Essien: Back For Good

Yesterday was the day for Michael Essien as the midfielder makes his long-awaited return from a knee injury.

The midfielder has not appeared in Chelsea colours since December, enduring a frustrating time on the sidelines while his team-mates lifted the Premier League and FA Cup Double and then headed to South Africa for the World Cup.

For the Ghanaian, it has been a summer of rehabilitation rather than relaxation, but the hard work looks to be paying dividends as he anticipates his return against Crystal Palace yesterday afternoon.

'I know now I will play, and it will be nice to have 45 minutes like the other guys to test my fitness,' said the 27-year-old. 'It feels good, it's been a long time but I am back in full training now, everything is good and there is no reaction from the training, so things are looking good for me.

'I didn't have any holidays because of my rehab, but it will be good to start up again and I am looking forward to the rest of the boys coming back as well.

'I'd love to have been there playing at the end of the season, it wasn't easy for me but I supported my team-mates to win their matches, that's all I could do. I became a supporter and to end the season with two trophies was amazing and I was enjoying it like everyone even though I didn't play the whole season.'

Essien acknowledges that being given the go-ahead today will mean he is one of the more senior players on show with the majority of his first team colleagues still on vacation.

'We're still waiting for the rest of the other players from the World Cup but we have a lot of good young players here as well,' he said.

'I think it's good to start the pre-season games with them and to see them play, so the manager can see how good they are. I think the club has a great future with those players and I can see in training they are doing well at the moment.'

While his team-mates were taking plaudits for their work on the field, Essien has been taking impressive steps off it - this week he has been announced as a peace ambassador for 2010 by the African Union.

'It's great to be appointed an ambassador in Africa and I am looking forward to working with them, I hope everything will go really well and I can help get the message across for peace in Africa,' Essien explained.

'They requested me to meet them for a meeting but I am busy with pre-season so one of my representatives is there for a meeting and will come back and talk to me about it soon. From now you will have to call me Ambassador Essien!'

With the prospect of seeing him back in Chelsea blue, this new title seems a very small price to pay.

Alex Convinced Yossi Benayoun Signing Will Help Club Retain Premier League Title

Chelsea defender Alex has been impressed with new boy Yossi Benayoun in pre-season training and is convinced "he will help" the club retain the Premier League title.

Alex, 28, has been preparing with the rest of the squad for the campaign ahead without the club's World Cup 2010 contingent. Despite missing the likes of John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho, Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard, he has been kept on his toes by the signing from Liverpool.

Speaking to the club's official website, Alex praised the Israeli international's impact since being snapped up by manager Carlo Ancelotti.

"He is a good man, he is experienced and I think he will help us this season. We need players of this quality,' Alex said.

"He is difficult to mark when we do this in training - attackers v defenders - and I have to have more concentration in defence."

New Chelsea Starlet Tomas Kalas Admits To Snubbing Premier League Rivals Arsenal

New Chelsea signing Tomas Kalas has revealed he rejected Arsenal to make the £5 million switch to the Premier League champions.

Kalas, 17, has joined the Blues from Czech side Sigma Olomouc on a contract that runs until 2016. As one of the most highly rated young defenders in Europe, he had a pick of teams to move to.

Despite visiting the Gunners - as well as German sides Bayer Leverkusen and Hoffenheim - the childhood fan was determined to force through a move to Carlo Ancelotti's side.

"There were rumours flying around already during the spring, but at that time there were more clubs around me," Kalas told iDnes.cz.

"It became more specific only after the U-17 European Championship in Liechtenstein in May. Chelsea scouts were present there.

"Then I, my dad and Olomouc were proposed a specific offer. But Mr [Frank, sporting director] Arnesen told me I had been on the list already before the Euro and they had been following me for two years."

Kalas has only made one appearance in the Czech top flight so far and will stay at Sigma on loan next season. He further revealed he not only rejected Arsene Wenger's advances, but a pair of moves to the Bundesliga.

