Chelsea Pull Out Of Race To Sign Germany & Werder Bremen Star Mesut Oezil

Chelsea are believed to have stopped pursuing Werder Bremen midfielder Mesut Oezil.

The 21-year-old was a pivotal force for Germany in the 2010 World Cup, scoring once and excelling as a creative playmaker as he helped his country to a third place finish in the tournament.

The youngster's contract with Werder expires next season, and he recently maintained that he would honour his deal with the Bundesliga club.

Now the Sun reports that Premier League/FA Cup double-winners Chelsea have pulled out of the chase to procure the services of the former Schalke player.

However, it has also been reported that Chelsea are still interested in the services of Oezil's Germany team-mate, the Stuttgart midfielder Sami Khedira.

Carlo Ancelotti Backs Milan Coach Massimiliano Allegri To Succeed

Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti believes Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri will succeed in recasting the mindset at San Siro following a failed campaign last term.

The Rossoneri ended up empty handed as hands appeared tied. But ex-Milan boss Ancelotti has said Allegri will break the shackles and help the club refind its feet as a new era begins.

"Allegri is in the right frame to express all his possibilities given the organization at the club. He can do his best," Ancelotti told Sky Sport Italia.

While Allegri's ambition to revive the embers of success is the key to development, the Blues man is assured the learning curve will deliver top marks.

"Milan are going through a period of transition and I think players that were not great last season will produce more this year," he concluded.

Ray Wilkins Confirms Jon Obi Mikel & Michael Essien Are Close To Returning For Chelsea

Chelsea midfielders Jon Obi Mikel and Michael Essien are set to give manager Carlo Ancelotti a boost ahead of the new season, with Blues' assistant manager Ray Wilkins confirming that the two African stars are nearing returns from injury.

Both players were forced to miss the World Cup with knee injuries this summer, but both could be available for Chelsea's opening Premier League fixture against West Bromwich Albion on August 14.

"Jon Obi is slightly in advance of Michael Essien but they are both working very well indeed," Wilkins told his club's official website.

"They have been working double sessions for the last week and we will get them really firing before the season starts."

One new arrival at Stamford Bridge this summer has been Israeli winger Yossi Benayoun, signed from Liverpool.

The new boy is apparently enjoying the way pre-season is handled at Stamford Bridge - in contrast to what used to happen at Anfield.

"Yossi is doing well. He has said the pre-season training here is so different to what they did at Liverpool where they didn't use a ball," Wilkins explained.

"They ran and they ran and they ran. But here we use the ball all the times and we feel we get the best out of the guys by using the ball day in day out. I think Yossi is quite enjoying himself."

Meanwhile, Ancelotti's assistant at Chelsea also admitted that managing the fitness of those Blues stars who have been at the World Cup would be a challenge this season.

"Normally after a World Cup you find those players who come back from it, it is about December when they seem to hit a wall," he added.

"It is very important we manage them in the correct manner and we get them to a level where they won't be as fit as we want them to be, but as they creep into the new year their fitness will come back.

"The players we have got here now, we have to get them into the right fitness condition so that they are prepared to play, because we might not be able to use the guys coming back from the World Cup for the first couple of games.

"These young men have to be primed and ready to perform."

Cork's Golden Chance!

With the majority of the senior players yet to return to pre-season training after participation in the World Cup, Chelsea TV did a wonderful interview with Jack Cork.

Many suggest that the next month or so could be a seminal moment in the Chelsea career of Jack Cork.

Watched by the management team, in training, Cork knows that this is his chance to impress and perhaps earn the right to spend the season at Chelsea, possibly eyeing up a first team squad spot.

Since joining Chelsea, Cork has flourished but always away on loan. A successful season at Scunthorpe saw him voted their 'Player of the Year` and also their 'Young Player of the Year` in the same season.

Spells at Southampton and Watford followed before last season Cork was given the opportunity to try his luck in the Premier League with Burnley.

Now, Cork could do nothing to prevent Burnley from being relegated, to the Championship, but he still put in some stirring performances and was fortunate to notch up his first Premier League goal, against Spurs of all teams.

When questioned about his ambitions for the season, he modestly replied that he wanted to impress in pre-season training and then see where that took him.

With Chelsea playing Crystal Palace this weekend and with the squad still shorn of several of its big names, this is the ideal platform for Cork to shine.

A decent performance could well see him remain in the starting eleven for the friendly fixtures that follow, if so, this could well be the season that Jack Cork becomes a fully fledged member of the first team squad.

Profiling the Future - Fabio Borini

Borini was signed by Chelsea from Bologna aged 16, with a reputation of being a natural goal scorer who could make perfect runs and finish from the tightest of angles.

With competition from the Italian mega clubs Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus; credit must be given to Arnesen in pulling this one off. He never managed a first team appearance for Bologna but his statistics at junior level were amazing. He scored 53 times in 77 appearances between the age of 12 and 17 at academy and reserve level.

Having been snapped up by Chelsea, he was introduced to the academy level at first but an injury prone first year saw him make little impact on the blues. He made only 3 starts with a goal to his name. This however did not stop him from firing the following year as the 2008/09 season proved to be the wowing year for the player.

At youth level the Italian struck 11 goals in 10 games and earned immediate promotion to the reserve side. Here too he was amazing as he played against the likes of Stoke's Amdy Faye and United's Jonny Evans to still notch up 6 goals in 10+2 games.

People were now taking notice.

The arrival of Ancelotti saw the player rise further in prominence. When asked about the Italian Ancelotti said:

"Borini is an 18-year-old from Bologna who is very, very, very interesting.'

He was included in the Champions League squad and made his debut appearance in the Premier League, in the 89th minute in the 3-0 win over Spurs, though his involvement was minimal.

He got a second chance to showcase his talents with 13 minutes in a win over Wolves. I will never forget the moment in the 91st minute when a defence splitting ball was captured amazingly by Borini who easily managed to round the keeper.

Sadly the pass had been slightly over-hit so having beaten the keeper, Borini found the angle to be too tight and hit the side netting. A glimpse of his ability!

His first start saw an impressive display against QPR and he followed up with short appearances in an FA Cup match and the game against Apoel.

He is yet to score for the first team, though with barely 150 minutes under his belt that is hardly a concern. For the reserves this year he scored 4 times in 6 starts and 2 sub appearances.

Borini's international career has been quite prolific with an amazing 11 in 23 appearances and is one of the youngest players in the U-21 side, now 19 but earning his debut aged 18.

Christened the new Shevchenko by the press, Borini's place in the squad should give blues fans great optimism about the future, given how good the original Shevchenko became under the guidance of Carlo Ancelotti.

My Favourite Games: Alex

Overlooked by his country for this summer's World Cup, the Chelsea man still has his homeland on his mind as he picks out two treasured memories, one of a game played in and another watched on TV 16 summers ago.

Favourite game played:

Before he arrived at Chelsea, where he has won two FA Cups and a Barclays Premier League title, Alex had regularly picked up silverware with PSV in Holland and prior to that, with Santos in Brazil where he began his career.

As the club that nurtured Pele, Santos has a fine reputation for developing talent, and also brought through household names Robinho and Elano at the same time Alex was coming through.

Back in 2002, our man was a raw 20-year-old central defender as his club reached the final of the Brazilian championship, despite finishing eighth in the regular league season. Progressing past Sao Paulo and Gremio, they would meet Corinthians in the final.

The first leg brought a 2-0 victory with goals courtesy of Alberto and Renato, before the second leg a week later, in which the future Manchester City pairing of Robinho with a penalty, and Elano netted important goals on the way to a 3-2 victory.

'It was a big final for Santos against Corinthians, the Sao Paulo rivals, and we won 3-2 and won the league championship,' he recalls.

'For me it was very, very good, my first big trophies as a professional and my friends Robinho and Elano both scored for us.'

Favourite game watched:

Most people who remember this 1994 World Cup Final will recount an uninspiring affair between Italy and Brazil, the sides that had produced such a thrilling spectacle in Mexico in 1970.

Although both sides had chances, the Brazilians for Bebeto and Romario, the Italians for Daniele Massaro and Roberto Baggio, it ended goalless and the World Cup was decided on penalties for the first time ever, in the midday heat of Los Angeles.

Franco Baresi, Italian captain, shot over before Gianluca Pagliuca saved from Marcio Santos to level matters. Claudio Taffarel then saved Massaro's shot and Dunga converted, meaning Baggio would need to score to give his side a chance.

