty net.

Chelsea did not stay in front for long though as Wycombe’s intensified pressure reaped rewards after 24 minutes when a loose ball from an attempted defensive clearing fell kindly to Rendell eight yards out and the 23-year-old calmly stroked the ball home.
Gary Waddock’s side deservedly took the lead 12 minutes later when a clever flick from Kieran Murtagh found Strevens inside the penalty area and the striker finished from a tight angle to take Wanderers into the lead before half-time.

The second-half was a balanced affair before American Pittman came on with 25 minutes remaining and proceeded to put the game beyond doubt.

On 76 minutes clever work from Chairboys midfielder Kevin Betsy fed in the 23-year-old to fire low underneath Chelsea goalkeeper Samuel Walker, only two minutes later it was 4-1 as winger Matt Phillips was this time the provider as Pittman finished cooly and then just over a minute later the striker ran through on goal and calmly chipped home a finish and wrap up a confident team victory.

Wycombe Wanderers: Nikki Bull (Steve Arnold, 83); Chris Westwood (Marvin McCoy, 74), Dave Winfield, Alan Bennett, Danny Foster; Gareth Ainsworth (Ian Westlake, 85), Lewis Montrose (Matt Bloomfield, 66), Keiran Murtagh, Kevin Betsy; Scott Rendell (Matt Phillips, 60), Ben Strevens (Jon-Paul Pittman, 66).

Subs: Steve Arnold, Leon Johnson, Ian Westlake, Marvin McCoy, Matt Bloomfield, Matt Phillips, Jon-Paul Pittman.

Chelsea XI: Samuel Walker; Billy Clifford, Rohan Ince, Aziz Deen-Conteh, Ryan Bertrand; Scott Sinclair, Jack Cork, Conor Clifford, Milan Lalkovic (Dan Philliskirk, 59); Franco Di Santo, Aliu Djalo (Philipp Prosenik, 59).

Academy Through To Milk Final

Chelsea FC's U-15 Academy side is through to the Final of the 2010 Milk Cup over in Northern Ireland.

Teams from around the world, including Everton, Man U and Chelsea, compete in a week-long tournament on the North Coast area of Northern Ireland. The teams are divided into three categories: Elite, Premier, and Junior for Under-19s, Under-17s and Under-15s respectively.

Chelsea aim to enter a young team into the Junior section of the tournament in readiness for the Academy season ahead. Whilst we have the ability to enter teams at U-17 and U19 level, these players are at the stage of Reserve football and will be concentrating on other pre-season friendlies.

Chelsea were placed in Group A with 11 other teams, however only 2 group matches are played. After these games, 8 teams 'qualify' for the quarter-finals which were played on Wednesday.

The great thing about the Milk Cup is not only do the spectators get to see future stars wearing their favourite jerseys but for teams from other countries to face each other.

CFC began with a 3-0 win over South Coast Bayern, an American youth team, on Monday over in Coleraine. On Tuesday for their second game, the U-15s saw off Co.Armagh convincingly with one of the highlight displays of the week - 7-0.

Back in Coleraine on Wednesday for the quarter final, Chelsea managed a 1-0 win over Co.Tyrone to book a place in the Semi's yesterday.

"You have to remember these schoolboys only finished their school year on the July 20th, so they’ve been back training for two or three sessions before we came to the Milk Cup," Geoff Harvey, team boss, revealed.

"I think tiredness came into a bit (against Tyrone), three games in three days is a real test for them. The boys then faced Dundalk SL and destroyed the team 4-0.

The last game of the week at 4pm today sees Mexican side Cruz Azul as the last team in the way of another piece of Blue silverware. As Neil Bath, Academy Manager, said recently in an interview, Chelsea are achieving much more in Youth tournaments compared to 5 years ago. Here's hoping that we continue to be this successful.

For those interested Reece Mitchell has been one of the stand out performers. The number 9 has been scoring all tournament and will be looking for more goals this afternoon.

Numbers Boosted For Frankfurt

There will be fresh faces for our third pre-season friendly of the summer on Sunday, with our World Cup representatives now back into the groove at Cobham.

The last of our players to spend their summers in South Africa reported back for training on Monday and have quickly set about playing fitness catch-up with the rest of the squad, which included the French, Ivorians and Serb Branislav Ivanovic, who were back last Thursday after their early World Cup elimination.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti fielded a young side for our first two pre-season friendlies, with John Mikel Obi, Michael Essien and Daniel Sturridge our only regular first team outfield players on show, but our English and Portuguese internationals now return to the group, despite only arriving back at Cobham from their holidays on Monday.

That means likely starts against Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday for Ashley Cole, John Terry, Frank Lampard, Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira.

They will also be joined in the travelling party by Yossi Benayoun, who has recovered sufficiently from a groin problem to be available for selection, and Didier Drogba, who had hernia surgery last week. Four players, however, will remain in England.

'We will keep here Cech, Alex, Bosingwa and Deco because they need to work on their fitness,' explained Ancelotti. 'The other players are in good condition, and for the first game the players back from the World Cup can play for 45 minutes.

'The English and the Portuguese came back good and are doing well, but they are not in the best condition because it is very soon.'

With only a short time in which to prepare his side for our first competitive fixture of the season, in the Community Shield against Manchester United at Wembley on August 8, Ancelotti recognizes the importance of getting the group together for a few days.

'Now we are very close to the first appointment of the season against Manchester United and want to use these games to improve condition more, and I think we will be ready for that first game at Wembley,' he said.

'We decided to do this trip to Germany because we didn't have the players for a long time, so it is better to stay in Europe for a friendly game, and I think it is a good decision instead of going on a long tour.'

Carlo Ancelotti Claims Manchester City-Bound Mario Balotelli Was Never An Option

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti admits Manchester City-bound Mario Balotelli was not part of his transfer plans this summer.

Balotelli, who is just hours away from completing his move from Inter to the Citizens, was linked with the Blues, but Ancelotti has offered a different view.

Asked by La Stampa whether the Italian was close to Chelsea at some point, Ancelotti said: "This doesn't result with me.

"City have spent the most in Europe and they will be fighting for the title. Mario is a crazy talent, but the Premier League is ideal for him.

"He will find Roberto Mancini, the coach that launched him in Serie A."

Ancelotti was asked what his aims are with Chelsea, and all eyes are on the Champions League.

"My first impact with Chelsea was winning the league, the FA Cup and Community Shield. I am missing the Champions League - that is my dream," he concluded.

Mourinho Keen To Sign Chelsea's Ricardo Carvalho

Jose Mourinho has publicly stated his admiration for Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho and indicated that he would like to sign the 32-year-old for Real Madrid.

Mourinho brought centre-back Carvalho to Stamford Bridge in 2004 and the Portuguese defender has been a mainstay of the Chelsea back four ever since.

However, there has been growing speculation that Carvalho could be set to join hid old mentor Mourinho at Real Madrid, especially with Chelsea having to comply with new Premier League rules to name a squad of only 25 players, meaning some will probably have to be sold.

Carvalho placed himself at the top of the list for a Chelsea exit, recently stating that he would go "swimming or running" to have the chance to move to the Bernabeau.

Now Mourinho has indicated that the enthusiasm for a deal is mutual. He told Spanish TV station TV1, "I always said that Carvalho is one of the best in the world."

When questioned about Carvalho's advancing years, Mourinho commented, "He is in the period of his greatest maturity."

On the prospects of Carvalho moving to Real Madrid, Mourinho did little to rule it out and coyly remarked, "We'll see what happens."

Blues Deny Mancienne Talk

Chelsea have denied reports that England Under-21 international defender Michael Mancienne has handed in a transfer request.

It looked as though the talented young centre-back was ready to call time on his career at Stamford Bridge after five years with the club.

