Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Arsenal Consider Signing Chelsea Playmaker Joe Cole


Arsenal has inquired about the possibility of signing Chelsea and England midfielder Joe Cole on a free transfer, according to a report from The Daily Mail.

The playmaker has also apparently been courted by Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur who, like current club Chelsea, have been dissuaded from offering Cole a deal by his reported £120,000-a-week wage demands.

But the Gunners are still interested, according to the report, as are Manchester United.

Cole, whose contract at Stamford Bridge expires at the end of June, is expected to hold further talks this week with potential suitors.

Juventus Playmaker Diego Rejects Chelsea Link


Juventus midfielder Diego has distanced himself from recent reports claiming that he is a summer transfer target for Chelsea.

The Brazilian instead has insisted that he remains committed to Juventus, where he wants to help make amends for what was a disappointing season for the Serie-A giants.

“Me move away from Juventus? No, I won’t be going,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“I made a choice a year ago, and I don’t change my ideas just because the season was bad. But the club must think the same, as if I stay without playing it is not a good investment for anyone."

The 25-year-old signed a five-year deal with Juventus last summer after moving from Werder Bremen in a deal worth just over £20 million (€24.5m).

Chelsea Target Shakhtar Donetsk Full-Back Darijo Srna


Chelsea has made Shakhtar Donetsk's Croatian international Darijo Srna a summer transfer target, according to reports.

The 28-year-old, who can play in midfield but is predominantly an attacking full-back, is apparently hoping to complete a switch before pre-season training starts at Stamford Bridge.

He is valued at around £14 million, but is in the final year of his contract with Shakhtar and so could be available for less. Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur are also believed to be in the hunt for the player.

"The deal is not done yet," Srna is reported as saying.

"I must get together with the Shakhtar president as we cannot discuss such matters over the phone."

Chelsea To Sign Benayoun To Replace Cole


Rumours are gathering pace that Chelsea will sign Liverpool midfielder Yossi Benayoun this summer as a replacement for Joe Cole who will be allowed to leave Stamford Bridge.

It has been reported that the Reds have already rejected a £4million bid from Chelsea for the Israel international and are believed to be holding out for £6million.

Talks with Cole's representative over a new deal are believed to have broken down and he has been linked with a summer switch to Tottenham Hotspur.

Cole has struggled to break into Carlo Ancelotti's first-team plans since recovering from serious injury.

Benayoun, who has also been linked with West Ham United and Spurs, said last week while on international duty: "Ancelotti wants me for next season and now everything depends on Liverpool.

"Chelsea will have to pay some £6million but, I believe that, in the end, I'll be moving there."

Thirty-year-old Benayoun has scored 29 goals in 81 starts and 53 substitute appearances for Rafa Benitez's team in the last three seasons.

Yaya Toure Favours Move To Chelsea


Want-away Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure is believed to favour a move to Chelsea this summer, despite interest from Manchester City and Arsenal.

The 27-year-old, who signed a new contract last season, is ready to quit the Camp Nou after failing to hold down a first-team place last season, according to the Daily Mail.

The Ivorian’s brother, Kolo, currently plays for Manchester City, but the robust defensive midfielder still appears to prefer a move to west London after already ruling himself out of any possible swap deal involving Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas going in the opposite direction.

Barca coach Pep Guardiola and outgoing president Joan Laporta insist Toure is a valued member of the playing staff, but the former Monaco player is not prepared to play second fiddle to Sergio Busquets and the attempted signing of Cesc Fabregas from Arsenal could limit his opportunities even further.

Guardiola would like to keep Toure at the Nou Camp, but because of the player’s preference for first-team football, Barcelona could let him leave if the suitable offer surfaces.

Chelsea was reported to have already had a £17 million bid for the player rejected by the Catalan giants.

Manchester City officials reportedly met with Toure at the end of last week and are said to have also discussed a £17m offer.

Paulo Ferreira: Portugal Can Do 'Something Beautiful' At The 2010 World Cup


Chelsea right back Paulo Ferreira has declared that Portugal can go all the way at the upcoming World Cup if they negotiate their so-called 'group of death'.

Carlos Quieroz's side has been drawn against Brazil, the Ivory Coast and North Korea in one of the toughest groups at the tournament. After struggling to qualify for the trip to South Africa, Portugal will receive a boost if they make it to the knockout stages.

Speaking to Chelsea's official website, Ferreira believed his nation can get to at least the semi-final stage at the competition if they concentrate on progressing beyond the opening round.

"People in Portugal are always asking what do you think when we reach the quarter-finals, can we reach the semi-finals?" Ferreira said.

"We have a good team, we have top players and we can do something beautiful in this competition but we have first to think about the group stage because sometimes when you put the expectation too high, the worst can happen.

"We need first to think about the group stage and then anything can happen."

Terry Big On Joe

John Terry is hoping club team-mate Joe Cole will be joining him on the plane to South Africa as Fabio Capello prepares to name his 23-man England squad for the World Cup.