The Divine Ponytail stepped up, and duly blasted his penalty over the bar, handing Brazil their first World Cup success in 24 years. For Alex, it was a major moment in his childhood, having just turned 12.

'The final of the World Cup in 1994, people say it was not exciting but it was very nervous and exciting for Brazilian people, it was a long time since we had won the trophy and it was the first time that I saw it happen,' says the defender.

'We played at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles last summer against Inter, where that final was, and it was a good experience.'

Chelsea Ready To Make €22 Milllion Offer For Sampdoria Striker Giampaolo Pazzini

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti is ready to make a €22 million swoop for Sampdoria striker Giampaolo Pazzini, but may find his offer is €78m short of expectations.

Pioneers when it comes to big spending, Chelsea will need a bulldozer to knock down Sampdoria's €100m valuation of the Italy international.

Il Corriere dello Sport reports the Blucerchiati have already rejected a substantial offer from Juventus. Two weeks ago Samp president Riccardo Garrone said he wouldn't even sell his player for €100m.

That was viewed as an unrealistic valuation, and a clear attempt at scaremongering the interested clubs.

Ancelotti will not be put off though. He is confident €22m will be the tip of the iceberg for Sampdoria and enough to defrost talks and reignite a deal.

Chelsea Still Looking To Make A Move For Injured Liverpool Star Fernando Torres

Chelsea are still interested in a move for Liverpool and Spain striker Fernando Torres despite the fact that a groin tear suffered in the World Cup final could keep him out for the start of the Premier League season.

Torres will be checked out by Spain’s medical team in Madrid on Tuesday, but it is expected that he will miss the beginning of the season after suffering his third major injury in less than a year.

Despite the injury problems Chelsea is still looking to bid for the 26-year-old and hope to take advantage of the doubts about his future at Liverpool to complete a deal for the Spaniard, according to The Mirror.

The World Cup winner’s knee operations in January and April cost him a huge chunk of time this season, which led to a disappointing tournament in South Africa in which Torres did not score a goal.

Barcelona are also interested in Torres, but Manchester City have given up their pursuit of the Reds star as Chelsea and the Catalan giants can offer Champions League football next season, something that the Eastlands club and Liverpool cannot.

Chelsea Boss Carlo Ancelotti Wants To Coach Inter's Mario Balotelli

Carlo Ancelotti is keen to bring Inter Milan bad boy Mario Balotelli to Chelsea, suggesting the temperamental striker would flourish in the Premier League.

The 19-year-old is reportedly heading out of the San Siro door with his agent Mino Raiola confirming that Manchester United and Manchester City are keen on his signature.

Chelsea boss Ancelotti reckons the youngster would excel at Old Trafford, but added that he would like to have a go at curbing his famously hot temper.

Asked by Sky Sport24 if he would like to coach Balotelli, he responded: "Yes."

"They [United] are a team with great tradition, which helps that type of player. Here, the environment is different and I think a player with his character could find it better than in Italy.

"It's difficult to find a player so young with his quality, and England has a lack of players at that level."

The Italian also cooled rumours of a bid for Real Madrid midfielder Kaka, saying: "There is no chance of him coming here because he's a Real Madrid player.

"I don't think Real are willing to put him on the market - they bought him last year and therefore this is fantasy. If Real say, 'We want to sell Kaka', it could be the case that Chelsea are interested."

Chelsea Could Ask FIFA To Ban Adrian Mutu

The agent of Fiorentina striker Adrian Mutu has said that Chelsea could petition FIFA to slap a ban on the Romanian striker because of the €17 million he owes the club.

Mutu has already been suspended for nine months by the Italian National Olympic Committee due to testing positive for a banned substance. He has been ordered to pay €17 million to the Premier League giants. However, the 31-year-old is unable to garner that much money.

SkySport24 now quotes Victor Becali as saying that Chelsea has asked FIFA to ban Mutu until his debt is paid in full. Becali is reportedly trying to negotiate with Chelsea to bring this saga to a close.

Reports had linked Mutu with a move away from Florence but it now appears that the 31-year-old will remain with the Tuscan outfit if Chelsea does indeed ask FIFA to ban Mutu.

Chelsea See Ajax Striker Luis Suarez As Alternative If Fernando Torres Chase Fails

Chelsea will swoop for controversial Uruguay World Cup 2010 striker Luis Suarez if they fail to force through Fernando Torres' switch from Liverpool, according to The People.

Suarez, 23, followed a sensational 49-goal domestic season with Ajax with three goals in South Africa.

Despite hitting the headlines for his goal-line handball in the quarter-final victory against Ghana, his displays impressed manager Carlo Ancelotti and he could be be set to make a bid if his pursuit of Torres is unsuccessful.

Liverpool superstar Torres remains his main target but his injury in the World Cup final, loyalty to the Reds and extremely high price-tag could all prove to be prohibitive.

Suarez would be available for half the £50 million Chelsea are prepared to pay for the Spaniard and has recently expressed a desire to come to the Premier League this summer.

Didier Drogba Called Anderlecht Wonderkid Romelu Lukaku About Chelsea Move

Didier Drogba has spoken to rising Anderlecht star Romelu Lukaku about a move to Chelsea, according to a Belgium Football Association spokesman.

Lukaku, 17, burst onto the scene last season and was top scorer in the Jupiler Pro League with 15 goals in 25 appearances.

His potential was also confirmed after he grabbed a brace in the 3-1 Europa League victory against Ajax.

A switch to the Stamford Bridge outfit has been mooted for several years, though they can expect to face competition from AC Milan, Real Madrid and Arsenal.

Speaking to reporters, Belgian FA spokesman Nicolas Cornu divulged a conversation he had with Drogba's about Lukaku.

"Yes, I've even called him," Drogba is reported to have said.

"I got his phone number from Vincent Kompany.

"I told him - you have to sign for Chelsea."

Priming For Place

Preparations for our first pre-season game of the summer continued to gather pace at Cobham on Monday, while John Terry briefly dropped in on the squad.

The England defender visited the training ground for a short time to go through some light exercises and meet up with team-mates old and new in Franco Di Santo and Yossi Benayoun, before departing for a family holiday. He is due to report back at Cobham along with our other World Cup representatives later in July.

Meanwhile on the training pitches it was a first day of training without at least a little sunshine, instead Carlo Ancelotti and his men were treated to a rather refreshing downpour after some hot and humid sessions over the past week.

Of course the focus is still more on fitness than football, but once again the sessions took on a technical element as the lads work towards readiness for the long season ahead. Our first action of the campaign is almost upon us, a pre-season friendly away at Championship side Crystal Palace on Saturday.

McEachran Looking Ahead

An Under 17 European champion, Josh McEachran is hoping training with the first team squad will stand him in good stead for the season ahead.

Josh McEachran was a part of the England Under 17 squad that lifted the European Championship in Liechtenstein at the back end of May, a success that followed on from his key role in our FA Youth Cup success last season.

An attack-minded midfielder, the Chelsea man was a central figure in England's success en route to the Final, a 2-1 win over Spain, watched by several members of the Spanish senior squad, including Iker Casillas, Cesc Fabregas, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Ramos.

'The European Championships was great, England hadn't won a youth tournament since 1993, so that was a good feeling,' said the Oxford-born player.

'Before the match, they put up the team sheet from that game and it was the likes of Paul Scholes and Gary Neville, so there was a lot of pressure on us but we managed to win.

'When we were singing the national anthem we saw the Spain players all come into the stadium, so it was a little nerve-wracking playing in front of them but it was a good experience all the same. They deserved to win the World Cup, I thought they were the best team overall.'

Now with the international calendar completed, the focus returns to club football, with a little over a month to run until the beginning of the Premier League season, but plenty of pre-season matches to look forward to.

Involvement in first team affairs on the training pitches has left the second-year scholar, who will largely be a part of the reserve team squad this season, hopeful for match action.

'Since I have been back I've been training with the first team which is really good, and hopefully I can go on from here,' said McEachran, who spent his summer break on holiday with family.

'The atmosphere here has been friendly, everyone has been nice to me and speaking to me, and everybody is happy to be back at Cobham.

'I thought it would be a lot harder but it's been alright so far, the fitness has been fine and I hope I can be involved in pre-season. The game against Crystal Palace is coming up on Saturday, and hopefully I can be involved with that, and then this season I really want to make my debut.'

