Wilkins Reassures Blues Fans Over Defender

Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins has reassured Blues fans regarding the potential departure of Ashley Cole.

Wilkins insists that everything is going well for the English defender at Stamford Bridge in hopes that the transfer speculation will at long last die down.

The left back has been linked with a summer move to Real Madrid to team up with former manager Jose Mourinho.

“Ashley is fine and he has trained extremely well with us,” Wilkins insisted.

“He only came back on the 26th (of July), so he is not at full speed as yet but he seems to be in a good frame of mind and there has certainly been no chat between Ashley and myself as regards him leaving.”

Jose Mourinho is a known admirer of Cole, and after the World Cup the player made several comments that sparked the transfer rumors.

Since then, Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti – and assistant Ray Wilkins – have both warned the La Liga giants off Cole, and Mourinho’s latest comments seem to end all of the speculation.

“Carlo Ancelotti was very, very clear and that’s the best way in football,” said Mourinho, who is entering his first season as Real boss.

“He killed the story by saying, ‘No money can buy Ashley Cole, he needs to stay’.

“I think Ashley thought about leaving for personal and professional reasons. We thought about him because he’s a good player who I enjoyed working with.

“But when a coach says no, it’s no, and we have to accept that.”

McCarthy Rules Out Permanent Mancienne Deal

Manager Mick McCarthy has again confirmed that Wolverhampton Wanderers cannot afford to buy Chelsea's England Under-21s ace Michael Mancienne on a permanent basis.

The 22-year-old, who can play in defence or midfield, impressed while on loan at Molineux last season, but McCarthy says that any return to the Black Country would not be on a permanent basis.

He commented: "I would like to see my quote where I said I would be prepared to pay £4million.

"I am pretty good at remembering what I said, but I am red hot at remembering what I haven't.

"We won't be buying Mancienne. They want to sell him - if they want to loan Michael out again, then that's a different matter altogether.

"I haven't discussed it with Chelsea. From my understanding, they want to sell him and he's asked for a transfer. They want to sell him rather than loan him.

"I would be interested if they want to loan him out again, but that's up to them."

Stoke Snub Chelsea Interest In Asmir Begovic

Stoke City have issued a hands off warning to Chelsea after they declared an interest in signing Asmir Begovic.

Begovic, who joined Stoke from Portsmouth in January, was wanted by Chelsea to act as understudy to Petr Cech even though they already have Hilario and Ross Turnbull on their books.

Manager Tony Pulis has revealed that Chelsea have been in contact about the goalkeeper's availability - but there is no chance that he will be sold.

Begovic, 23, is in a battle with Thomas Sorensen for the first choice position at the Britannia Stadium.

"They (Chelsea) have enquired, but they have been told he is not for sale,'' Pulis told the Stoke Sentinel.”We are trying to bring players in, not let our better players go.''

Pulis also played down the chances of Stoke being able to attract Nice striker Loic Remy.

"He's a very talented young player, but whether we do the deal is another thing,'' Pulis said.”It's not just Stoke interested, but three or four others.''

Mourinho To Battle Chelsea For Lukaku

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho will rival his former club Chelsea in the race for Anderlecht wonderkid Romelu Lukaku.

The 17-year-old is widely regarded as the finest young striker on the continent and has been coveted by a host of Europe’s top clubs. Manchester City and Manchester United have both had scouts in attendance at the striker’s games last season, but the player is believed to favour a move to the current Premier League champions, and is a self-confessed Didier Drogba fan, who he has been likened to.

According to Marca, Mourinho is willing to spend £20 million on the bulky forward in an effort to beat his former club to the chase. Lukaku allegedly has his heart set on a move to Stamford Bridge next year, despite rumoured interest from Manchester United and Manchester City.

The player has already scored 19 goals in 45 games for Anderlecht despite his tender years, and although the club is eager to retain him, the prodigious forward is already one of the most coveted stars on the continent.

Didier Drogba Rules Out Possible Move To Manchester City

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has ruled out any chance of an exit from Stamford Bridge this season.

Reports had claimed that the Ivorian was a target for other big clubs, with Manchester City mentioned as possible suitors, with the striker's agent at one stage claiming the Citizens were interested in his client.

But Drogba is intent upon helping the west London outfit to more success after last season's Premier League and FA Cup double.

"Every summer there is speculation, you saw me in a Chelsea shirt [on Sunday] and I think that is how you will see me all season!" Drogba told his club's official website.