"Bayer Leverkusen and Hoffenheim from the Bundesliga and apart from Chelsea also Arsenal," Kalas added.

"I have been to both German clubs and also Arsenal, but the best impression was left on me by Chelsea.

"People say that Arsenal are famous for their academy, but from what I could see during my days at Chelsea, that really impressed me.

"Even my dad thought of Chelsea as the best option. Moreover, I have been a Chelsea fan since I was a little kid.

"I am convinced I have made the right decision by joining Chelsea. After all, by this I am making my dream come true."

Olympique Marseille Pursuing Audacious Move For Chelsea Star Didier Drogba

Olympique Marseille remain interested in tempting Didier Drogba away from Chelsea and back to Ligue 1, according to a report from France Football.

The French outfit apparently contacted the Ivorian a few weeks ago, but at that stage it looked like his wage demands would prove prohibitive.

However, OM are trying to reduce their wage bill and trim their squad, which may create room in the budget for Drogba.

The striker, 32, knows that the Blues are looking for a new, younger centre-forward and Marseille might offer him a longer contract on slightly lower wages, similar to the strategy employed by Paris Saint-Germain when they snapped up Claude Makelele.

The move is at present on ice, according to the report, although Drogba remains on Marseille's shortlist, with the French club believing a fee of around £12.5 million (€15m) could be enough to snare the striker.

France's Nicolas Anelka Refuses To Apologise About Player Strike

Nicolas Anelka has refused to apologise for his role in the players’ strike that undermined France’s World Cup campaign.

Anelka was sent home from the World Cup after a verbal confrontation with manager Raymond Domenech during France's 2-0 defeat to Mexico.

The rest of the squad subsequently refused to train in protest at Anelka's expulsion and finished their campaign bottom of Group A with just one point and one goal to their credit.

There were calls in France for Anelka to be banned from representing his country for the rest of his career, though new coach Laurent Blanc has since hinted the door may still be open for a return.

However, last night Anelka insisted the atmosphere inside the France camp at the World Cup was like a time bomb.

“If it hadn’t been me that brought it to a head, someone else would. It was waiting to happen," Anelka said.

"Everyone, and I really mean everyone, was as one. If there were some players who wanted to train, let them speak now. But I’m 100 per cent sure that nobody will want to.”

Anelka’s France team-mate Jeremy Toulalan publicly attacked Domenech’s methods at the time and recently admitted he played a direct role in the training ground boycott.

"I'm not proud of what I did but I accept responsibility," Toulalan said.

"There were no ringleaders and no slaves, no good guys and no bad guys. We were all involved and we are all responsible because nobody said a word [against the boycott]. Whoever says otherwise is a liar”.

Profiling The Future - Jeffrey Bruma

Bruma signed for Chelsea from Feyenoord aged 15 for a paltry £100,000. His skills were evident even then as he plied his trade in their youth setup having appeared for their B team aged only 14.

Youth Coach Mario Been was devastated at the loss stating:

'I am not happy that the board has let him go, I expressed his importance to the future of Feyenoord to the board. He was the jewel of our setup, but it is not my decision.'

Joining Chelsea at this tender age, he had little problems adapting to the friendly environment at Cobham. He began the 2007/08 season admirably and aged just 16 he managed to make a place in the reserves set-up.

He played in almost every game for the Youth team and made 3 appearances for the reserves.

In the 2008/09 season Bruma was involved in every game in our run to the Youth Cup Final defeat scoring 2 headed goals en route to the final. He made further reserve appearances and his form was so impressive that having barely turned 17 he was called up to the Holland U-21 team.

He has been selected to start for almost every game since. 2009/10 was the breakthrough year for Bruma as much as it was for all the other youngsters. The arrival of Carletto, saw him get his chance to impress with the first team... perhaps in his case, more deserving than any other youngster in the squad.

In a team with amazing defenders of the likes of Carvalho, Terry, Ivanovic and Alex, Bruma was still able to stake a claim for himself as he made 2 league appearances for the blues, helping them keep clean sheets against both Wolves and Blackburn in 40 minute spells.