Mancienne has started just two Premier League games for the Blues in his time in West London and has spent significant spells on loan with QPR and Wolves in the past four seasons.

Molineux boss Mick McCarthy has refused to rule out a move for the 22-year-old earlier in the day amid reports that he was on the market.

But a Blues spokesman confirmed to Sky Sports News that Mancienne has not asked to leave Chelsea this summer.

The defender could be more heavily involved in Carlo Ancelotti's plans this season due to the introduction of new squad rules for all Premier League clubs.

Each side must name a 25-man squad on 1st September, of whom eight have to be 'home-grown' criteria, which Mancienne would meet.

He has found first-team opportunities hard to come by with John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho and Alex all ahead of him in the pecking order.

Neymar Has No Reason To Leave Brazil - Father

Talented Brazilian youngster Neymar could snub Premier League champions Chelsea and remain with Santos beyond the summer, his father has claimed.

Neymar da Silva Santos has expressed his delight at his son eventually getting a call-up to the Brazilian national team for their upcoming friendly against the USA next month and has stated that the 18-year-old now has no reason to leave the country for England.

Chelsea had made a £20 million bid for the 18-year-old earlier this month but Santos officially rejected that offer. Neymar's father had expressed his anger at the Brazilian giants for not consulting him before making their decision, but it now appears that he would be happy to see his son remain in Brazil.

"His dream was to reach the Selecao playing for Santos," Neymar's father told TV Record Litoral. "This goal has been achieved. Therefore, I don't think there's a reason to think about leaving the country. That's why we will do everything we can for him to stay."

This is the first time that Neymar has been called to the senior side and Da Silva Santos explained just what it meant for his entire family.

"I didn't have the time to watch the squad announcement and because Neymar was training, we couldn't follow it together. But it was a day of great happiness. When I arrived home, the whole family celebrated.

"It's a shame that in that moment [before the World Cup] it was hard for him to be called-up, because of the previous coach [Dunga]. But today there's a renovation and this creates an expectation for the new players."

Carlo Ancelotti Hoping To Tie Up £17 Million Signing Of Benfica Midfielder Ramires Before Starting Pre-Season Tour Of Germany

Chelsea are keen to finalise their £17 million move for Benfica midfielder Ramires before leaving for the pre-season tour of Germany.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti’s squad will depart on Saturday and the Italian hopes that the Brazil international will join the team on the trip, according to the Daily Star.

However, the Portuguese club is reluctant to give up their midfield star, and the Blues could have to wait before they complete the signing of the Brazilian World Cup star.

Chelsea, who won the Premier League and FA Cup last season, have made just one signing this summer, bringing Liverpool winger Yossi Benayoun to Stamford Bridge for just £5 million.

After letting Michael Ballack and Joe Cole leave the club this summer, Chelsea sees Ramires as an ideal replacement in the midfield.

The Blues are also interested in Benfica defender David Luiz, but the Portuguese club rejected Chelsea’s initial bid of £25 million for the centre-back.

Kakuta On Reaching The Final!

Despite conceding an early goal, France U-19 managed to defeat the courageous Croatian team and book the place in UEFA European Under-19 Championship Final where they will meet Spain.

Exceptionally happy with that is Gaël Kakuta, who scored and equaliser, but is the one to be blamed for Croats taking the lead inside 4 minutes of the game.

Speaking afterwards Kakuta remarked,

'[I was scared] a little as it is because of me we conceded that goal. I miscontrolled the ball, and after that came a foul and the goal. We put pressure on our own shoulders by conceding early.'

The winning goal for France came courtesy of substitute Cédric Bakambu. The Sochaux player came off the bench in place of Yannis Tafer.

Here's what Kakuta had to say on both lads and atmosphere in French camp.

'Cédric did not give up. He scored his two goals in the first match but none in the second nor against England. He kept his chin up and continued working hard in training. This time he came on and scored so it all paid off. He and Yannis are two different styles of player. Cédric lays off the ball and goes while Yannis keeps it and looks for a one-two. [I get on well] with both of them. This is a very good group; everyone has fun with each other. A nice chemistry is born off the pitch and that makes things easy on it.'

Friday's Final brings chance to revenge for French, who were beaten by Spain in 2008 Under-17 Final. Many of those who experienced 4:0 trashing are now in U-19 team, prompting Kakuta to remark,

'Spain are not our old friends, they are our enemies. Two years ago they trashed us 4-0 so it will be a good revenge for us. They take good care of the ball and are very patient. We will try to work on that. It will be a good match. After what they did to us two years ago, everybody is looking forward to it.'

Where Is Slobodan Rajkovic

After scanning through the forums earlier, I came across a thread created by ThatShevchenkoGoal relating to our 21-year-old Centre Back.

After 3 seasons on loan and two Dutch Eredivisie titles under his belt, he's clearly ready for more challenges.

He's never made a first team appearance yet and with his old team mate Miroslav Stoch moving on to the Turkish league with Fenerbahce, he's perhaps tempted to be looking at another move away from Chelsea either on loan or permanently.

The question is though, where is he at the moment?

His loan contract was supposed to end in June and as he was not selected for the WC squad where has he gone?

Tipped as an upcoming strong center-back to partner John Terry once he returned to Chelsea, he now appears to be in a sort of limbo.

The question wasn't answered in the forum and as not all of our members check them regularly I thought I'd pose it on the front page.

Anelka: We Want Wins

Preparing for our five-day trip to Germany, Nicolas Anelka admits it is a pleasant change not to be away on tour for a fortnight.

The World Cup and the subsequent holidays of our involved players meant a lengthy trip overseas, as has become the norm in recent seasons, was not possible this time around, but instead the Frenchman will be joining his team-mates for a pair of friendlies, against Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday and Hamburg on Wednesday.

'In my career tours have been a regular thing, going away, with Chelsea we have been to China and America, and with other clubs to Korea, Austria, Spain,' recalled the 31-year-old. 'I prefer to stay here at the training ground for longer, to train and go home.

'When you have kids and a family you want to see them, and it is great to be back in training and at the same time to be able to come home, like you are already in the season, but it will be good to be away together as a team for a few days, and I hope we can go there and come back with good results.'

It is a common belief that results do not matter in pre-season games, that building fitness is the only factor worth noting. But for Anelka, winning these matches ranks just as highly on the agenda.

'We have two games in Germany, so we play them and we want to win them, that's the most important thing. It is good to start in that way before the season, we have a good team and when you play for Chelsea you have to win all your games, so we will go there and try to come back with good results,' he explained.

'Training so far has been good and I feel fit, we worked very hard and it will be harder and harder until the beginning of the season.

'After a few days you want to be out playing matches again,' explained the forward, who reported back on July 22. 'I like my football so when I come back, I can't wait to be on the pitch and playing.

'I have been playing for so long and I still want to play and win every game. When you have this kind of mentality and play at this kind of club you want to play, enjoy your football and win your games.

'When we are back from Germany, we have the Community Shield which is a big game, but for the players the most important is to be fit for the first league game against West Bromwich Albion.'

There are just over two weeks until Roberto Di Matteo brings his newly promoted Baggies to Stamford Bridge for our Barclays Premier League curtain-raiser. Chelsea fans, like Anelka, will be hoping we enter that game with a series of wins already achieved.

Bridging The Generation Gap

The pre-season is traditionally a time when you see experienced first teamers playing alongside young, hopeful products of the Academy. The games at Crystal Palace and in Amsterdam bore witness to this.

But what about the interaction between the established and the upcoming throughout the rest of the year? It is a carefully considered area of player development at Chelsea, down to the careful logging of every training session an Academy player enjoys with Carlo Ancelotti's squad.