Having seen fellow Academy men Gael Kakuta, Jeffrey Bruma, Fabio Borini and Patrick van Aanholt all make their first appearances for the club last season, there is no reason why McEachran cannot be next.

The Wait is Almost Over!

It is almost upon us and the moment that everyone has been waiting for.

Enough of the meaningless action. This is what really matters. The weeks have counted down to days and the days have trickled down to hours. You get twitchy. You find yourself looking at your watch every minute. The tension is unbearable. You just want the moment to arrive.

You spend your time thinking about it. Tactics, formations, game situations. Will we see as much drama as last time? Will we see some managerial genius, perhaps? Will the niggle heal enough to allow your favourite player to play? Will it even matter? Enough of the stupid inner discussion. The mind goes numb as the seconds go by.

It seems like an eternity and yet, before you know it, its there. The camera crews are ready. The players are warming up. You peer to see if your favourite player is moving without discomfort. The incessant drone of the commentator starts to get annoying. Let’s see some action now, please.

The players are in the tunnel. They walk out for the pre-match line-ups and you feel something welling up inside you. It’s unexplainable. It’s football.
The captains get the toss done. The ball is placed at the centre of the lush green pitch. The heart starts beating. You can hear it.

The crowd goes into a frenzy and then.......you hear it.........

"CAAAREFREE! Wherever you may be............!"

Those familiar but immortal words resonate inside you. No vuvuzelas thank you, just an away end full of mad-men clothed in blue.

The ref blows the whistle. Its 3 pm (English time) on the 17th of July. The venue is Selhurst Park.

Liverpool Striker Fernando Torres' Injury Puts £50m Chelsea Move In Doubt

An injury to Fernando Torres late into Sunday night’s World Cup Final between Spain and Holland may further confuse the striker’s future, with Chelsea hoping he will ask Liverpool to consider offers for him when he returns from holiday.

Torres cut a forlorn figure after he was left out of the starting line-up by Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque - and did not even warm-up with the rest of the substitutes - but he came on at the start of the second-half of extra-time to replace David Villa as his country’s lone striker.

However as he chased down a long ball forward he pulled up suddenly, feeling his groin, before collapsing on the turf in apparent agony. He was eventually stretchered off. It capped a miserable tournament for Torres, although he was involved in the build-up to Andres Iniesta’s winning goal, and there will now be frantic concern over the extent of the injury and whether it might place his hope for a summer move to Chelsea in jeopardy.

Torres did manage to collect his winners’ medal and join his team-mates on a lap of honour but he was clearly in some discomfort and given his constant record of injuries, which has been an issue for him throughout his career then it will be a concern to any potential buyer.

Chelsea are leading the chase for the 27-year-old and are set to open the bidding, hoping that Torres will ask for a move although he may fall short of handing in a transfer request. They remain confident that Torres wants to join them and may, eventually, offer up to £50 million for him.

However this would fall short of Liverpool’s valuation for Torres which is believed to be closer to £70 million. At the same time it’s understood that, significantly, Liverpool are already actively looking at alternatives should Torres eventually be sold.

Contact is believed to have been made with the German club Wolfsburg, now managed by Steve McClaren, over the future of their striker Edin Dzeko who is believed to be admired by Liverpool’s new manager Roy Hodgson.

Negotiations for the Bosnian, who has previously also attracted interest from Chelsea, to move to Manchester City are at an advanced stage although a fee is yet to be agreed.

If Liverpool were to sell Torres for £50 million or more then it would give them the funds to purchase Dzeko and although they would not be able to out-bid City it could well be that the 23-year-old would prefer a move to the Merseyside club.

The sale of Torres would also provide Hodgson - who has stated he wants to keep the striker and intends to hold talks with him when he returns from holiday, if not before - with further funds to strengthen his squad as he goes about re-shaping his team for the new season. That could be bolstered with Javier Mascherano, who may hand in a transfer request, also pushing for a move.

City had hoped that they might strike an agreement with Torres but although they retain interest they also accept that the failure to qualify for the Champions League has severely damaged their chances. Instead they have concentrated on trying to sign Dzeko or, if that bid fails, to secure Inter Milan’s Mario Balotelli.

Torres has been cagey over his future throughout the World Cup, declaring that he wants to hear from Hodgson over his plans for Liverpool before he decides what he wants to do. Earlier this year Torres made clear that he wanted the club to strengthen significantly this summer but they have to generate funds first.

The player is believed to want to stay in England, unless there is a bid made for him by Barcelona who he regards as the only other club he would consider moving too. He has told friends that he wants to now be challenging for major trophies and is desperate to win the Champions League.

Chelsea Eye Fabio Coentrao As A Possible Replacement For Ashley Cole

Benfica left-back Fabio Coentrao has been targeted by Chelsea as a possible replacement for Ashley Cole should he decide to leave for Real Madrid this summer, according to The Sun.

Cole has been the centre of much tabloid focus on his personal life in recent months and is believed to be desperate to leave England because of his off-field struggles.

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho is apparently keen to take Cole to the Bernabeu, and the Blues are believed to be expecting a bid from los Blancos shortly.

They do not want Cole to leave but Coentrao, 22, who impressed at the World Cup with his vibrancy down the left flank for Portugal, has been identified as a successor to the England international should they be left with little choice but to grant Cole his reported wish.

Villa: Torres More Likely To Join Chelsea

Barcelona striker David Villa believes Chelsea have a better chance of signing Spain team-mate Fernando Torres than Manchester City this summer.

Liverpool's Torres was linked with a British transfer record £50million move to both the Blues and City before the World Cup.

The 26-year-old striker endured a miserable personal tournament in South Africa.

He failed to score a single goal and was dropped from the starting line-up as Spain won Sunday's final in Johannesburg.

Torres picked up a groin injury after coming on in extra-time against the Netherlands at Soccer City but remains a target of the two big-spending Premier League clubs.

But rather than join ambitious City, Villa believes his international team-mate would be more interested in either following him to Barcelona or heading to Stamford Bridge.

"I am not sure where his future lies, but he knows like me he must win trophies at club level," he said.

"He isn't money-focused so he would never join Manchester City.

"But sure, Barcelona and Chelsea would be real options for him. He has proven he can score goals in England and Chelsea are the number one team there at the moment, so I suppose it's the option that makes the most sense.

"He has been fully focused on the World Cup but in the back of his mind he knows he needs to be competing for the very highest honours and if Liverpool can't do it he will have to move."

Schweinsteiger Open To Move

Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has revealed the possibility of a switch away from Germany 'excites' him.

The schemer enjoyed a fine World Cup showing with Germany this summer, fuelling rumours of growing interest in his services.

Several high-profile teams have been linked with an approach, including the likes of Real Madrid and Chelsea.

Bayern have stressed they intend to retain Schweinsteiger, who is happy at the club but has not ruled out an exit.

"There are always a few offers, but I have a contract with Bayern until 2012 and I respect the contract and the club," he told Bild am Sonntag.

Schweinsteiger confirmed he has considered his future, but said: "I know that there is something great at Bayern. We didn't reach the UEFA Champions League final without good reason - and to win it is my ambition."

Asked if he would consider moving on to achieve that goal, he said: "To end this talk I will just say that I am not married to Bayern.

"The Bundesliga is great, and has become more important, but if I were to move on then, of course, the idea of going abroad is what excites me."

Ancelotti To Push On With Wesley Sneijder Bid

Carlo Ancelotti would do well to land a player as in form as the Inter Milan man and now that Jose Mourinho has left the San Siro it would make sense for club’s such as Chelsea to make their feelings known to the Dutch international.

The 26 year old had an excellent season last term after a horror spell at Real Madrid and the playmaker has followed up a treble in club football with an excellent display at the World Cup, a display that could see him lift the trophy as well as the Golden Ball award.

The Stamford Bridge outfit have of course allowed Michael Ballack and Joe Cole to run out their contracts and Deco looks set to leave as well, so there is indeed a good deal of sense in looking to nab the former Ajax man.

It may take a bid of around £33-35m to get the Italian side’s attention and clearly Roman Abramovich can afford to shell out such a sum and has told Ancelotti that money is available to bring in new additions to help retain their Premier League crown as well as looking to mount a Champions League assault to boot.

Stoney Agrees New Terms

Casey Stoney has agreed terms on a new contract with Chelsea Football Club ahead of next year's Women's Super League.