Terry, along with fellow Chelsea men Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard are sure to start England's first game of the finals against USA on June 12, but playmaker Joe is less assured of his place, despite an impressive second-half showing against Japan on Sunday.

Speaking after the game, Terry was full of praise for the 28-year-old, who missed the start of the 2009/10 campaign through injury.

'On a personal level with Joe he's been great for Chelsea towards the end of the season as well so I'm delighted to see him given the chance,' he said.

'He causes defenders all sorts of problems when he floats in between the midfield and the front men and can pick the passes - you've seen with the ball through to Ash as well, so he's made a big impact and we'll have to wait and see.'

Terry suffered a knock on his calf during the game in Austria, England's last friendly before heading out to South Africa.

Other Chelsea men still have plenty of action before the tournament kicks off however, with no fewer than eight friendlies still to come involving Stamford Bridge-based players. You will, of course, be able to keep up with their progress here on our special dedicated World Cup page.

Ballack: Nobody From Chelsea Has Talked To Me About A New Contract


Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack has rejected reports he is in contract talks with the club and is uncertain where he will be playing next season.

The injured German international midfielder's deal with the Blues runs out this summer and he has yet to be offered fresh terms. Despite being eager to extend his four-year stay, he has accepted Chelsea's decision to leave negotiations on hold.

Speaking to the News of the World, Ballack said: "I am not having talks with Chelsea right now. We spoke in February and March but they put everything on ice with every player and that is still the situation.

"It's not easy but I am just a player so I accept this. I respect the club and I want to carry on at this club.

"But at the moment nobody has talked to me."

Ballack made 32 Premier League appearances last season, proving an important cog as the club won the first league and cup double in its history.

Asian Star: Two More Impress



Two more winners were announced in our Asian Soccer Star search on Monday, completing the Cobham-based competition for another year.

Ahsanuallah Nawazi in the Under 12s and Yusuf Ali in the Under 13s both received an invitation to return to our Surrey training ground later in the summer for a week-long trial in the Chelsea Academy, and are pictured with Brendan Batson MBE and musician Jaz Dhami, who have both supported the campaign.

Also pictured is last year's Under 12 winner A'ameer Kstantin Murphy, who has earned a place in Leyton Orient's Academy as a result of his endeavours at Chelsea.

Ahsanuallah, a striker, likens himself to Wayne Rooney due to his fast play and lack of height. He attributed today's success to a pair of borrowed socks, which will now become his lucky pair.

Yusuf, a midfielder, was delighted to emerge victorious on a day when a number approaching 200 hopefuls took part in the trials.

'I am shocked, I didn't know I was going to win it,' he said. 'There were some other really good players but people were telling me I was going to win.

'I'm a skilful player and good at dribbling and passing,' he said , before admitting to being an Arsenal fan.

Former Arsenal, Cambridge and West Brom defender Brendan Batson was taking in the action in his role as an ambassador for the FA, for whom he is aiming to help raise the numbers of ethnic minorities involved in football, particularly the coaching side. He believes Chelsea's campaign is a superb idea.

'This is a really good initiative, and I know other clubs are looking at doing the same. I think it sends out a great message to the Asian community that football wants to invite them into the game.

'Talent is a limited resource and clubs are scouting worldwide looking for talent, so there should be no reason why if lads start playing young enough that they can't break through. It is a real mystery why we haven't seen in the Asian community what has happened before with black players.

'I came to England as a nine-year-old and had never played it, it just so happened I fell in with a group of lads who played football and was lucky enough to have a half-decent career in the professional game.'

He identified the importance of starting to play young enough as a potential barrier.

'I do a lot of stuff with the FA to find the barriers preventing Asian youth from getting through. There are some issues to address and football has to be mindful of that,' he said.

'One of the big problems is maybe not starting to play young enough, they say you need 10,000 hours to reach the top of any profession, whether it's sport or the arts or anything, so unless you start at a young age, you are falling behind your peers.

'At a club like Chelsea the standard is very high, and these sorts of things can only help. It is good to see so many parents here because at a young age kids need parental support.'

So after a long weekend of footballing tests and matches, the competition draws to a close for another year, but has hopefully once again created a pathway for Asian youngsters to get into the game.

The six lucky winners from the three days will return over the summer, and we will have news when it arrives of how they fare.

Internationals: Clifford Nets Again

Conor Clifford scored the winner for the second time in as many games for Republic of Ireland's Under 19s on Monday.

The Chelsea youth team captain, who also netted the winning goal in the FA Youth Cup at the beginning of the month, ended it with a penalty against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Ukraine this afternoon.

The midfielder, who also skippers his international side, scored the game's only goal against the hosts of this Uefa European Under-19 Championship qualifier on Saturday, and this penalty also proved decisive, though Ireland did not qualify for the finals in France.

That was because England earned a 1-1 draw against Ukraine to claim top spot in the group, thanks to a late equalizer from Tottenham's Dean Parrett. Chelsea man Jacob Mellis was an unused sub.