As Chelsea teenagers continue to make news on the international stage with Gael Kakuta tomorrow playing in the European Under 19s Championship Final, following on from Josh McEachran and Nathaniel Chalobah winning the Under 17 equivalent with England, and Jeffrey Bruma's call up by Holland, the Official Chelsea Website asked Academy manager Neil Bath (pictured below right) for an overview of how the relationship between his players and the first team set up works:

The Academy building is located just a short walk away from the first team headquarters but for a young player at Chelsea in 2010, how much interaction will he have with those over there?

'First of all, the interaction between the Academy and first-team staff is closer than it has ever been since I have been at the club. That is nothing against previous management, we just made a real conscious effort from the start with Carlo [Ancelotti] to come up with a one-club coaching program. That was the best way to start and we were working with [sporting director] Frank Arnesen's role between the two areas and that helps support it.

'Then in the last year we have had more players from the youth set up training on a daily basis with the first team than we have ever had. There is close working going on there.

'In terms of interacting with the first team, we believe that in the first two years - the Under 16s and Under 17s - interaction should be mostly for football reasons. They meet on the pitch. Occasionally we will have lunch over in the first-team building but the boys are reporting to the Academy, doing duties in the Academy and having lunch and breakfast together in the Academy.

'If some of them progress quicker and actually starts playing for the first team then that might change. But even Under 17s and Under 18s who are in the reserves will stay in the Academy building.

'Although that may not look like we are encouraging interaction, we want to encourage interaction for the right reasons. We have tried things like cleaning boots with the first team players but whatever way we looked into it, the logistics were difficult, particularly when we have programs just after lunch that are about doing more technical work with the players. We felt we can't let boot cleaning get in the way of the technical program.

'We do create a culture in the Academy building that the boys are responsible for some of the cleaning and tidying as part of their education and there is a lot we share with the first team set up.

'We are continually looking at each other's IT and video analysis systems and some of the development staff, including [assistant first team coach] Paul Clement and [first team fitness coach] Glen Driscoll have all been Academy people who have gone across. So there is a lot of interaction but we are conscious of holding the boys back a little bit from the first team set up, so they don't think they have made it too soon.

'It's about getting the balance right. The boys understand that and I feel in many ways they prefer that. They think that when I am a bit older - 19 or 20 - and I am training a bit more with the first team then I can mix socially.'

Might the increase in youth players training with the first team be down to improved quality as well as the club's policy to improve interaction?

'We said we would reorganise the Academy five or six years ago and it would take 10 years to really get it going. Six years in the standard has improved. We have invested in the whole Academy system - players, staff and resources - and therefore the standards have gone up.

'We have more Academy players playing internationally than we have ever had and more players training with the first team on a daily basis, so the standard has gone up.

'Two years ago we lost the Youth Cup Final, this year we won it. In our younger age groups, this year we won four tournaments in Europe. Five year ago I can't remember us winning any tournaments in Europe.'

If a young player wanted to seek advice from a first teamer who plays in his position, would that be possible?

'It is. Rather than myself going directly to players, we would use the relationship we have with Ray Wilkins and Clem and they will control that. Otherwise it can be chaos. If you ask a player to speak to a younger player, the support is first class. At the same time we need to respect their position. Without us needing to set up formal meetings, because the boys are training with them it is happening naturally.'

Do you notice effects from training with the first team, such as improvement in confidence and self-esteem?

'Definitely. The players notice the difference as well, and it is obviously the speed of the game. Mentally you have to be sharper and when they come back to the Academy, that is when they notice it. They have had say 10 sessions there and come back finding it a little bit easier here. That is when we realise they are moving on and pulling away from others. You see some go across and struggle and you see others and you think wow, he can play with good players.'

How encouraging was it to hear Carlo Ancelotti talk at the end of last season about Academy players joining his squad full time for this season?

'We talk about winning youth tournaments as progress and getting debuts and appearances, and getting lads out on loan, but ultimately it is all about getting players into the first team squad. When Carlo says maybe five lads in you start thinking okay, this year is really starting to show a light at the end of the tunnel because it has been difficult. We are getting there but we are still a way off.'

Ancelotti Has Cash To Spend

Chelsea has confirmed that boss Carlo Ancelotti will be handed more transfer funds if the Italian coach asks for them.

Ancelotti has so far made just one major summer signing with the acquisition of Yossi Benayoun from Liverpool for £5million.

The Israel captain's pre-season progress has been hampered by a slight groin problem but he is expected to be included on the club's forthcoming tour of Germany.

The club have also lost defender Alex and goalkeeper Petr Cech through injury and chief executive, Ron Gourlay, has confirmed that funds will be made available to Ancelotti should the Chelsea boss require them.

"If Carlo wants to bring a player or two into the squad then we will look at that," Gourlay told Sky Sports News.

"It has to be the right player to fit into the squad and obviously at the right price.

"If these things all come together then fine, we'll strengthen the squad. But only if Carlo feels it's necessary."

Meanwhile, Gourlay has made it clear that striker Didier Drogba, back at the club's training ground after groin surgery, is not for sale.

The Ivory Coast forward had been linked with a move to Manchester City by the player's agent but Gourlay said: "Didier will be a Chelsea player next year. Didier is under contract.

"The thing about this time of year is we always get (this). For our players to be in the news - it's normal.

"But Didier Drogba will be a Chelsea player next year."

Deco's future also continues to be the subject of continued speculation with Fluminese rumoured to be ready to land the Portugal midfielder.

But the player was undergoing double training sessions at Cobham on Wednesday. It is understood he wants to return to his native Brazil to be with his ill son.

Benfica Demand £33m For Chelsea Target David Luiz

Benfica have demanded £33m for top Chelsea defensive target David Luiz, who has also attracted interest from Manchester City and Real Madrid.

Chelsea, who are set to sign Benfica midfielder Ramires in a £20m deal, have now been told to up their offer of £27m for the star defender.

Luiz, who received his first call-up to the senior Brazil team yesterday, is one of Europe's most highly rated youngsters and has also been targeted by big spenders Manchester City.

Whether Roman Abramovich will stump up the necessary cash to keep Luiz out of City's clutches remains to be seen, but it is also understood that Real Madrid are interested in the Brazilian.

Chelsea, who is without the injured Alex, could find themselves short in numbers if their bid from Luiz is unsuccessful.

But manager Carlo Ancelotti will be buoyed by the news that Ramires has finally returned from Portugal, in order to put the finishing touches to his move to Stamford Bridge - meaning the deal could be tied up within the next few days.

Feyenoord Loan Move For Franco Di Santo Fails Over Chelsea Wage Demands

Feyenoord technical director Leo Beenhakker has confirmed a loan move for striker Franco Di Santo has been cancelled after Chelsea demanded a wage contribution.

Di Santo, 21, had been lined up by the Eredivisie side to bolster their attacking options for the season ahead. Negotiations had begun to allow the Argentine to follow his spell at Blackburn Rovers with another temporary switch.

Speaking to Algemeen Dagblad, Beenhakker stated Feyenoord had moved on to other targets as they couldn't afford to contribute to Di Santo's wages.

"Chelsea requires a contribution towards the salary of Di Santo and we can not afford that," Beenhakker revealed.

"I do have more irons in the fire, though no guarantees. I'll keep searching for a striker."

Sporting CP Look To Sign Chelsea Defender Michael Mancienne

Sporting CP are one of a clutch of foreign teams eager to snap up Chelsea defender Michael Mancienne, according to The Mirror.

Mancienne, 22, is believed to have handed in a transfer request after spending the last two seasons on loan at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Manager Mick McCarthy was reported to be keen to make the deal permanent for £4 million, but will now face competition from Malaga, Sevilla and Sporting to secure the player.

It is not yet known if Chelsea will sanction his sale as Ricardo Carvalho has stated his desire to move to Real Madrid. If a replacement cannot be found, Mancienne could be forced to stay at Stamford Bridge next season.