The Chelsea Ladies captain, a regular in the England Ladies side, joined the Blues from Charlton Athletic in 2007 and went on to win the Nationwide International Player of the Year Award for the 2007/08 season.

Originally a product of the Chelsea Academy, which she joined aged 12, Stoney initially left the club to join Arsenal in 1999 before taking up her role at Charlton in 2002.

As captain of Charlton, Stoney won the League Cup in 2004, the FA Cup in 2005 and the League Cup once more in 2006 before Charlton disbanded their women's side following the men's relegation from top-flight football.

Stoney has also been part of England's senior ladies team since her debut in August 2000 as a substitute against France. Her first start came against Norway in 2002 and she has since become England's first-choice left-back.

Now Stoney will continue to captain Chelsea as we head towards the new Women's Super League, which begins in March 2011.

The Super League will run throughout the summer with televised matches to help encourage young women to take up the sport and help develop stars to represent the ever-improving women's national team.

Chelsea are one of eight teams involved in the new league, which includes Arsenal LFC, Birmingham City LFC, Bristol Academy WFC, Doncaster Rover Belles, Everton, Lincoln LFC and Liverpool LFC.

Ancelotti Expects City Signings

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti expects Manchester City to sign both Edin Dzeko and Aleksandar Kolarov.

Roberto Mancini has confirmed his interest in Dzeko, although City face competition from Juventus for the Wolfsburg striker, while he has also hailed Lazio full-back Kolarov.

City has already signed up Jerome Boateng, David Silva and Yaya Toure this summer, but Ancelotti expects them to continue spending.

"Roberto Mancini is building a great squad," Ancelotti told Il Giornale. "You'll see: they will also get Kolarov and Dzeko."

Lazio boss Edy Reja, though, is confident of keeping Kolarov at the club.

"Kolarov will come to pre-season training on July 20 and, as things stand right now, I think he will stay with us," he said on Football Italia. "If he does leave then he'll in any case be replaced by a player for that same role."

Chelsea Winger Yossi Benayoun: The Only Reason I Left Liverpool Was Rafael Benitez

New Chelsea signing Yossi Benayoun has hit out at former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez, accusing the Spaniard of making his time at Anfield a horrible experience.

Benitez left the Reds to join Inter Milan after a disastrous Premier League campaign, which saw Liverpool fail to qualify for the Champions League for the 2010-11 season.

The Israel international revealed Benitez was the sole reason why he made the £5.5 million move to Chelsea earlier this month.

"Everyone asks me why I left Liverpool," Benayoun told The News of the World.

"There is only one reason - Rafa Benitez. I agreed to join Chelsea before Roy Hodgson was appointed Liverpool's new manager.

"It's a dream for me such a fantastic club have given me this opportunity. But I want Liverpool fans to know the truth and for them to know I made up my mind to leave a long time ago because of Benitez.

"He never treated me with the respect I deserved. If I played well, I never felt he gave me credit. When I scored, I still expected to be out of the team the next game.

"And when the fans wanted me to play, Benitez told me he couldn't understand why."

The 30-year-old, who scored nine times for the Reds last season, revealed there were many instances of mistreatment from Benitez.

"There are many examples of him treating me badly," he added.

"On two occasions early last season, against Fulham and Lyon, the fans booed when I was subbed. They thought I was playing well but Benitez told me he was surprised the fans booed because I was not good enough.

"Then, when we played Birmingham [City] after I hadn't started a game for a month, he didn't tell me I was starting until two hours before the game.

"He tried to destroy my confidence. You can't treat a player like this and expect him to be happy. I don't want to speak on behalf of other players at Liverpool, but people know what happened to Albert Riera and Xabi Alonso.

"It was the same for me. Benitez tried to break me like he broke Riera.”

Benayoun also revealed he was happy to leave once the Premier League champions made an offer for him and he could not take the chance of staying if Benitez also continued in his role.

"On the day before the final game of last season at Hull [City], Benitez pulled me to one side after training and said, 'You will not be in the squad for this game. Thank you for your three years of service, now you can call your agent to do a deal with another club.'

"That's when Chelsea made an offer and the deal was done before Benitez left. I knew I had to get away from Benitez. A lot of people at Liverpool treated me well and asked me to stay, but I could not turn down such a massive club as Chelsea.

"I could not risk waiting to see if Benitez kept his job. The club said they understood why I was unhappy and promised they'd let me leave in the summer if an offer came while Benitez was manager."

The fleet-footed winger believes Benitez departing for Serie A is great for the Reds and said playing in front of the Liverpool fans was an honour.

"It is good for Liverpool that Benitez has gone, but it was too late for me," he concluded.

"I know everyone working there will be a lot happier and I believe Roy Hodgson is a good choice. It was a privilege for me to play for such a great club in front of great fans. I thought I would be staying for a lot longer."

Aguero Eyes Chelsea Move

Argentina striker Sergio Aguero has fuelled rumours of a possible move to Stamford Bridge, saying the thought of a future with Chelsea 'excites' him.

Aguero, 22, has been linked with a number of high-profile clubs in the summer transfer window following his rise to fame at Atletico Madrid.

The Spanish side appears to have already conceded defeat in their attempts to retain his services, saying their star man can go for the right price.

"If an offer comes in from the right club and Atletico feels it is the right price, then a deal can be done," Aguero told the Daily Star on Sunday.

"Of course Chelsea is of interest as they are one of the most powerful teams in European football.

"They show their intent summer after summer in the transfer market and more often than not that intent will see them end the season with at least one trophy."

Aguero admits that building a stable future is amongst his priorities, but top of the list is silverware.

"As a player you need to look after your future financially but the truth is most top European clubs would offer me top packages," he said.

"What I need to consider is where I can win things and I know for sure I can win things at Chelsea.

"You look at their players and you are excited about any future you may have there."

The talented striker admits that the thought of playing alongside Didier Drogba amongst other Chelsea stars appeals massively.

He said: "To be the strike partner of Didier Drogba is a thing many players would love to be.

"But it's not just Drogba - it's Lampard, Terry, Anelka, Essien, and maybe even Fernando Torres.

"They have quality players everywhere."

Jose Mourinho Stepping Up Efforts To Buy Chelsea Defender Ashley Cole

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is going increase his efforts to buy Chelsea star Ashley Cole with the hopes that he will be able to pair him with Inter Milan back Maicon at the Bernabeu next season.

Mourinho believes that having two of the world’s premier attacking full-backs will help bring out the best in Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka and Real has provided the Portuguese with £40 million to bring both to Spain, according to the Daily Mail.

The former Blues manager brought Cole to Stamford Bridge from Arsenal in 2006 and hopes to take advantage of the left-back’s problems in England and bring him to Real.

The England international was condemned for his attitude after the Three Lions crashed out of the World Cup and has become an unpopular figure after his split with wife Cheryl.

Mourinho was also interested in Liverpool defender Glen Johnson but he prefers Maicon in the right-back position.

Former Chelsea Winger Joe Cole Favours A Move To Serie A Or La Liga This Summer

Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole might have a raft of offers to consider from Premier League clubs this summer, but it's believed he would prefer a move to either Serie A or La Liga.

Tottenham Hotspur appeared the favourites to land the England international, whose contract at Chelsea ran out at the end of last season.

However, according to the Daily Star, despite the interest at home, Cole has told his representative to look into a move to Italy or Spain.

Serie A giants AC Milan and La Liga’s Valenica are reported to be interested in a move for the 28-year-old on a free transfer.

Cole fell out of Blue's manager Carlo Ancelotti’s starting XI last season and contract negotiations between Chelsea and the Englishman fell through during the season.

£70M Price-Tag On Torres

Fernando Torres will have to put in a transfer request if he wants to quit Anfield.

And Liverpool will only let him go if they receive a mega bid in the region of £70million to force through a move to Chelsea.

Roy Hodgson will speak to his star striker and his representatives after the World Cup Final in an effort to keep him.

But if Torres says he wants out, he'll be told only a formal transfer request and a huge offer can make the deal of the summer possible.

The Merseysiders are not shifting from their hard-line stance that the sale of Torres is not on the agenda.

But there are fears the 26-year-old will ask the club to negotiate with the champions.

Privately, Liverpool concedes the dynamics will shift if the player declares he wants to go.

They're well aware of the player's concerns about the future of the club and the interest in him from Carlo Ancelotti, although they have had no indication yet he's seeking to leave.

No opening bid has been made and Anfield sources are describing suggestions Chelsea could lure Torres for around £30m as 'laughable'.