He played in the Carling Cup exit to Blackburn as well, coming on as a substitute for Belletti. The management were very impressed by his performances in each. Meanwhile, he was also taking part in the Youth campaign. He played in almost all games in the FA Youth Cup triumph and scored in the Final first leg at Villa Park.

Bruma has not been in the game very long but he has all the qualities to be one of the best defenders of the coming era and if he continues to improve at this rate.... even the best. His qualities being showcased at such an age suggest that if Chelsea can hang on to this one and nurture him that £100,000 spent can be increased at least 500 times in value.

Alex: Back Among Young

At 28 years of age Alex is all set to be the old man at the heart of the Chelsea defence when the pre-season games kick off tomorrow at Selhurst Park.

John Terry, Ashley Cole, Ricardo Carvalho, Paulo Ferreira and Branislav Ivanovic are all yet to return to training following World Cup action and Jose Bosingwa has yet to rejoin full training.

He is in the final stages of recovery from knee surgery so the likes of Michael Mancienne, Sam Hutchinson, Jeffrey Bruma, Patrick van Aanholt and Ryan Bertrand come into the frame for defensive positions alongside the Brazilian for the match at Crystal Palace.

Several possible combinations have been worked upon in training Alex reports.

'It is good to start the pre-season games after two weeks everyday with training,' he tells the Official Chelsea Website.

'We start with what I think is a difficult game and we don't have many of the other players here yet, but we have a good group with the reserve team coming in to play a part and it is important to win the first game of pre-season.

'It is good for us in training games because the young players never stop running,' he smiles. 'They are always up and down the pitch and it is good for your condition. You always have to pay attention.

'It has been good working together with players like Jeffrey and Michael Mancienne who are sometimes also as left back and right back.'

Alex as much as anyone is pleased to have joined the preparations from day one having seen this stage disrupted by injury the last two years.

'When I arrived here two weeks ago the doctors spent one training session with me in the morning but I felt good and I trained normally. I had a problem the last two pre-seasons but this season it's very good.

The Future In France

The international football continues to come thick and fast as this weekend Chelsea youngsters embark on their pursuit of the Uefa Under-19 championship in northern France.

After coming through two rounds of qualifying, Gael Kakuta (France), Fabio Borini and Jacopo Sala (Italy), Jacob Mellis (England), plus Matej Delac (Croatia) who has signed a pre-contract agreement to join Chelsea, will all be monitored closely by sporting director Frank Arnesen and our Academy staff.

Their involvement follows off the back of having 12 senior internationals representing us at the World Cup in South Africa, a number that would have been higher but for injuries, and England's success at the Under 17 European Championship, in which Josh McEachran and schoolboy Nathaniel Chalobah featured.

'In the last few years we have increased our number of players on the international level very much, and for the Academy last season was fantastic, two players as Under 17 champions, and now players in different teams battling for the Under 19 title in Europe,' says Arnesen.

'These are very important players in their own teams - Mellis has done very well for England, at one stage he played four games and scored in all four. Then we have Borini, the captain of Italy, and Sala, the vice-captain, which is very good.

'If you take Borini, he has already played at Under 21, which is unusual at his age in Italian football. Then we have the host of the tournament, France, and Kakuta. He is one of the most exciting players at this level, he proved that at Under 17 when they lost the Final to Spain.'

Goalkeeper Delac has been a regular in the first team at Croatian side Inter Zapresic for over a year, and has signed a pre-contract agreement so he is due to arrive at Stamford Bridge next season.

'He is not so well known and it will be very good to see him at that level, he has a lot of experience, he has played one-and-a-half years of senior football in Croatia, and is looking good,' Arnesen explains.

'Holland is also qualified but haven't taken Jeffrey Bruma, because the Dutch thinking is that he is already playing regularly at Under 21, he has passed that stage and moved up, so it could have been more players, a fantastic achievement for us I think.'
The former Denmark international goes on to add that for the club it is no problem to release young players at this time of year rather than the busier periods during the calendar.