Chelsea's Jack Cork To Sign On Loan

Swansea City have been linked with a season-long loan move for Chelsea midfielder Jack Cork.

It hasn't taken long for the media to link Brendan Rodgers with one of his former colleagues at Chelsea.

The Swans boss worked with Jack Cork whilst he was Youth Team Manager at Stamford Bridge, and the Mirror believe that Rodgers will team up with him again next season.

The 21 year-old has had a number of loan spells at various clubs including Bournemouth, Scunthorpe, Southampton, Watford and Coventry. Last season, he spent the final few months on loan at Burnley.

Cork is a versatile player who is comfortable both in defence and midfield.

Jack's father Alan, former manager of Swansea City, says his son is willing to leave Chelsea for a lower-League club.

Alan Cork said in May:

"I think he’s pretty much realized now that it’s not going to happen for him at Chelsea,"

"He has been there since he was seven but they’ve got about 40 players, and they have just won the Youth Cup so they have a lot of good young players.

"They have Ryan Bertrand who has been out on loan at Reading, Scott Sinclair at Wigan and Michael Mancienne at Wolves.

"If eight or nine of them go back at once they’re not all going to get a game.

"Jack has got two years left on his contract at Chelsea, so it’s all down to what they want to do.

"I think Coventry put a bid in for him previously but they turned it down.

"He’ll go back to speak to Chelsea and Frank Arnesen on Monday or Tuesday and find out what their plans are.

"He has played in a few teams that have been struggling now and I think he would just like to be in a team that is winning more games.

"He would go anywhere.

"I don’t think dropping down to the Championship would worry him.

"It’s been disappointing for Jack that Burnley has been relegated but personally it has gone well for him.

"He has enjoyed it there."

Kakuta On Target And Into Under-19 Finals

Gael Kakuta and France will contest Friday's European Under 19 Championship Final. The Chelsea midfielder netted for the second time in the tournament as Croatia were beaten 2-1 on Tuesday evening.

Kakuta, behind much that has been good from an impressive French side in this tournament, found it hard to make inroads in the early stages of the match in Caen and indeed it was Croatia who took the lead after just three minutes. A well-directed free-kick was headed in by Arijan Ademi.

A good start by the newcomers to these Finals gave way to plenty of possession by France who hit the post through Gilles Sunu.

Then on 38 minutes Kakuta equalised when his own ball wide was turned back his way by an ill-judged Croatian header and he finished unerringly inside the box with his left foot. It was the first time Matej Delac had been beaten in three matches.

Now Kakuta began to show good touches but Delac wasn't tested until five minutes into the second half when the keeper who will move to Chelsea next season saved a low free-kick.

In the 77th minute he produced a very good save to keep out Alexandre Lacazette but could do nothing about substitute Cedric Bakambu's perfectly-placed 80th minute winner.

In Tuesday's other semi final, Jacob Mellis played the first 59 minutes of England's exit to Spain.

There can be few complaints from the England side who were second best for much of the game and conceded three quality goals, although Noel Blake's side scored an excellent one themselves to make it 2-1, Tottenham's John Bostock volleying in from distance.

Mellis could have headed an opener in the first minute of the 3-1 defeat but the keeper made a fine save and the Chelsea midfielder had an early shot fly over. He was replaced in the second half by Sunderland's Ryan Noble.

So there is to be no Under 19 rematch of this summer's Under 17 Final between England and Spain.

Instead host nation France take on the Spanish in a repeat of the 2008 European Under 17 Final that was contested by many of the same players that will be in action on Friday. That match was won by Spain.

Mauri Joins Coaching Team

Chelsea Football Club welcomes Giovanni Mauri as an addition to our first-team technical staff.

A fitness coach, the Italian has previously worked with Carlo Ancelotti at two Serie A clubs and has also coached with teams in Switzerland. He will augment Chelsea's existing staff.

'Giovanni worked for me for two years at Parma and eight years at Milan,' explains Ancelotti, 'and he has a lot of experience because he hasn't worked just with football teams, he has also worked with cycling teams.

'He has very important experience and he will be a support to [first-team fitness coach] Glen Driscoll and [head of sports science] Nick Broad in the physical training.'

Mauri brings with him 25 years' worth of experience of working in professional sport.

Italian Style Meets English Champions

Chelsea Football Club are delighted to announce a three-year partnership with world-renowned designers Dolce&Gabbana.

The iconic Italian fashion house will be providing the formal club suits and create the Dolce&Gabbana Lounge in the West Stand, as well as the club's main reception.

'We are really happy about this partnership and to be able to link our name to such a prestigious club like Chelsea,' said Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana.

'We are big football fans, for us it means healthy competition, intense passion and great discipline.

'Football players are style icons both on and off the pitch and, on top of this, there is our love of England and of London, which have always been a source of inspiration for our work.'

Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay added: 'We are delighted Dolce&Gabbana will be our official supplier of formal wear for the next three years.

'Their designs for this season's team wear are exceptional and we're excited to be partnering with such a world-renowned and innovative design house.

'In addition to dressing the team, Dolce&Gabbana's comprehensive redesign of the club's Directors' Lounge and other key areas of the stadium will also serve to showcase our relationship over the next few seasons.'

The official club suits commanded the greatest attention to detail. They use the colour blue, which is also the colour for the exclusive Dolce&Gabbana logo on the tag found on the clothes, which would usually be white.

Two outfits were created for the players. A dark blue three-piece suit includes a two-button jacket with the lion rampant reguardant crest embroidered on the pocket. This is matched with a blue shirt, a dark blue jacquard tie, black shoes and belt.

The second outfit is a pair of jeans, worn with a Martini shirt and black trainers. A black wool coat completes their wardrobe.

Both players and staff will also be provided with a blue leather trolley bag with a metal Dolce&Gabbana tag.

The Directors' Lounge will be an exclusive space where guests will be able to experience unique matchday hospitality typical of the Dolce&Gabbana style.

The design concept of the space, conceived according to the purest Dolce&Gabbana style, is characterised by brand new materials and details. Walls, furniture and small details have all been created in blue which is in contrast to the steel of the chairs and sofa, to the oak floors and to the gold and silver of the frames.

Dolce&Gabbana will also redesign a number of areas at Stamford Bridge including the main reception of the club and the Millennium Suites corridor.

Chelsea Aim For Full-Strength Selection

Assistant manager Ray Wilkins believes every fit member of Chelsea's first-team squad will be ready to play in the first game of the new Premier League season.

The reigning champions begin their title defence at home to West Bromwich Albion on August 14 and manager Carlo Ancelotti will be able to call on a full-strength squad.

Unlike title rivals Manchester United, who have already confirmed that players who competed in the World Cup will miss the opening weeks of the season, Wilkins claims every fit member of the squad will be available for selection.

"Things are going great, the lads have come back in reasonably good condition and that's the modern day professional, they work extremely hard to keep themselves in good shape," he told the official website.

"It's far easier to retain fitness than it is to regain it, so the lads have taken that on board and they look very good indeed.

"It is good to have the whole group back together. It has been rather patchy over the first couple of weeks but the first boys that came in worked so hard and the younger boys did well, and now it's good to have the senior boys back.

"Them having the World Cup makes it a tad harder on the physical aspect. We can't do some of the work with the lads that are just back because it is too physical for them, but our aim is to get everybody ready for that first league game of the season.

"If we can do that then we'll have achieved our goal."

Premier League Could Reject Chelsea's £20 Million Deal For Benfica Midfielder Ramires

Premier League officials are investigating Chelsea’s £20 million move for Benfica midfielder Ramires to be certain that transfer rules are not being broken.