Germany's Captain Is Michael Ballack - Bastian Schweinsteiger

Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has indicated that he wants veteran Michael Ballack to retrieve the captain's armband when he returns to die Mannschaft.

The former Chelsea midfielder has been replaced by Philipp Lahm as Germany's captain for the 2010 World Cup as he was forced to miss the showpiece event with an injury.

Lahm says he would like to continue as the team's skipper beyond the World Cup and that he would not return the armband to Ballack unless he was told so by coach Joachim Loew.

Schweinsteiger has now declared that, despite Lahm's good job in South Africa, it is up to Ballack to captain the squad after the event.

"He [Ballack] is the captain of the national team and, if he returns, he will also recover the armband," Schweinsteiger told Welt am Sonntag.

"Philipp assumed the role due to Michael's injury and he has been doing a good job, but two captains are too much for just one position.

"For me, the captain of the team is Ballack."

Cech: Spain Have The Spine

Petr Cech was one of just a few Chelsea internationals not playing at the World Cup Finals but that did not prevent him attending the tournament, nor predicting who will lift the golden trophy.

Our star goalkeeper spent three days in South Africa last month, partly for an Adidas event in Johannesburg but he was also in the stands at a match involving one of tonight's finalists - Spain's group-stage win over Chile in Pretoria to be precise. Now back in England, he gives the Official Chelsea Website some of his World Cup views.

'Before the tournament I said that Spain was going to win it,' Cech claims.

'Let's see but they are in the Final even though they didn't start the tournament well. Game by game they play better and better and the last game against Germany they were brilliant so I think they have a big chance.

'They know each other. They have a team that has a spine with a lot of people from Barcelona so for me that is what makes them good.

'They have been playing together for years and automatically they do things. They don't lose time by thinking about it.'

Cech joins his club manager in tipping the Spaniards to triumph ultimately but he admits to being a little more selective in his match viewing than Carlo Ancelotti.

'When I came back from South Africa I saw the Germany v England game on the telly and I started watching more from the quarter-finals onwards, but before that I really wanted to switch off from football.

'I didn't like the atmosphere in the stadium in South Africa,' he admits, 'because you can't hear the people. The excitement from the atmosphere we are used to is the crowd singing and shouting and cheering when you have a chance. Because of the vuvuzela you hear none of this.

'I asked the Spanish players and they said it is harder to hear on the pitch. That is why they have to understand more each other's game. They say when everyone is blowing the vuvuzelas there is no chance they can hear anything.'

Naturally when he has been World Cup watching, Cech has given plenty of attention to the men who have helped make it a low-scoring tournament - the goalkeepers.

'Iker Casillas is doing very well because he is always decisive whenever he needs to make the save and he has made it so far,' assesses the Chelsea stopper.

'From the goalkeepers in the whole tournament of course there have been a few mistakes but overall I think they have done well.'

Ricardo Carvalho Set To Sign For Inter Milan As Chelsea Move For Bruno Alves

Chelsea is set to move for Porto defender Bruno Alves after agreeing to sell his Portuguese team-mate, Ricardo Carvalho.

Carvalho arrived in Milan on Friday night amid confusion as to whether he was in talks with both Serie A clubs, but it is understood he is likely to join European champions Inter. Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti blocked Carvalho’s departure to Inter last summer, partly because they did not offer a fee for the 32 year-old.

Chelsea have long admired Alves, however, who declared two days ago he wanted to leave Porto. Alves, 28, has two years left on his contract and Porto had hoped to secure a fee of £15 million for him, but such is his desire to leave that they may now have to settle for less.

Ex-Chelsea Winger Miroslav Stoch Claims He Turned Down Manchester City And Real Madrid To Sign For Fenerbahce

Ex-Chelsea winger Miroslav Stoch has claimed he turned down Manchester City and Real Madrid to sign for Fenerbahce.

Stoch, 20, joined the Istanbul giants last month for £2.5 million on a four-year contract. After impressing on loan at Steve McClaren's Eredivisie-winning FC Twente, a number of sides had been in the chase for the Slovakia World Cup 2010 winger.

Speaking to reporters, he stated he had spurned the advances of some of Europe's most famous teams to make the move to Fenerbahce.

"Among them were Juventus, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Ajax and Sevilla," Stoch said.

"I considered everything, from all angles, but Fenerbahce were the best choice."

Chelsea Will Not Sign Barcelona's Zlatan Ibrahimovic Or Real Madrid's Kaka - Carlo Ancelotti

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has revealed he wants to sign Kaka, but conceded there is little prospect of that happening because Real Madrid will not sell.

"Kaka would do well for my cause and I have spoken with him on a regular basis," he told Il Giornale.

"But unfortunately he cannot come: firstly Real Madrid doesn’t want to sell him, and secondly we would need consent over the transfer, and thirdly it would be a multi-million operation. None of these conditions exist."

Reports claimed Zlatan Ibrahimovic had come into view after Ancelotti extended his transfer scope from Madrid to Barcelona.

But the coach kicked that idea into the long grass, insisting there is no plan to sign 'Ibra'. Ancelotti prefers to stick with Didier Drogba as he whips his team into line.

"If you have someone like Drogba who scores 37 goals then why should I look for another [striker]?" he said.

Clubs in England have been moving cautiously on the transfer market with many finding themselves at the sharp end of cuts.

But one club Ancelotti feels will welcome big spending is Manchester City as they continue to pull in the stars.

"They spend plenty and Roberto Mancini is equipping a great squad. Wait and see, they will also sign [Aleksandar] Kolarov and [Edin] Dzeko," said the Ancelotti.

Annan Calm Despite English Interest

Chelsea and Manchester United are both reported to be chasing Ghana World Cup star Anthony Annan.

The 23-year-old defensive midfielder currently plays his club football or Rosenborg in Norway but has seen his stock rise on the back of an impressive tournament in South Africa.

Annan made five appearances as the Black Stars reached the quarter-finals and is also believed to be interesting French club Lyon.

"I am fine at the moment. I've heard a lot about me going every summer but nothing is fazing me," he said.

"It is good to hear about Man United, Chelsea and Lyon, but nothing is official.

"It is flattering, Lyon are a big team in Europe. But I have a contract with Rosenborg until December 2011 so let's wait and see."

Chelsea And Arsenal Threaten Tottenham Hotspur Push For Barcelona Reject Gai Assulin

Chelsea and Arsenal are set to muscle in on Tottenham Hotspur's move for Barcelona reject Gai Assulin, according to his agent.

Assulin, 19, failed to have his contract renewed this summer after spending seven years at the Nou Camp. Despite the set back, the attacking midfielder remains one of the most highly rated youngsters in Europe.

Previously, Spurs had been expected to swoop up the player's signature but London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea are now set to enter the race.

Speaking to reporters, agent Pini Zahavi confirmed the chase to land Assulin. He said: "The decision not to renew Gai's contract was mutual. At the moment we are considering his options."

Alexandre Pato Insists He Is Focused On AC Milan & Not Potential Moves To Chelsea

AC Milan ace Alexandre Pato has insisted he is dedicated to the Rossoneri, despite European heavyweight Chelsea being credited with an interest in securing his signature.

The Brazilian hitman has been tipped to leave the San Siro in a big-money move this summer, but the striker has revealed he has no plans at all to leave the club.

"I have a contract with Milan until 2014 and I intend to respect that," Pato told Eband TV.

"Maybe one day I will return to Brazil to close my career with Internacional, who are the team I support."

Pato was overlooked by Brazil at the World Cup, but he is confident of protecting his interests with the national team so he can play a key role in their 2014 World Cup on home soil.

"I am focused on playing for Milan, but I hope the next Brazil coach keeps me in mind," he concluded.

Chelsea Join Race For Dutch Ace Sneijder

Chelsea have joined Manchester United in the chase for Holland World Cup star Wesley Sneijder.

The Blues have contacted midfield dynamo Sneijder via third parties at the Dutch HQ in South Africa after Mirror Sport revealed United wanted him.

Sneijder has been made aware Chelsea will match any United offer and increase his wages to land a player that owner Roman Abramovich is willing to break the bank for.

And while Sneijder has claimed his ‘heart’ is with Champions League winners Inter Milan, Chelsea believe they are in with a strong chance if it becomes a bidding war.

United made an approach for Sneijder, 26, after being tipped off that he was interested in a move, and Sir Alex Ferguson rates him as his No.1 target.