'It is very awkward if Fifa and Uefa arrange championships during the season, it is very poor because everyone knows players are already playing at the highest level, so they have to consider that clubs will withdraw them, but this is a good time to do it.

'We think it is a good experience for them. July is a good month, they have had their holidays, they can play the tournament and hopefully one of our guys will win.'

On Sunday England play Austria, France play Netherlands, Croatia play Spain and Italy take on Portugal.

Fans Take To Pitch At Cobham

Chelsea fans from around the world descended on the Cobham training ground to participate in the third annual supporters' tournament.

Teams made up from supporters groups across the UK and beyond competed in the largest tournament yet, featuring 11 sides, all battling it out to win the top prize.

With former Chelsea stars Clive Walker, Colin Pates, Gareth Hall and Steve Finnieston on hand to get involved with the teams, soak up the atmosphere and even join in with a spot of refereeing, and with some gloriously sunny weather, the stage was set for a fantastic contest and we were not disappointed.

With the teams being split into two groups and the top two sides progressing to the final and plate trophy respectively, competition was fierce and tackles were soon sliding in with enthusiasm.

The day kicked off in Group A with the Powerday cfcuk team roaring out of the traps with a 3-0 victory over the travelling men and women of Chelsea Italia, who had flown in specifically for the tournament.

Elsewhere CFC Net and the Chelsea Staff side edged out a narrow 0-0 draw. In Group B the goals came thick and fast with Chelsea Supporters Group defeating the KR Swingers 4-1 and Bucks Chelsea handing out an 8-0 drubbing to Vital Chelsea.

All the players from all sides gave a great account of themselves, leaving everything on the pitch whilst keeping up the buoyant atmosphere at the training ground, despite many tired legs and sunburned faces. A special mention to the staff of St John's Ambulance, who were on hand throughout the day, dealing with players' niggles, injuries and strains.

Alongside the football on display, it was an opportunity for many Chelsea fans, young and old to get together, share stories from the terraces and show their excitement and anticipation of the season to come.

Darren Mantle of cfcnet.co.uk shares his thoughts on the day: 'The tournament was really well run and it was good to play against other Chelsea fans, the turnout was fantastic and it was a nice touch having some Chelsea old boys there too.'

After a series of hard fought games, the group stages ended with Powerday cfcuk topping Group A on goal difference by a single goal over the unlucky Blue and White Army, whilst Chelsea Supporters Group ran out as comfortable winners of Group B with Bucks Chelsea finishing second.

With anticipation for the final building, fans and supporters enjoyed food and drinks from the Chelsea Wagon and gathered to watch Blue and White Army take on Bucks Chelsea for the Plate Trophy. An enthralling contest finished up with Bucks Chelsea as winners by a score of two goals to nil.

So to the final and in an engaging and thoroughly entertaining end to the tournament, Powerday cfcuk emerged as deserved champions after a 4-1 victory over the battle weary Chelsea Supporters Group.

In addition to all of the action, a raffle was held to raise funds and awareness for the outstanding work that Help a London Child do, and over £200 was donated to the charity.

Overall the day was a resounding success and the event organizer, Cliff Auger, had praise for the victors, whilst looking ahead to next year.

'Peter Trenter and I were once again entrusted with organizing the Chelsea Supporters' Tournament and the day went very well and largely without any major mishaps. It obviously takes a lot of hard work but the club has been wonderful with their help and support.

'Congratulations to the two competition winners, Powerday cfcuk and Bucks Chelsea and we look forward to next year and to an event that is becoming firmly established in the Chelsea calendar.'

Chelsea Unconcerned About Rumours Of Real Madrid Move For Ashley Cole

Chelsea believe they are well positioned to resist interest in Ashley Cole from Real Madrid, even if the England defender decides he wants a new challenge abroad.