Meanwhile, the Ivorian is expecting City to play a part in this season's title race and push for the top four places.

"We saw last year that Tottenham were there fighting for fourth place, Arsenal were there, so the Premiership will be more open, with Manchester City spending more money and buying quality players," he explained.

Chelsea was the wrong side of a 3-1 scoreline when they faced Manchester United in Sunday's Community Shield at Wembley.

The result does not perturb Drogba too much though, with pre-season having started late for many of Carlo Ancelotti's squad due to the World Cup.

"We are working hard, we have a lot of players who have trained for ten days or a week, it is too short to be fit and ready for big competitions but we have to improve our game even if we are not fit, and hope that in two or three weeks time it will be better," he said.

"The match was disappointing of course but I am not really worried because it is only 10 days since we started working and we need more time together.

"I am disappointed because we lost the game, we had a few chances at the end but more than the defeat today it was important to see and understand that we are not ready yet."

Scott Sinclair Swaps Chelsea For Swansea City After Signing Three-Year Contract

Swansea City have signed Chelsea forward Scott Sinclair on a three-year deal.

Swans' boss Brendan Rodgers has paid an initial £500,000 for the 21-year-old, with the fee possibly rising to over £1million depending on performances.

Sinclair, who can play in midfield or up front, had been at Chelsea since 2005, but only managed to make 5 appearances for the club, spending much of his time on loan at various clubs.

"Scott is obviously a player I know well and I am delighted to sign him," Rodgers told the club's official website.

"He is a big talent and has been a sought-after player since he broke onto the scene.

"As far as I am concerned there is no better place for him than Swansea City. With this group of players, style of football and fantastic fans, this will be a great club for his development.

"He is only 21 and still has big potential. I think this will be a good home for him. He is a great signing for the present and the future and joins a group of exciting young players."

Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins added: "While everyone is aware that we run a tight ship here financially, we will always invest in the team when funds are available.

"I think this signing highlights our intent.

"It is also the club's priority to invest in bright, young talent wherever possible and I don't think you will find many young players with the talent Scott possesses."

Former Chelsea Chief Executive Peter Kenyon Officially Cuts Ties With Club

Controversial former Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has officially cuts all ties with the club after resigning his position as non-executive director.

Kenyon, 56, played a key role in the Roman Abramovich revolution after he was poached from Manchester United in 2003. Ex-manager Jose Mourinho was brought in by him, with the subsequent recruitment drive leading to two successive Premier League titles in 2004-05 and 2005-06.

Kenyon's reign didn't go without criticism and he was slammed for his suspected 'tapping up' of Ashley Cole, pictured with Rio Ferdinand during contract negotiations with United, as well as ousting of ex-boss Claudio Ranieri. He originally resigned from his post of CEO on September 16 2009 and will now concentrate full time on his role with the Creative Artists Agency.

Speaking to the Blues' official website, chairman Bruce Buck said: "Peter presided over the club during a time of great success and unprecedented commercial growth, and subsequently, as non-executive director he was effective in representing Chelsea FC in our dialogue with world football bodies.

"I'd like to thank Peter for everything he's done for this football club and everyone here wishes him well for the future. He'll always be welcome back at Chelsea."

Chelsea Partner With Lucozade Sport

Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce that Lucozade Sport has become the club's official sports nutrition partner.

Lucozade Sport has been the official sports drink of the Premier League since its inception in 1992, bringing with it 18 seasons of experience in elite football.

The sports nutrition brand will be fuelling the Blues for the next three seasons as the club looks to build on a hugely successful 2009/10 term which saw the team win both the Barclays Premier League and The FA Cup.

Lucozade Sport's full range of 26 nutritional products will help Carlo Ancelotti's team be at 100 per cent for every kick-off, drive them throughout the 90 minutes and aid recovery effectively after the final whistle.

Lucozade Sport Scientists will also work closely with Chelsea's backroom staff at the training ground in Cobham.

Stewart Crooks, sponsorship manager for Lucozade Sport, said: 'We are delighted to be teaming up with Chelsea and believe our considerable experience in top-flight football will contribute towards the continued success of the team.'

Ben Wells, head of marketing for Chelsea added: 'Lucozade Sport has an unrivalled heritage in the world of sports nutrition, so it's a natural fit for Chelsea as we aim for further honours this season. Working with Lucozade Sport means that our players have access to safe products that are proven to make a difference.'