Inter President Massimo Moratti has admitted to United’s interest and have not slammed the door shut in case new boss Rafa Benitez has other plans or a massive offer comes in.

United would want to pay around £25million, but Chelsea are capable of going well beyond that.

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti is hoping to land Kaka from Real Madrid, but there is also a vacancy for Sneijder if he gives the Blues the nod.

Mikel Obi: It's All Good

John Mikel Obi is happy to be back in the groove at Cobham, after sitting out the end of last season with injury.

Ankle and knee problems sustained in April meant the Nigeria international was sidelined as we secured both the Barclays Premier League and the FA Cup in May, and he had to return home from the World Cup before the competition had started.

Since then he has been in rehabilitation, and is pleased to report the problems, which required minor surgery, are now behind him.

'It was really frustrating to miss out but at the same time I was obviously happy that we won the Double,' said the 23-year-old.

'Since I came home from South Africa I've been here, working hard on my knee and making sure I am ready for the start of the season.

'I'm fully involved now with pre-season training and have started the double sessions. It is going really well, the training is good and the weather has been fantastic, and we are all working hard. I look forward to the rest of the squad joining us and I hope it can be another good season.'

In a similar position to Mikel is Michael Essien, who has not featured since December but like his fellow midfielder is nearing a return to full fitness, and has been fully involved in training so far.

Asked whether this means more competition for a midfield place this year, Mikel said: 'I don't know, I'm working hard and whatever decisions there are are for the manager.

'It is very good to have Essien back. He has been out for a long time, and I hope we can play together in the middle, that would be great.'

It remains to be seen whether the pair will be back and ready for match action in time for our first pre-season friendly at Crystal Palace on July 17, but with Michael Ballack departed, their presence in the centre of the park will be as important as ever come the season's start.

Chelsea Players Delighted Essien Available For Start Of Pre-Season

John Obi Mikel says Chelsea players are delighted Michael Essien is available for the start of preseason training.

Essien has not featured since December but like his fellow midfielder is nearing a return to full fitness and has been fully involved in training so far.

Asked whether this means more competition for a midfield place this year, Mikel told chelseafc.com: "I don't know, I'm working hard and whatever decisions there are for the manager.

"It is very good to have Essien back. He has been out for a long time, and I hope we can play together in the middle, that would be great."

Chelsea Prepare £30m Offer For Liverpool Star Fernando Torres

Chelsea is set to open the bidding for Liverpool striker Fernando Torres by offering the Reds £30 million, according to a report from The Daily Star.

Blues owner Roman Abramovich has taken a strong personal interest in the deal, the report claims, and is currently in South Africa where he plans to attend Sunday's World Cup final.

The Russian was also at Spain's semi-final victory over Germany, when Torres played the concluding nine minutes of the game after coming on as a substitute.

The Spaniard has insisted that he will not discuss his future until after the World Cup, when new Reds boss Roy Hodgson has indicated that he will have serious discussions with the player about whether or not his future lies at Anfield.

Chelsea In Danger Of Losing Battle With Bayern Munich For Ajax Star Gregory Van Der Wiel

Chelsea could lose out on Ajax defender Gregory van der Wiel as Bayern Munich have swooped for the Netherlands World Cup right-back.

The Bavarian giants and Ajax have agreed to a £14 million deal for the 22-year-old and Bayern hopes to finalise the deal before the World Cup final on Sunday, according to The Sun.

Van der Wiel will not negotiate with the Bundesliga champions as he is concentrating on playing in the final against Spain.

However, Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti will have to offer Ajax a better deal if he wants to acquire one of football’s hottest prospects this summer.

The first-choice right-back has appeared in four matches for the Netherlands in South Africa and his great form on the international and domestic level has piqued the interest of the Premier League champions.

Redknapp Confirms Levy And Joe Cole Talks

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has not given up on signing Joe Cole with the White Hart Lane chief hopeful his Chairman can beat North London rivals Arsenal and Roy Hodgson’s Liverpool to the former Chelsea midfielder’s signature.

Arsenal and Liverpool are reportedly Spurs main contenders for Cole’s signature, with Redknapp thought to have the edge in the race for Cole having given him his big break at West Ham United as a schoolboy.

Redknapp told talkSPORT radio station: “We’re interested in Joe [Cole). I know Daniel [Levy, Spurs chairman] was talking to his people and we’re interested. If the chairman can pull a deal off I’d love to have him at Tottenham.

“But it all comes down to if we can do a deal. I don’t get involved in the financial side; the chairman can do that with Joe’s people. Hopefully there is a deal that can be done because we would love him at White Hart Lane.”

Manchester City Looking To Make Stunning £20 Million Swoop For Chelsea Hitman Didier Drogba

Manchester City are preparing a £20 million bid for Chelsea star striker Didier Drogba.

City manager Roberto Mancini has been a big fan of the Ivory Coast international and hopes to bring him to the Eastlands club, according to The Sun.

Drogba won the Premier League’s Golden Boot after scoring 29 league goals for the Blues last season, helping lead Chelsea to the Premier League and FA Cup titles.

The Ivorian striker would sign a three year deal worth £18 million is he made the move to City, who have already spent £60 million to secure the services of David Silva, Jerome Boateng and Yaya Toure this summer.

The 32-year-old still has two years remaining on his current Chelsea deal and would form arguably the best strike partnership in the world if he paired with City and Argentina star Carlos Tevez.

Towering Centre-Half Drops Exit Hint As European Juggernauts Circle

Porto stalwart Bruno Alves has put a host of his Premier League suitors on red alert by suggesting he would like to leave Portuguese football. The towering centre-half has been coveted by some of the biggest clubs on the continent, most notably Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid, with Manchester City also retaining an interest in the man widely tipped to be named Cristiano Ronaldo’s successor for the Portuguese captaincy.

The 28-year-old is regarded as one of the finest centre-halves in Europe, and although Portugal flattered to deceive on occasions during the World Cup finals, Alves emerged with his reputation very much intact. The defender is thought to have a €35 million buyout clause which seemingly deterred Manchester United and Chelsea from following up their alleged interest back in January, but it appears he may now be ready to engineer a move to a big European club this summer.

Capped 35 times by Portugal, Alves has shone for FC Porto for the last four years having graduated from their B team via three loan spells, most notably at AEK Athens, but now the player has hinted his ready to cut his teeth in one of the major leagues in Europe.

Alves told O Jogo: "I have a permanent contract, but I am ambitious,"

"I hope for a European club."

The Portuguese press suggests Manchester City may be ready to make a lucrative offer to FC Porto in order to lure the talented defender to England, but claim Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is a huge admirer as well. Real Madrid have been strongly linked with Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic but O Jogo intimate that the self-proclaimed 'Special One' may decide that Alves is more viable alternative to the Old Trafford stalwart.

Chelsea's Ashley Cole The Only Englishman In David Beckham's Team Of World Cup 2010

David Beckham has named a team of players he believes have made the biggest impact at this World Cup, and has included only one Englishman.

Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole is the only member of the Three Lions squad to have made Beckham's cut, after Fabio Capello's squad crashed out to Germany in the second round.

Beckham was with the squad as part of the backroom team, but it is predominantly Germans and Spaniards who caught the LA Galaxy midfielder's eye.

"I also enjoyed watching Portugal's Fabio Coentrao, but Ashley for me is the best left-back in the world and probably England's star performer in South Africa," Beckham told The Sun.

"He never stops running and, while he is a very good defender, he loves to attack opposing full-backs."

Another Premier League defender makes it into Beckham's back four in the shape of Sunderland centre-half John Mensah, a star of Ghana's march to the quarter-finals.

"The Ghana captain was very solid as they progressed through the tournament and were unlucky in their quarter-final with Uruguay," Beckham explained.

"The rugged defender, on loan at Sunderland last season, leads by example and is not afraid to put his body on the line for his team."

Beckham also hailed the displays of his former Manchester United team-mate Diego Forlan, in many people's eyes the striker of the tournament so far.

"A striker who has got better and better over the years," said Beckham of the Uruguayan.

"I was lucky to play with Diego at Manchester United and we could all see what a talented player he was. Now he has supreme confidence.

"With four goals and several assists, he's had a great tournament."

Forlan has been partnered in attack in Beckham's team with David Villa, the former England captain having been highly impressed by the striker's all-round attacking talent.

