Alexandre Pato To Chelsea In AC Milan Swap Deal For Branislav Ivanovic

AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato is set to be sold to Chelsea this summer in a deal that will see defender Branislav Ivanovic going in the opposite direction.

A report in today's Corriere Dello Sport suggests 19-year-old Pato, who is also being tracked by Spanish giants Real Madrid, could be sold off by Milan in a bid to raise funds.

The Italian club has thus far resisted the temptation to cash in on Pato, who is rated as one of the world's best emerging strikers, but interest from big spenders Chelsea and Madrid appears to have persuaded them otherwise.

And the Serie A giants appear to be willing to accept offers in the region of £45 million - but in both cases it would have to involve a player moving in the opposite direction.

For Chelsea, out-of-favour Ivanovic, 26, would be used as a makeweight to fill one of Milan's defensive needs, while if Real were to win the race for Pato's signature then the Rossaneri would demand former Lyon star Karim Benzema, 22, in part-exchange.

John Terry Urges Team-Mates To Seize Chance For Immortality

John Terry has urged his Chelsea team-mates to grasp the opportunity to make this the most successful season in the club's 105-year history.

Chelsea took a giant stride towards the Premier League title when they beat Bolton 1-0 on Tuesday, with the visitors departing enraged at being refused penalties following clear handballs by both Terry and Didier Drogba.

Terry was unrepentant and, with the title now in reach, has set his heart on helping Chelsea to become the seventh English club to win a domestic double.

"You compete and you compete, always at 100 per cent, and then, when the opportunity arises, you have to seize it," said Terry. "When you seize it, you can make history. We've never won the league and cup double. In my lifetime only Liverpool, Man United and Arsenal have. We weren't at our best. Nerves, with us not winning the Premier League for three years, took their toll late on but we managed to hold on."

Terry denied accusations of a deliberate handball against Bolton, despite appearing to use his left arm to block Chung-Yong Lee's cross. "I don't know what it looked like on TV but it certainly felt like it came off my chest," he added.

With three weeks until Britain goes to the polls, Gordon Brown and David Cameron would certainly love to replicate the 'bounce' Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has enjoyed over the past 21 days. From facing questions about whether he feared the sack, he is within five matches of an achievement that would surpass anything even Jose Mourinho accomplished at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea have already scored their highest total of Premier League goals in a season, although it was the defence that was crucial on Tuesday as Peter Cech registered a 100th clean sheet in his 179th league game.

Benfica Slap £25m Price On David Luiz In Wake Of Interest From Manchester United And Chelsea

Manchester United and Chelsea have been asked to stump up £25 million if they want to sign highly-rated Benfica defender David Luiz, according to the Daily Mail.

The 22-year-old has been watched extensively by both clubs in recent times, with United in particular keen on the Brazilian as both Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic have missed a number of games this season.

Chelsea have also closely monitored Luiz, who is a former Brazilian Under-20 international, but with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan also reportedly interested the Portuguese side are looking to hold out for a sizeable transfer fee.

Luiz has played in 25 of his side's 26 league games this season, in which Benfica have conceded just 14 goals. Os Gloriosos are currently on course to win their first league title since 2005.

Inter Linked With Chelsea Midfielder Michael Ballack

Inter have been tipped to offer Michael Ballack a quick exit from Chelsea at the end of term, reports the Daily Mail.

Roman Abramovich has reportedly blocked talks in relation to new deals with several Chelsea stars, including the German. And now he is heading for the exit door.

Ballack is not impressed with the way he has been treated over his future at Stamford Bridge, and he is likely to consider an offer from Jose Mourinho, who signed him from Bayern Munich four years ago.

Mourinho is looking to fortify his Inter midfield for next season, and Ballack is seen as an ideal candidate given their experience together at Chelsea.

Petr Cech: Playing Pretty Football Does Not Win Premier League Titles

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has insisted that there is much more to winning a Premier League title than simply playing entertaining football.

The Blues are occasionally held up as an example of grinding efficency rather then pleasing fluency, but the Czech Republic international maintains that grit is as important as style when it comes to collecting trophies.

"You can't win the Premier League only playing great football," the shot-stopper told his club's official website.

"If there is a game when you have to defend and defend and win 1-0 and you can't do it, I don't think you are going to win enough games."

Chelsea face Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend at White Hart Lane, a venue where they have not won since 2006.

Cech is convinced that the Blues' run of poor form against their London neighbours is about to end, as he looks to put memories of last season's bomb-scare disrupted day in north London behind him.

"It is always like this in football," he added.

"Sometimes you have a long series when you beat your opponent every time you play them and then one day it can stop."

Chelsea's Drogba Up For PFA Award

Didier Drogba, our talismanic Ivorian striker, has been nominated on a four-man shortlist for the 2009-10 PFA Player of the Year award.

Drogba has been in red-hot goalscoring form this term, hitting 32 goals in all competitions. He currently trails Wayne Rooney, also on the PFA shortlist, by a solitary goal in the running for this campaign's Golden Boot in the league.