League officials have been alerted that notorious agent Kia Joorabchian owns a 50 per cent stake in Ramires, and the Premier League will not allow a deal to happen if there is any possibility of third-party ownership, according to The Sun.

Joorabchian gave Benfica £5 million this past April to buy half of the 23-year-old Brazil international.

Lead representative Pini Zahavi is believed to be one of the investors for Ramires, owning another 30 percent of the player, leaving Benfica with the other 20 percent.

Should the Blues complete their £20 million deal for the Brazilian, Benfica would receive just £4 million, and Premier League rules indicate that the whole sum of the transfer must be paid to the Portuguese club.

"Our rules are very clear on this matter - no element of third-party ownership is allowed in the Premier League,” a Premier League spokesman said.

"If a transfer takes place, it must be a club-to-club arrangement.

"Some other countries still allow the existence of third-party agreements but we will not sanction any deal which does not meet our criteria."

The Premier League’s rules that concern third-party agreements, is a result of the transfer of Carlos Tevez in 2007.

West Ham United did not inform the Premier League that Joorabchian owned Tevez and fellow Argentina international Javier Mascherano, leading to the club being fined £5.5 million and paying £20 million in compensation to Sheffield United.

Chelsea were looking to complete their move for Ramires before a pre-season trip to Germany on Sunday but the possibility of third-party ownership could delay the transfer.

Benfica Reject Chelsea Bid For David Luiz

Benfica have reportedly rejected a €32m bid from Chelsea for David Luiz, as the defender was handed his first international call-up by new Brazil coach Mano Menenzes.

Menezes named a 24-man squad for his first match in charge of the South American champions against USA next month, and there were several call-ups for Brazil’s next generation. Along with the likes of Rafael (Manchester United) and Santos duo Neymar and Ganso, Benfica’s David Luiz was also included in the group.

“I am very happy and excited with this call,” he told the club’s official website. “It was a goal and a dream in my life. I’ll make the most of this opportunity.”

It appears increasingly likely that Luiz will still be a Benfica player when he makes his international bow, with Benfica apparently determined to retain his services for the new campaign in the face of interest from English clubs Manchester City and Chelsea.

According to Record, the Eagles have rejected an offer in the region of €32m from Chelsea for the 23-year-old. Previously, Man City had made an approach worth €35m, with a €3m annual salary for Luiz, but was also turned down by Benfica, who refuse to negotiate below their reported €40m valuation.

Rafael van der Vaart Rules Out Premiership Move

Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart insists reports linking him with a move to England are wide of the mark.

The Madrid playmaker was believed to be mulling over the prospect of a switch to the Premier League, with Liverpool and Chelsea ready to pounce.

It was claimed that Van der Vaart was ready to call time on his time in Spain after slipping down the pecking order at Santiago Bernabeu.

He was even quoted as saying that the opportunity to join Liverpool or Chelsea would be 'impossible to turn down'.

However, the Dutchman claims he has been misquoted and never intended to suggest that he was closing in on a move to England.

Instead, the 27-year-old playmaker is looking to force his way into the fold at Real, with Jose Mourinho having stepped into the Bernabeu hot-seat over the summer.

"I'm determined to stay at Real Madrid," Van der Vaart told De Telegraaf.

"I want to stay here and succeed at Real. It's a shame that the English press has misquoted me. They've written things that are simply not true."

Van der Vaart has spent the last two years in the Spanish capital, having completed a big-money move from Hamburg in 2008.

He has managed 70 appearances in all competitions during his time in Madrid, but found himself unable to hold down a regular starting berth last season.

Jeffrey Bruma & Patrick Van Aanholt Are Potential Netherlands Stars - Marco Van Basten

Netherlands' national side is not exactly known for its strong defenders, but that could very well change in the near future, according to former Ajax and Holland coach Marco van Basten. San Marco is full of confidence that Chelsea duo Jeffrey Bruma and Patrick van Aanholt could make the step up for Oranje.

"They have talked a lot about Bruma in Holland because in a defensive way we have not a big problem but there is room for a few good new defenders," Van Basten was quoted as saying on the official Chelsea website.

"He is one of these defenders that can be interesting for the future of Holland, so we are following all these guys and also Van Aanholt. I haven't seen him play much, but he is also a big name in the youth department."

Bruma is a product of the Feyenoord youth academy and made his official Premier League debut for Chelsea in October 2009.

Van Aanholt came through the ranks at PSV before joining Chelsea in 2007. The left back made his first Premier League appearance in March.

What Can Chelsea Fans Expect From Ramires?

Chelsea are expected to sign Brazilian midfielder any day now from Portuguese side Benfica, but what can fans expect him to bring to the Premier League and FA Cup champions?

Nicknamed the Blue Kenyan the 23-year-old is a tireless box-to-box runner and Carlo Ancelotti may see him as a potential replacement for Michael Ballack, who departed west London earlier in the summer after it was decided that his contract was not going to be renewed by the club.

Although Ramires is a different type of midfielder to Ballack it was clear that the German sacrificed his attacking game more often than not for Chelsea as Frank Lampard remains the most potent goal threat from the middle of the park for the Blues.

Ramires is a workhorse, but not primarily a defensive midfielder, much like Michael Essien and Jon Obi Mikel. However, it is most likely be asked to do some of the dirty work in order to leave the likes of Lampard to do what he does best (scoring and creating goals).

The player had a great first season for Benfica winning a Portuguese Liga and cup double. He has also already forced his way into the Brazil team and was a regular during their Confederations Cup campaign in 2009. During the World Cup in South Africa he lost his place to Felipe Melo initially, regained his place, then he got himself suspended for the game against Holland… he was probably missed as Melo returned to flick the ball in his own net from a Wesley Sneijder shot then sealed Brazil’s fate after getting himself sent off for stamping on Bayern Munich’s Arjen Robben.

The Chelsea fans will perhaps be glad that some youthful exuberance is set to be injected into their ageing midfield and should get plenty of longevity out of Ramires who is still just 23, which means he has plenty of time on his side to settle in English football and improve as a player.

Ancelotti also has a fairly good record at nurturing young Brazilian talent with former world player of the year Kaka and Alexandre Pato amongst his prospects, but repeating these sorts of tricks in the Premier League will be a whole new challenge for the manager approaching his second season in west London.

Roman Abramovich has been fairly quiet with his billions ever since the Stamford Bridge outfit’s disastrous purchase of Andriy Shevchenko for around £30m in 2006, but as well as Ramires’ expected arrival it is also believed that the club seem keen on another 23-year-old Brazilian in David Luiz, who was of course a team mate of Ramires during their title winning season last term, and the club has made an offer for Santos’ promising young talent Neymar.

Ramires may endear himself to many fans after he reportedly chose Chelsea over the Premier League’s other billionaires Manchester City, especially after losing out on Robinho to them a few summers ago (a case of right player, wrong club in my opinion).

It is not a done deal yet, but the Brazilian is expected to become an official Chelsea signing upon his return from holiday in his native Brazil (probably by the end of this week) for a fee believed to be around £20 million.

Making That Giant Step!

One of the common perceptions I’ve noticed whilst policing the article comments relates to Jose Mourinho never giving youth a chance.

Now this wasn’t always the case.

I can distinctly remember Jose championing the case of one of our promising youngsters and giving him his opportunity to sparkle.

The youngster in question was a certain Scott Sinclair.

Sinclair made more than the odd appearance for Jose and was doing remarkably well until, against Manchester United, the boot of a certain Wes Brown put Scott out of action with a broken foot.

Since then it’s been a baffling experience for Sinclair. Instead of flourishing he’s been shunted out on loan spell after loan spell and frustrated manager after manager.

Last season it was Roberto Martinez, at Wigan, who had Sinclair under his tutorship and once again Scott couldn’t force hi sway into the Wigan team on a permanent basis. Scott was largely used as an impact player coming off the bench although impact could well be the wrong word.