"With five goals taking him joint top of the scoring charts so far, he has proven he is one of the world's best finishers," he added.

"He can play off either foot and is devastating in front of goal. It's frightening that he is joining what is already a great Barcelona team."

Ancelotti: French Pair Anelka & Malouda Crucial To Double Glory

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti says French pair Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda were big influences on last season's Double.

Ancelotti says the willingness of both players to take on different roles boosted their prospects.

"After 10 to 15 games, the opponents knew how to play against the Christmas tree and so the space in the middle of the pitch was very closed," Ancelotti told Chelsea magazine. "So from this moment we started to use wingers instead.

"We had the possibility to change a lot of players into different positions on the pitch so we made this our advantage.

"A surprise for me was Anelka in the role he played from the beginning until we changed the system in January," he adds. "He did very well alongside Drogba, when he did a different role, not just striker, and then he also did a good job as a striker when Didier was at the Africa Cup of Nations.

"Also Malouda was a surprise for me because after starting well he played with continuity in different positions - he played very well for all the season. For both players it was their versatility above all that surprised me, that they could perform different positions for the team."

Chelsea Keeper Petr Cech Feeling Fresh And Rested Ahead Of New Season

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech is looking forward to the new season after a summer spent in part helping youngsters at the Petr Cech Football Academy back in the the Czech Republic.

Cech is heading into his seventh season at Stamford Bridge feeling refreshed after a long, arduous but ultimately successful campaign last time around.

"I played 50 games last season including internationals so it was a long season and as well it was a lot of pressure because the last games we had to win all of them with no mistakes," he told the Blues' official website.

"That is always hard. I was really happy with the way we finished the season of course but as well I was very happy that the season was over.

"Of course I was disappointed not to be qualified for the World Cup but it was good to have a longer break. I am fresh and rested so this is what I needed.

"Almost I don't believe it," he admits when reflecting that he has been at Chelsea since 2004.

"I am not one of the oldest by age but I am one of the longest-serving players and when I joined Chelsea it was my target to stay as long as I can in one of the best teams in the world.

"We have won quite a few trophies during that time and this is one of the most important things. I hope that the next season will be the most successful again."

The work with the academy back in his homeland has proved rewarding for Cech, but he is not sure that it means he will be looking at a career in coaching when he retires from playing.

"[It's] too early to say. Only time will tell," the 28-year-old mused.

"Now I might think I'm going to be coach but maybe three years later it's not what I want. Only time will tell.

"But the idea of working with the kids, this is the vision I have got because the kids will be the future of football. If you teach them and prepare them and they learn how to play and have good habits - then the base will grow and you have a bigger chance to have good players and this is the aim.

"This is just the start. It is a good start and it gives us a lot of pleasure because it is open to the public and the people really appreciate it, but once I stop playing I will have time to make something deeper."

Wolves Ponder £4m Swoop For Chelsea Youngster Michael Mancienne

Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Mick McCarthy is readying a bid for Chelsea defender Michael Mancienne, according to a report from The Sun.

The 22-year-old impressed during his second loan spell at Molineux last season, occupying a holding midfield role for much of the campaign as Wolves ensured their Premier League survival.

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy has expressed an interest in making a permanent move for the player and is reported to be pondering a £4 million offer.

Chelsea now seem ready to offload the player, who has been an England Under-21 regular since 2007 and was also called up to the senior England squad for the friendly with Germany in 2008.

Bayern Munich To Hand Thomas Mueller Pay Rise To Stave Off Manchester United And Chelsea Interest

Bayern Munich's sporting director has declared Thomas Mueller will be handed a pay rise to stop Premier League giants Manchester United and Chelsea from snatching him up.

Mueller, 20, has been one of the stars of World Cup 2010 after grabbing four goals for Germany on their route through the tournament. Such has been his influence, his absence through suspension for the semi-final contributed to Joachim Loew's side's 1-0 defeat to Euro 2008 winners Spain.

These performances had not gone unnoticed by Europe's top clubs, and the English pair were reportedly prepared to test Bayern's resolve. After a £25 million fee was slapped on Mueller's head, Christian Nerlinger has also insisted the attacker will receive a boost to his deal, which runs until 2013, to keep him at the Champions League runners-up.

"We are going to give Thomas Mueller a raise, Bayern Munich is known as a club that will always come up with a reaction when there have been impressive performances," Nerlinger told Sport BILD.

"I am still very fine on that; we have not extended the contract of Thomas Mueller for no reason.

"Thus far we have not received any concrete bid for the player, we do not intend to sell him."

Chelsea Linked With Move For £8m England Under-21 International

Chelsea are rumoured to be interested in making a move for Southampton’s highly rated England Under 21 international Adam Lallana. Carlo Ancelotti has been looking to bring in new British talent to help fulfill the new ‘homegrown’ ruling quota for the new season and has been linked with a move for the pint sized attacking midfielder.

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has also been linked with a move for the St Albans born playmaker and the League One side face a tough fight to keep hold of the extremely talented youngster.

For the past two seasons Lallana has been a fixture in the Saints set up and had an excellent run of form last term where he netted 20 goals from the midfield and has attracted interest from a host of Premier League sides.

Valued at around £8m he would hardly dent the Stamford Bridge budget and whilst Lallana wouldn’t be Premier League ready from the outset but has a great deal of potential and could be turned into a very attractive prospect if given the chance.

Laurent Blanc Will Not Discard Nicolas Anelka From France Plans

Nicolas Anelka may have been sent home in disgrace from the 2010 World Cup, but France coach Laurent Blanc has indicated that he will start his reign with a clean slate for all players and will not necessarily discard the player once known as the ‘Incredible Sulk’.

A dressing room bust-up with former trainer Raymond Domenech at half-time of les Bleus’ 2-0 defeat against Mexico proved to be the spark for a dramatic collapse in the French side, with widespread allegations in the press that ‘Nico’ had seriously insulted the coach. Despite this murky history, Blanc has not moved to distance himself too much from the Chelsea forward.

Speaking to TF1 on Thursday evening, Blanc stated that Anelka’s actions at the World Cup were “intolerable”, though he also noted that the striker can still win a place in the squad provided he “demonstrates that he is the best in his position, reflects my philosophy of play and changes his behaviour”.

Additionally, ‘Le President’ indicated his first object in charge of the side. “[I want to] find a core group of four, five or six players with experience, a sufficient level of talent, of course, but above all a state of mind which is similar to mine and of everyone who loves football,” Blanc indicated.

Les Bleus' first friendly under Blanc comes in early August away to Norway.

Michael Essien Is Crucial For Ghana; They'd Have Made Semi-Final With Him

Former Ghana coach Claude Le Roy believes the Black Stars could have made it to the World Cup semi-final with midfielder Michael Essien.

He said the Chelsea ace is of a class of his own and would have made a difference to the team but was full of praise for his former side despite losing to Uruguay.

“If Michael Essien had been there, I’m certain Ghana would have reached the semis,” Le Roy said to FIFA.com as one of the experts analyzing the African teams.

“They lacked a player of his calibre as he’s one of the most complete players in the world. He’s not only capable of doing everything, he does it all well.”

Le Roy, who took over Ghana after their first World Cup appearance in 2006, said midfielder Anthony Annan and Richard Kingson stood out among their peers.

“I was dazzled by Anthony Annan. I found him at Hearts of Oak when he was playing as a right winger and as soon as I moved him into defensive midfield, I felt he could be great.

“He’s an extremely intelligent player.”

The Frenchman, who quit the West African side in 2008, said the team has grown with maturity and demonstrated great balance in the tournament.

“I’m extremely sad for them. I called the players right at the end of the game and told them they could be proud. It must be a terrible feeling to come so close to a World Cup semi-final and miss out.

“The team demonstrated plenty of maturity and were very well balanced. They played the kind of football that was expected of them. The defence was very satisfying and Richard Kingson was top quality; he’s an underrated goalkeeper.

“They need to continue working and keep pushing themselves to avoid resting on their laurels. The goal now is to win the next Africa Cup of Nations,” he noted.

Ancelotti Looks Back On 2009/10

With the World Cup finals, in South Africa, slowly but surely drawing to a close, we can all start to turn our attention back to domestic football soon enough. Even though the world tournament has played it's part in helping us through the barren summer months, it'll come as no surprise to hear that we're positively gagging for the 2010/11 campaign to kick off next month.