Despite Manchester United's Rooney seemingly picking up all the plaudits this term, Drogba has actually played less games than the Englishman, and also has contributed more assists to his team mates.

Also in the running for the award are Manchester City's Carlos Tevez and Arsenal Cesc Fabregas. The latter is a particularly bemusing choice, seeing as the Spaniard has been injured for the majority of this campaign. In fact, how Fabregas gets the nod over our own Frank Lampard, who's notched over twenty goals this season yet again, we'll never know.

Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the PFA, spoke in glowing terms of our No.11,

'When you talk about the best players in the world, Didier Drogba is a name on many people's lips and with his strength, pace, ability and goalscoring skills, the Chelsea striker is different class. The more he has matured, the better he has got.'

For the Young Player of the Year award, Rooney and Fabregas were again nominated, alongside Aston Villa's James Milner and Manchester City's Joe Hart, on loan at Birmingham. The awards will take place sometime next month.

Chelsea Defender Alex: My Dad Reckons We Will Win The Premier League

Chelsea defender Alex is confident the Blues can win the Premier League - and so is his dad.

Carlo Ancelotti's side are currently on course for both Premier League and FA Cup success this season, after coming through a recent drop in form that threatened to derail their challenge, and the 27-year-old has admitted he is relaxed about the forthcoming run-in because his father told him the club will win the title.

"When we were one point behind three games ago, I talked with my father and he said it is difficult," Alex told the club's official website.

"Now it is okay because we are four points in front and now he says we will win the Premier League."

After seeing rivals Arsenal lose 2-1 to Tottenham Hotspur — Chelsea's next opponents — on Wednesday evening, the centre-back agrees with his paternal advice.

"I think it is our trophy to lose. I saw yesterday Arsenal lose and now they are six points behind," he said.

"I hope we can win the next game against Tottenham, Manchester United have a difficult game [against Manchester City] and if they lose it is seven points and we have Stoke at home."

The defender has been in great form for Carlo Ancelotti's side this season, slotting in to the back four with increasing regularity as injuries keep Ricardo Carvalho out of action. And the statistics underline the former PSV Eindhoven man's importance — the Blues have conceded just 12 goals in the 20 games he has started, rather than 31 in the 31 he has missed.

"It is a big difference, this is good!" he joked.

"It is not because of me, it is difficult to explain but in the last five games we played very well, and did not concede goals.

"We have more confidence to play and we want to put this on the pitch. It is difficult but the responsibility is good and playing with Chelsea is very good for me, I have confidence whoever I play with in the team."

To round off what could be a perfect season, Alex still hopes for a World Cup call with Brazil despite last appearing in the famous yellow and blue shirt almost three years ago.

"I had problems with injury, but now it is okay," he said.

"I think it could be me or Thiago Silva at Milan who goes to the World Cup, I do not know, Thiago Silva played the last games but I want to go!

"The coach, Dunga, called Carlo [Ancelotti] one month ago I think and asked how I am now, he said I am good and playing again, he said to come and see the games but I don't know. I still hope."

New Home Kit Revealed

Chelsea and adidas, our official sponsor and sportswear supplier, today reveal the new home kit for the 2010/11 season.

The launch will be supported by an advertising campaign 'Made from 100% Chelsea' developed by pop artist and Chelsea fan Sir Peter Blake.

Blake, who most famously designed the artwork for the Beatles album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Oasis' greatest hits album Stop the Clocks, has created a variety of montages depicting Chelsea's history and heritage.

To learn more about the 'Made from 100% Chelsea' campaign you can visit www.adidas.com/madefromchelsea

The shirt will be worn for the first time on 9 May against Wigan in the last Barclays Premier League game of the season.

The kit encompasses a contemporary red v-neck design, while the main body of the shirt integrates mesh into the fabric creating a striking design with pure performance benefits for removing sweat away from the body.

This is not the first time red has featured on a Chelsea kit. In 1953, Chelsea re-launched the official club badge and for the first time featured red. By 1959, red was introduced into the kit socks, and the colour has continued to feature in numerous home and away kits in subsequent decades.

The subtle addition of red also pays tribute to the club's long association with the Pensioners, the red-coated war veterans whose name we informally adopted between 1905 and 1952.

Adidas again have pushed the boundaries in the development of apparel technology to help give Chelsea players the edge on the pitch. For the first time in club football, adidas TechFit™ features directly in the playing shirt.

This cutting-edge technology will help improve speed, increase endurance capabilities and enhance proprioception. This works by stabilising and focusing the muscles' energy to generate explosive acceleration and deliver maximum power output.

TechFit™ technology is only incorporated into the Chelsea FC team kit, and is not in the replica kit. Fans will be able to buy the replica kit featuring adidasClimaCool™ technology.

ClimaCool™ is a mixture of heat and moisture controlling materials, ventilation channels and 3D fabrics which improve air flow to the skin in the key heat zones.