Back at Chelsea now, Scott was brought on as a substitute at Selhurst Park and one mazy run; seconds after being brought on should have resulted in a penalty. For a few seconds there memories of the youngster; who had shown he could run the length of the pitch and score, came flooding back.

Sadly, given time to show what he could do in the Amsterdam Arena on Friday evening, Scott just didn’t get involved enough and was virtually anonymous at a time when he probably needed a decent performance.

Now, as then new season approaches, I can’t help thinking that the gulf between truly promising youngster and seasoned first team professional is one that Scott is struggling to breach.

I hate to say it, especially after being one of those who truly believed he’d make it, that his time at our club is probably up!

Malouda: Hard Work After Holiday Help

Florent Malouda is back in training and looking to pick up where he left off in May, following a summer that had it all.

The flying winger had the best season of his career in 2009/10, scoring 15 times as we sealed the Barclays Premier League on the final day of the season before wrapping up the Double with victory in the FA Cup Final over Portsmouth.

In a whirlwind two months since, the Frenchman has seen just about everything, from the World Cup in South Africa to the devastation caused by the January earthquake in Haiti.

It is a cause close to Malouda's heart, having been born in French Guiana in the same Central American region.

'There has been a lot of travelling but I really enjoyed my holidays, I didn't have so much time away for a long time so I really enjoyed it,' he explained.

'The first part was difficult with my trip to Haiti. I went there and met a lot of extraordinary people. What I saw was really hard, I could never imagine people who could live in those conditions and at the same time I was in awe of the way they were organized and showing their will to survive. That's a really good example for me, and it gives you more humility.

'I realized they were expecting my visit and it was really important to them because they felt like they were not forgotten. That was the purpose of my trip there, and I will be back.'

Aside from his humanitarian trip, the 30-year-old was also able to catch up on some much needed family time after a 50-game club season and the distraction of France's World Cup campaign.

'After Haiti I was on holiday with my family, in Miami,' Malouda continued. 'I didn't have a training program for some time, that's what I enjoyed the most. During the year you have always a program, a schedule or a meeting, so it was nice to relax my mind and physically have some rest.

'I also had some time in French Guiana. I was there for five days and saw my family. I was really happy, especially after what happened in the World Cup, it is always the same when I go there, people give me their support and are really proud of what I have done here at Chelsea.

'Year after year I see more people wearing Chelsea shirts with number 15 on. They are proud and I am like an ambassador for Guianese people and it reminds me of the responsibility I have.'

After two months away it is now back to the familiar Surrey surroundings of the Chelsea training ground, as we aim to defend our trophy haul of the last campaign. Malouda is only too aware that the season starts here.

'Now I feel really good and I have a lot of motivation to do better than last year. It is all about work,' he acknowledged.

'Now it is pre-season, we have to work hard, we had our deserved holidays but now it is over and the season will start soon. We have to get our focus back on the objectives of the club and being the best in everything we do.'

Training: It's A Full House

The holidays are now officially over for the players. Monday was the day for the final group of World Cup participants to return.

Heading in for their first morning of work of the new season were the English trio of Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard and John Terry, and Portuguese pair Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira. Deco flew in and returned to Cobham in the afternoon.

All were eliminated at the first knockout round in South Africa.

Like for their club colleagues before them, first up were the physiological tests to determine what shape the lads are in for their return, followed by a six-minute 'yoyo' run, backwards and forwards at a consistent speed, much like the infamous 'bleep tests', which helps give an accurate gauge of how hard the individual is having to work.

Joining the new arrivals for this exercise was Jose Boswinga, able to complete it as he works towards full fitness following knee surgery.

Following a period of recovery in the middle of the day, it was time for today's returnees to reunite with a football as following their tailored warm-up, they were handed back to Carlo Ancelotti for a full training session with the rest of the squad which still contains many of the young players who contested the opening two pre-season friendlies.

Soon the likes of Terry and Carvalho were spreading long passes out wide as players swept up the field together in countering-attacking groups, followed by two sides playing a possession game in a small area to sharpen technique.

All the injury-free players will now train throughout the week ahead of the two-game visit to Germany.

Neymar Boost For Chelsea As Starlet Hints At Santos Departure

Brazilian wonderkid Neymar has opened the door on a move to Chelsea by refusing to commit his future to Santos.

The gifted 18-year-old insists he is happy at the Sao Paulo-based side, but admits he might not be there by the time the transfer window closes at the end of August.

Just three weeks after saying he wanted to stay at Santos, Neymar admitted on Sunday: 'I don't know what will happen to me. I continue to fulfil my contract at Santos and while I'm here I will be happy.'

Chelsea had a a £17million bid for Neymar rejected, while West Ham were met with the same response when bidding £12m earlier in the summer.

Santos insist they will not do a deal for less than the near-£30m release clause written into the forward's five-year contract, but investors who own 40 per cent of the player's rights are said to be keen to strike a deal.

Neymar confirmed that his father Neymar Silva and Santos president Luis Alvaro de Oliveira Ribeiro held talks at the end of last week, but he said: 'I know they talked, but I was with the team, so I haven't spoken yet to my father.

'We don't talk much on the phone, so I don't know yet what happened in the meeting.'

Although many have questioned whether it is too soon to go to Europe, Neymar is confident he will not be another flop like team-mate Robinho, who is determined to stay on loan at Santos after disappointing at Manchester City.

After helping Santos to a 1-0 win against Sao Paulo in Brazil's Serie A, he said: 'I think nothing changes much whether you play in Europe or here. The ball is round, it's the same.'

Manchester City have first refusal on Neymar, while Barcelona and Real Madrid are also monitoring his availability.

Chelsea Offer Former Barcelona Official Begiristain Role As New Sporting Director

According to Spanish daily 'Sport', Chelsea has submitted an offer to secure the services of former Barcelona technical secretary Txiki Begiristain.

The 45-year-old is a former Barcelona player and Spanish international. He was brought into the Nou Camp as technical secretary in 2003 in order to end a barren four seasons without a trophy and has since helped bring incredible success for the Catalans.

Begiristain has overseen the transfers of influential stars such as Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o during his time at the Nou Camp.

His last contribution to the club was the summer signing of David Villa. Begiristain left the Nou Camp following the end of Joan Laporta's term as president.

Now, 'Sport' reports that Begiristain has received "a significant offer" from Premier League champions Chelsea to become the club's sporting director.

Chelsea is desperate to capture the Champions League and would hope that Begiristain can help Carlo Ancelotti strengthen his squad in order to do so. The Stamford Bridge club reportedly wants an answer from Begiristain by September.

Mancienne Seeks Stability

Michael Mancienne is keen to put down roots, and accepts he may need to leave Chelsea in order to do so.

The former England Under-21 international remains on the Blues' books despite spending the last two seasons on loan at Wolves.

The versatile 22-year-old has been forced to look elsewhere after finding his route to the first-team at Stamford Bridge blocked.

He now faces a tough choice at a crucial stage of his career, with it unclear where he figures in Carlo Ancelotti's plans.

Mancienne knows that in order to produce his best he needs to feel settled and comfortable in his surroundings.

That is not the case at Chelsea at present and he accepts that a summer switch may now be his best option.

Wolves, who have been impressed by him over recent years, are reported to be keen to strike a deal and Mancienne has hinted that he would be open to such a move.

"I've been at Chelsea since I was a kid and I'd love to break into the first-team, but it's hard for any young player knowing how much quality they've got," he told the Daily Express.

"I've had two seasons on loan at Wolves and had regular games and really enjoyed it. Now I want to be settled at one club."

While Mancienne has opened the door to a move, he could yet be offered an opportunity to prove his worth under Ancelotti.