For Carlo Ancelotti, 2009/10 is going to prove incredibly difficult to surpass; in his first season in English football, the Italian secured a league and Cup double at Stamford Bridge, an unprecedented achievement in the club's history. However, like all great football managers, he'll be eager to come again for the top prizes this year. Yet, before all attention turned to the preparations for the new season, Ancelotti was keen to relive some of the highlights of his first twelve months in West London.

'I know how important an achievement the Double is in English football and so we are obviously very happy for this,' he started, in an interview in the latest edition of the club's official magazine.

'It was a fantastic season,' he declared.

The former AC Milan boss' incredible first-season success in SW6 is probably made all the more impressive when you consider he took the unique decision to leave his backroom team at the San Siro behind, and inherit the staff already in place at the Bridge. Commonly, particularly for foreign managers new to a country, there will be legions of staff in hot pursuit, however Carlo felt little need for what he calls 'an entourage'.

'Bruno (Demichelis, the one backroom staff member he did bring from Milan) is my entourage!,' he joked. 'As you can see he's not small, he's a big man. No, at the beginning the club proposed to me that I have a look at the staff who were already here before I made my decision about it. I was very happy with everything here because there is a very good organization at Chelsea. I had fantastic support from everyone so I didn't need new support.'

On the subject of support, Ancelotti spoke about how his blossoming relationship with the Chelsea fans grew over the course of the campaign as well.

'At the beginning it was not easy for me, as a new manager, to have a good relationship immediately,' he said.

'But after that, the supporters here learned to know me as the season went on and our relationship got better and better and now I feel a real connection, especially when we were celebrating our trophies.'

It wasn't all celebrations though,

'We missed the Champions League,' Ancelotti went on. 'We were upset, but we were able to change our focus and after that we were more focused on the Premier League. I think that defeat helped us to stay focused on the league and improve our condition physically, because we did very well at the end of the season with a team of fit players until the last game.'

With the title wrapped up in flamboyant style at home to Wigan, it was off to Wembley to secure part two of an historic Double-winning season. However, despite the match-up of top-vs-bottom of the league, it was one of those strange ninety minutes that football tends to throw up every so often.

'I was nervous in the first half,' admitted Ancelotti, 'because I think that we played a good game and yet we didn't score. I know football very well and, sometimes, when you are not able to score with a lot of chances, you can lose the game in the end. To hit the post five times in one half and not score, that's never happened to me before.'

However, Didier Drogba's 59th-minute free kick, coupled with Kevin Prince Boateng's spot-kick miss, meant Ancelotti's Blues were victorious in the end, on what was a special day for all concerned.

'It was special because there is a lot of passion from the fans and they were there to enjoy it,' said the manager. 'It was really special for me as well because in Italy it is totally different. I think the organisation of the competition, with having the semi final and the final at Wembley, makes it absolutely special for everyone who goes.'

A special day, at the end of a very special season indeed. A season which, finally, exorcised the ghost of José Mourinho, and saw the rising of a new special one; King Carlo.

Italian And Russian Views In New Madazine

One year ago Carlo Ancelotti and Yury Zhirkov walked into the lives of Chelsea supporters. What followed was a year like none before for their new club.

There were far more ups than downs for the manager as he steered the team towards the Double and although Yury Zhirkov did endure some injuries, his settling-in season culminated in some strong spring performances.

The latest edition of Chelsea magazine speaks to both at length about their debut season in SW6. It is suggested to Zhirkov that it all came right for him personally in March's 7-1 blistering win against Aston Villa and in the following home game when Bolton were defeated narrowly. That evening the left-back was voted man of the match having played much of the game with a heavily-bandaged head.

'I don't know, but I trust my fans,' Zhirkov responds.

'For me every game was very important and I was giving 100 per cent in each one. I don't separate the games I've played into important and unimportant, and I'm talking about both league and cup games.

'Maybe the knock on the head [in the Bolton game] gave me a system re-boot and that was why I started playing so well and got Man of the Match!'

His answers become more serious when Zhirkov discusses how he came to Chelsea's attention in the first place, and when he gives his views on the positions he plays in Ancelotti's side, but he smiles once more when last winter is discussed, the first time in his career a league season has ploughed on through the coldest months.

'At some times actually it was worse here [than Russia] because of the wind-chill factor,' he explains to the magazine.

'We have lots of cold-resistant players at Chelsea who are happy to play in the cold, like John Terry. Maybe he was actually born in Siberia!'

Ancelotti, as manager, was never going to enjoy the type of acclimatization period often afforded players who have moved to a new country. Happily he had no need for one as the team got off to a flyer in the league campaign

In this month's cover interview the Italian talks tactics with Chelsea as he explains what happened when the results eventually took a dip.

'After 10 to 15 games, the opponents knew how to play against the Christmas tree and so the space in the middle of the pitch was very closed,' Ancelotti reports. 'So from this moment we started to use wingers instead.

'We had the possibility to change a lot of players into different positions on the pitch so we made this our advantage.

'A surprise for me was Anelka in the role he played from the beginning until we changed the system in January,' he adds. 'He did very well alongside Drogba, when he did a different role, not just striker, and then he also did a good job as a striker when Didier was at the Africa Cup of Nations.

'Also Malouda was a surprise for me because after starting well he played with continuity in different positions - he played very well for all the season. For both players it was their versatility above all that surprised me, that they could perform different positions for the team.'

The manager also tells readers of Chelsea what he and the team were able to do in England that they would never have got away with had they been an Italian club. He also reflects on the day at Wembley when the Double was completed and is asked if he is relieved to have had some time away from pressure over the summer?

'The pressure is normal when you manage an important club like Chelsea. Now we have to take time to think about next season, about the future because I think this could be the beginning of a fantastic cycle. I think we can improve our play and our confidence with these victories behind us.'

In regular features, Graeme Le Saux is the subject of this month's 'A to Z' and in discussing 26 subjects, he discloses behind-the-seasons manoeuvrings prior to Chelsea's Uefa Cup match in Tel-Aviv in 2001 when six of the squad didn't travel, and discusses key figures from Chelsea past such as Ruud Gullit, John Hollins, Ken Bates and Pat Nevin.

The 'Top 10' is focuses on Pint-Sized Blues, recalling former players short in stature but not lacking in impact at the club, and the young player featured is Ben Sampayo - a full-back who played a part as a substitute in the cup run that resulted in the FA Youth Cup triumph.

Elsewhere in the August edition there are interviews with two Chelsea fans from the world of music. William Orbit, producer of albums for the likes of Madonna, Robbie Williams, Blur plus many other chart-topping act also creates his own music but football at Stamford Bridge is another big passion. He talks about how Chelsea are 'a bit of a music biz team'.

James Ewers, lead singer with indie band My Luminaries, is another who shares time between appearing on stage and supporting the Blues from the stands. He speaks to Chelsea too.

There is plenty more in the 86 pages including news, a 'Tactics Board' on reading the game with Mickey Thomas discussing Frank Lampard and a look back at Chelsea is the 1970s.

Chelsea - Linked With A Legend!

This Sunday Vital Chelsea enters un-chartered territory.

For the first time in our existence as a fans web site, we will be taking part in the 'Fans Football Tournament` at Cobham.

To say it’ll be an experience is probably an understatement!

If you’ve considered plying for us but still haven’t registered an interest then please get in touch and we’ll provide details of how to get there.

For the event, the participating teams are allocated an ex-Chelsea player as a team manager; we’re reliably informed that we’ve been allocated a Chelsea legend in the shape of Clive Walker

Clive, who now regularly appears on Chelsea TV, was a flying winger who appeared for Chelsea during the period 1976/77 through to 1983/84 playing 191 games and scoring 65 goals.

To those familiar with Chelsea’s history, it was Clive that scored the goal, in May 1983 up at Burnden Park that prevented the club from slipping intro the third tier of English football for the first time in their history.

Others will remember the goal Clive scored against Liverpool in a memorable 4-2 FA Cup victory as his claim to immortal fame.

After leaving Chelsea, Clive went on to play for Sunderland, Queens Park Rangers, Fulham and Brighton and Hove Albion.

Whilst at Sunderland his claim to fame will always be scoring the goals that saw Sunderland overcome Chelsea in a dramatic League Cup semi-final second leg at Stamford Bridge.

Here at Vital Chelsea we look forward to meeting Clive this Sunday but we have to wonder if he seriously knows what he’s let himself in for agreeing to manage a team that might well be considered the rank under-dogs for the tournament.