Cole's displeasure at the intense media focus on his private life in England has raised hopes in Madrid that a deal is possible this summer, with Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas saying he was "confident" that a deal could be done that would reunite the defender with former boss Jose Mourinho.

Chelsea, though, have had no indication from Cole that he wants to leave, and manager Carlo Ancelotti still regards the England left-back as integral to his plans for next season.

Cole signed a new four-year contract only last September, although the interest from Madrid could still be used to negotiate improved terms.

The 29 year-old has been on holiday in the United States and, as is the case with all the Chelsea players who were eliminated in the knockout phase of the World Cup, is not due back for pre-season training until July 26.

Captain John Terry, however, decided to return to the club's Cobham training base this week to begin working on his fitness.

Michael Essien and John Obi Mikel, who both missed the World Cup with knee injuries, have also resumed their pre-season and there is confidence that they will both be available for the start of the Premier League season against West Bromwich Albion on Aug 14.

The return of Essien, in particular, would be a major boost after he missed the entire second half of last season and eventually required surgery to correct ligament damage.

"There should be no problem whatsoever," said Ray Wilkins, the Chelsea assistant manager. "Mikel is slightly in advance of Michael Essien but they are both working very well indeed."

Wilkins also stressed the importance of carefully managing the pre-season schedule of the nine Chelsea players who did play in the World Cup in South Africa.

"Normally after a World Cup, you find with those players who come back from it, it is about December when they seem to hit a wall," he said. Chelsea play their first pre-season match of the summer against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

Chelsea Set T Sbmit £25m Ofer Fr Inter Sriker Mario Balotelli

Chelsea are ready to submit a €30 million (£25m) bid for Inter striker Mario Balotelli, according to internews.it.

The teenager, already reportedly the envy of both Manchester United and Manchester City is also wanted by the London club. The mega-bid comes just days after Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti said he would like to coach the player.

Balotelli's future at Inter has been up in the air after several disciplinary problems last season and the player recently dropped out of the Italian Players' Association (AIC). However, new boss Rafael Benitez recently suggested that the 19-year-old was important to the club.

Considered one of the best prospects in world football, it's unlikely that Balotelli will be sold on the cheap if indeed he leaves the Giuseppe Meazza. He has an impressive record of 20 goals in 59 appearances during his first three seasons in Serie A.

After featuring for the Italian Under-21 team over the past several months, there are also suggestions he could be in line for a call-up to the senior national side under new coach Cesare Prandelli.

Ramires Eyes 'Dream' Chelsea Switch

Highly-rated Brazil international Ramires insists it would be a "dream" to play for Chelsea, Barcelona or Real Madrid.

The 23-year-old's agent revealed earlier this month that the Blues and Bayern Munich had spoken to Benfica over a deal for the midfielder.

Ramires says he isn't surprised by interest in his signature and hopes to play for one of Europe's biggest clubs.

"My agent has told me that a number of clubs are interested in signing me, but this didn't surprise me," he told Record.

"We all know that the World Cup is the perfect stage to prove your worth.

"One good game could be enough to attract the interest of a big club. I don't know the names of the clubs that are after me, but it would be a dream for me to play for a big club such as Barcelona, Real Madrid or Chelsea."

Werder Bremen Admit They Could Sell Germany Star Mesut Oezil

Werder Bremen have admitted that they could yet sell Mesut Oezil this summer, despite previously ruling out any transfer.

Clubs such as Real Madrid, Chelsea and Juventus are all closely monitoring the situation of the playmaker, following his superb performances for Germany at the 2010 World Cup.

The Bundesliga outfit had made it clear that they were determined to hold on to their star player, by stating that Oezil was not for sale at any price. However, general director Klaus Allofs has now seemingly had second thoughts, revealing that the 21-year-old could leave the Hanseaten after all.

"We're keen to hold on to Mesut for a couple more seasons and we want him to sign a new deal with us," Allofs was quoted as saying by Bild.

"However, if that turns out to be impossible, we might have to look at other solutions."