Chelsea are set to be without Brazilian centre-half Alex for the start of the new season, while Ricardo Carvalho has expressed a desire to join Real Madrid, leaving a vacancy alongside John Terry at the heart of the back four.

Mancienne Seeks Stability

Michael Mancienne is keen to put down roots, and accepts he may need to leave Chelsea in order to do so.

The former England Under-21 international remains on the Blues' books despite spending the last two seasons on loan at Wolves.

The versatile 22-year-old has been forced to look elsewhere after finding his route to the first-team at Stamford Bridge blocked.

He now faces a tough choice at a crucial stage of his career, with it unclear where he figures in Carlo Ancelotti's plans.

Mancienne knows that in order to produce his best he needs to feel settled and comfortable in his surroundings.

That is not the case at Chelsea at present and he accepts that a summer switch may now be his best option.

Wolves, who have been impressed by him over recent years, are reported to be keen to strike a deal and Mancienne has hinted that he would be open to such a move.

"I've been at Chelsea since I was a kid and I'd love to break into the first-team, but it's hard for any young player knowing how much quality they've got," he told the Daily Express.

"I've had two seasons on loan at Wolves and had regular games and really enjoyed it. Now I want to be settled at one club."

While Mancienne has opened the door to a move, he could yet be offered an opportunity to prove his worth under Ancelotti.

Chelsea are set to be without Brazilian centre-half Alex for the start of the new season, while Ricardo Carvalho has expressed a desire to join Real Madrid, leaving a vacancy alongside John Terry at the heart of the back four.

Carvalho Claims Blues Release Clause

Ricardo Carvalho has revealed he has an agreement with Chelsea which will see him quit the club this summer and is keen on joining Real Madrid.

Carvalho followed new Real coach Jose Mourinho to Chelsea in 2004, after winning the Champions League with him at Porto.

The Portugal defender was repeatedly linked with a move to Inter Milan during Mourinho's two years in charge at the San Siro and is now desperate to be reunited with him in Madrid.

"If there was a possibility to sign for Madrid, I would go there right now swimming or running," Carvalho told Spanish sports newspaper AS.

"Chelsea have a commitment with me to let me go this summer, for reasons which those responsible at the club and I know.

"It would be a dream to be able to play for Madrid, which for me is the best club in the world, and to do so under the orders of the best coach in the history of football.

"With Mourinho I experienced two marvellous periods at Porto and Chelsea. To have the opportunity to win another Champions League with him at Real Madrid would be something tremendous."

After helping Chelsea to three Premier League titles and three FA Cups, Carvalho believes his time at Stamford Bridge has come to an end.

The 32-year-old has not played for Chelsea since March after picking up an ankle injury - from which he recovered in time for the World Cup - but insists that despite his advancing years he is in the prime of his career.

"I find myself in the best moment of my career, because physically I am at the top and moreover I have a great experience," continued Carvalho.

"I spent six spectacular years at Chelsea and I had the opportunity to experience a glorious period of this club, but I repeat that to sign for Madrid would be a dream.

"I'm very grateful to Roman Abramovich for signing me and making me part of the Chelsea project for six years. He was a very important person for English football and Chelsea, who became one of the best teams in the world."

Reports suggest Chelsea would agree to release Carvalho for a cut-price 6million euros (£5million).

Borini Hoping For Bright Future

Fabio Borini plans to concentrate on fighting for a place in the starting lineup at Chelsea FC after Italy's UEFA European Under-19 Championship challenge was ended by Spain. Italy forward Fabio Borini revealed that, although his team's exit from the UEFA European Under-19 Championship was difficult to take, he still has high hopes on the international stage.

Despite collecting just one point from their opening Group B games with Portugal and Croatia, the Azzurrini's chance of reaching the semi-finals remained intact prior to Saturday's encounter with Spain at the Stade du Hazé in Flers. Following two defensive lapses in the space of six first-half minutes, however, Massimo Piscedda's side were 2-0 down, Rúben Rochina and Daniel Pacheco taking full advantage of their opponents' slips. "We came up against a fantastic team in Spain and we just have to take our hats off to them; they played really well," Borini told UEFA.com. "We have to say that at the moment they are too good for us."

An Ezequiel Calvente penalty in the second half compounded the 2003 winner's misery but it was a tournament the Chelsea FC striker felt never got going for Italy. "We're really disappointed with the result and of course for not achieving qualification for the [FIFA U-20] World Cup," Borini said. "In our first [defeat] to Portugal we lost our composure a bit; we really felt we dropped three points there. In the draw against Croatia we did our best to play our game but it's not easy trying with ten players for half an hour.

"I did my job as I always do as a professional player," added the Italy captain, who scored twice in three qualifying appearances but failed to find the net in the finals. "I tried to push the team to the maximum level but it's a difficult time for us as it's just the beginning of the season. We're not as fit as we would be in the middle of the season."

Borini – who began his career with Italian side Bologna FC – made his Premier League and UEFA Champions League debuts for Chelsea last season and the 19-year-old is now planning to focus on winning a regular place in Carlo Ancelotti's side. "I'm hoping for the best with Chelsea, where I want to win a spot in the first team and of course to score goals. I would also love to be involved in the World Cup with Italy in four years, which would be something incredible. I want to achieve everything I can and to win trophies."

Sturridge: Goal No Satisfaction

His finish for Chelsea's only goal in Amsterdam was the highlight of the team performance and his manager complimented young players' efforts against experienced opponents, but Daniel Sturridge remained troubled by the friendly game defeat.

The 20-year-old didn't hesitate when the ball came his way after Josh McEachran was tackled, lashing it past World Cup finalist Maarten Stekelenburg from outside the area for his first goal of the pre-season program.

It was a first-half equalizer but two minutes later Ajax scored again and then last season's Dutch runners-up made it 3-1 in the final moments of the game at the Amsterdam ArenA.

'I was upset not to score in the last game [at Crystal Palace] and in this game it was good to score but I am devastated the team didn't get to win because whatever I am playing in I want to win,' insisted Sturridge following the game.

'I am upset that we lost even if it is a friendly. I am gutted but the next game is coming soon so hopefully we can go out there and play better next time.'

Despite his unhappiness with the display, Sturridge didn't lose focus on the principal reason for the fixture, especially as he was one of three Chelsea players to last the full match.

'The only positive is that we have come away with more fitness. It was a very hard game and we all worked hard out there. Everyone coming off that pitch will feel a lot fitter from playing such a game.

'Of course it felt a lot more of a test than the previous game. You could see the difference out there in the way Ajax passed the ball and the movement they had out there.

'I think they had played five more games than us, this was only our second game, so they were a lot fitter, but we tried to play as we can. Obviously it would have been a lot better if we could have won the game.

'I played three different roles,' he explained.

'I played up front with Franco [Di Santo] first half and then I played on the right second half and then I went to centre-forward and I was up front on my own towards the end.

'You have to do these things to have some versatility in your game and to be a better player, and to be on the pitch for 90 minutes is what I enjoy doing.'

We're Not Just A Business

As we celebrate the launch of our Foundation, various figures from around the club have had their say on the importance of our charity work.

Present at the launch were our first team goalkeepers, chairman Bruce Buck, Foundation coaches from our various soccer schools, and around 40 youngsters from our Mini Kickz, Mini Kickers and disabled programs. They were joined by four of the Foundation's trustees, Chris Alexander, John Devine, Alan Shaw and Emma Wilkinson.

Bruce Buck, club chairman:

'Generally speaking the world doesn't appreciate how much football clubs give back to their communities in the way of charitable activities, and I think what Chelsea does is a lot for a business our size. It's something the club recognizes as a responsibility, and we are doing it.

'It's certainly important to pick your projects carefully and not just do anything and everything. The fact we have a dedicated social responsibility team means we are looking into every project before we fund it or engage in it. That's obviously the right thing to do

'We've been doing charity work for a long, long time, but we think it was important to put it all under one umbrella.

'Football clubs are not just businesses, we have a responsibility to our communities and we recognize and support that.'

Petr Cech, first team goalkeeper:

'I think the kids are the most important. If you want to bring somebody to play football you start with the kids, you don't start with the teenagers or the adults. Kids are the most gracious people on the planet, so you can see the smile and the happiness on their face and that makes your day as well.

'I think as the motto says, the charity should be in safe hands and that's why they have us three keepers here so I hope it is going to be. It's always great to be part of a good charity which includes every kind of charity you can imagine all in one, which I think will make for a lot of good work.'

Casey Stoney, Chelsea Foundation coach and captain of Chelsea Ladies:

'It's a dream come true for a kid to come along and have a kick around at the training ground of one of the best teams in the world and meet some of the best goalkeepers in the world. I didn't have many opportunities as a girl and the more chances we can provide to children at younger ages the better.'

Rob Seale, Chelsea Foundation football and development officer:

'It is such an honour to not only be working with disabled kids and adults every day of the week, but to have things going on on the weekends and evenings as well, it is difficult to tear yourself away.

'It is a very special feeling, and these specific kids don't always get these opportunities so to see these smiles is fantastic. For them to come in here and meet some Chelsea players don’t just make their day, it is so important for them.'

Chelsea Gets Ramires In £20M Deal

Benfica midfielder Ramires will join Chelsea this week in a £20million deal.

Boss Carlo Ancelotti wants the defensive midfield player having lost two experienced stars this summer in Joe Cole and Michael Ballack.

Deco is expected to follow – with only Liverpool’s Yossi Benayoun coming in.

Ramires, 23, is heading for Stamford Bridge with the deal expected to be finalized in the next few days.

The Brazilian was one of the big successes of his country’s World Cup campaign as they reached the quarter-finals in South Africa.

Dunga, who was ousted as coach after Brazil’s exit, stressed that Ramires was badly missed after suspension ruled him out of the 2-1 defeat by Netherlands. Ramires is also wanted by Manchester City, who are ready to outbid Chelsea, but a source said: “He has opted to go to Chelsea, and the deal can be done in the next couple of days, certainly by next week.”

Benfica president Luis Filipe Vieira has met with representatives from Chelsea and Manchester City. But the player has chosen to move to the reigning Premier League champions.

Ramires said recently: “I don’t know the names of the clubs that are after me, but it would be a dream to play for a big club such as Barcelona, Real Madrid or Chelsea.”

Wolves Boss Mick McCarthy Wants To Keep Mancienne

The problems facing England’s future prospects were brought into sharp focus as Chelsea stalled over a potential £4million bid from Wolves for their talented defender Michael Mancienne.

The former England Under-21 star, tipped as the perfect international replacement for his club team-mate John Terry or the injury-jinxed Rio Ferdinand, has now reluctantly asked for a transfer to rescue his future.

He faces stagnating in Chelsea’s reserves if the Premier League champions hang on to a player they tied up on a four-year contract last summer, despite only a handful of first-team starts for them in four years.

That will continue to fuel fears that the future of English football is being stifled, because players like Mancienne are being denied the experience they need, in many cases because of the signing of ‘ready-made’ foreign stars.

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy, the former Ireland manager, had 22-year-old Mancienne on loan last season and would now like to make the deal permanent – giving English football a boost in the process. But Chelsea are reluctant to let Mancienne move on unless someone offers them silly money for a player who has played more games for England sides than he has for his club.

Mancienne said: “I’ve been at Chelsea since I was a kid and I’d love to break into the first team, but it’s hard for any young player knowing how much quality they’ve got. I’ve had two seasons on loan at Wolves and had regular games and really enjoyed it. Now I want to be settled at one club.”

It is a situation that former FA technical director Howard Wilkinson warns will have a bleak effect on the national team. “If you want to do well at international level you need to have a big pool of players with the necessary experience of playing at the top,” he said.

“Our young players will not get that in the Premier League if clubs keep signing foreign players at this rate.” The plight of Mancienne and England is echoed at top clubs up and down the country. Manchester United paid Fulham a reported £10m for the emerging talents of England U21 defender Chris Smalling, but will almost certainly leave him at best on the bench for the foreseeable future.

Van der Vaart Ready To Join Chelsea Or Liverpool

Rafael van der Vaart has issued a come-and-get-me plea to Premier League clubs ahead of the new season.

Van der Vaart has made just 31 league starts in two seasons at Real Madrid, and while 12 months ago he was prepared to stay and fight for his place at the Bernabeu he now wants to be playing week-in, week-out.

After losing his place in the Netherlands team due to injury after the group stage - he did not feature against Slovakia or Brazil but did come off the bench in both the semi-final and final - he knows he must return to top form at club level.

With Jose Mourinho likely to ring the changes over the next month, Van der Vaart is prepared to move on.

He told the Daily Star Sunday: "I have heard of the interest from Liverpool and Chelsea - and that is very flattering. If either of them were willing to offer me first-team football, I will be honest that it would be very hard for me to not listen to what they had to say.

"I think I have the relationship with Madrid where they understand my position and would let me hold talks. I expect the majority of transfers to be concluded in the next two weeks, and if Chelsea or Liverpool wanted to talk with me I would at the very least listen to what they have to say.

"They are both giants, and if they could offer first-team football it may prove impossible to turn down. Real Madrid is the most prestigious club in the world and I am happy here and also in Spain, but I am at the age where I have to be playing first-team football.

"I am getting to the point where I will be hitting my peak years and I need to spend those years at a club where I will be playing regularly. The boss knows how much he plans to use me, and if he is willing to listen to offers for me. I wouldn't be willing to play for any clubs in Spain out of respect for Madrid, so in my eyes the only other place to go would be the Premier League.

"It's the only league that competes with the standard of La Liga."

Chelsea Expect Ricardo Carvalho At Training Despite Him Wanting Real Madrid Move

Chelsea insist they expect defender Ricardo Carvalho to report for pre-season training as scheduled despite the Portugal international revealing his desire to link-up again with Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid.

Carvalho told Spanish newspaper AS he was desperate to join Madrid and work under Mourinho, who mentored him at Stamford Bridge, and Porto before that.

The 32-year-old also claimed he had a clause in his contract which allowed him to leave Chelsea this summer.

Carvalho said: "If there was a possibility to sign for Madrid, I would go there right now swimming or running. Chelsea have a commitment with me to let me go this summer, for reasons which those responsible at the club and I know.

"It would be a dream to be able to play for Madrid, which for me is the best club in the world, and to do so under the orders of the best coach in the history of football.

"With Mourinho I experienced two marvellous periods at Porto and Chelsea. To have the opportunity to win another Champions League with him at Real Madrid would be something tremendous."

After helping Chelsea to three Premier League titles and three FA Cups, Carvalho believes his time at Stamford Bridge has come to an end.

He has not played for Chelsea since March after picking up an ankle injury – from which he recovered in time for the World Cup – but insists that despite his advancing years he is in the prime of his career.

"I find myself in the best moment of my career, because physically I am at the top and moreover I have a great experience," continued Carvalho.

"I spent six spectacular years at Chelsea and I had the opportunity to experience a glorious period of this club, but I repeat that to sign for Madrid would be a dream.

"I'm very grateful to Roman Abramovich for signing me and making me part of the Chelsea project for six years. He was a very important person for English football and Chelsea, who became one of the best teams in the world."

Chelsea refused to comment on Carvalho's contract claims but were adamant he would be reporting next week with the rest of the club's World Cup players.

Chelsea are unlikely to allow Carvalho to leave with Brazilian defender Alex ruled out for the start of the season.