Oezil's current contract with Werder runs until June 2011, but the Bundesliga outfit could cash in on the gifted midfielder this summer if an offer in the region of £17 million comes in.

Lukaku Set To Snub Chelsea Switch

Belgian wonderkid Romelu Lukaku has been strongly tipped to join the Ancelotti revolution at Stamford Bridge this summer, since it emerged that Didier Drogba had called the Anderlecht teenager earlier this week.

What FIFA will make of Drogba’s comments in light of Chelsea’s recently overturned transfer ban, imposed originally due to the ‘tapping up’ of french winger Gael Kakuta, remains to be seen. Any chance of a transfer, however, has seemingly been scuppered by Lukaku’s father Roger, who is also his agent.

He has stated that 17 year old Lukaku will stay at the Constant Vanden Stock Stadion until he is 18, by which time he will have completed his final school exams, a stance revealed by Anderlecht’s General Manager Herman Van Holsbeech.

A move to Chelsea must have been tempting; Lukaku’s father had reportedly been offered ‘help settling in the area’ and employment, and Lukaku himself the chance of playing alongside his idol Drogba in a title winning side, in addition to a considerable financial package. Lukaku is also known to be a Chelsea fan, having been pictured wearing the clubs strip in the Chelsea conference room.

Nonetheless, it now seems that any transfer will have to wait another 12 months, by which time 6ft 4in Lukaku will have spearheaded Anderlecht’s Champions League campaign and potentially added millions of pounds to an already hefty £10m price tag.

Porto Determined To Cash In On £15m Rated Chelsea Target Raul Meireles

Porto are reportedly determined to flog star midfielder Raul Meireles to the highest bidder, with Manchester United and Chelsea interested in securing his signature.

Meireles, 27, was one of the bright spots of Portugal's World Cup 2010 campaign and is rated as one of the best ball winners in European football.

With an eye for goal to boot, the £15 million-rated player has been linked with Real Madrid as well as the Premier League duo.

According to O Bola, Porto have virtually transfer listed the player as they look to cash in on his exploits in South Africa.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is understood to see Meireles as a replacement for injury plagued battler Owen Hargreaves, who has suffered yet another set back in his bid to overcome a chronic tendonitis problem in his knees.

Belletti Agrees Terms With Fluminese

Former Brazil international Juliano Belletti has agreed terms with Fluminense in his homeland after being released by Chelsea at the end of last season.

The 34-year-old is set to sign a two-year deal with the Rio de Janeiro-based club if he passes a medical later this week.

Belletti moved to Stamford Bridge from Barcelona three years ago and went on to score five goals in 94 appearances for the west London outfit.

He started his career at Cruzeiro before moving on to Sao Paulo, Atletico Mineiro and then Villarreal.

Belletti spent one season with the Yellow Submarine before joining Barca in the summer of 2004 and went on to feature in 91 matches for the Catalan giants.

He was one of three players to be released by Chelsea at the end of last season. Michael Ballack has already joined Bayer Leverkusen while Joe Cole is still without a club.

Fiorentina's Adrian Mutu Will Not Give In To Chelsea

Adrian Mutu is adamant that he will not give in to Chelsea's demands over his proposed ban as a result of debts and the Romanian will not allow the Premier League champions' pressure affect him when his season begins, according to violanews.

The Fiorentina man's ban for testing positive for banned substances will finish at the end of October and the striker is keen to start his season for the Viola.

An on-going trial is looking at the possibility of wage reductions to allow Chelsea to be compensated the claimed €17 million that the London club believe they are owed. If a decision fails to be made final, the hearing will then go to an arbitration panel. The player pleaded his defence last month but it could be a long wait to find out whether FIFA will look into a possible ban.

Profiling The Future - Nemanja Matic

Matic was signed by Chelsea in the summer of 2009 for a reported fee of £1.5million from Slovakian club MFK Kosice. The 6 foot 5 inch midfielder was courted by Tottenham, Middlesbrough, Bayern Munich and Valencia before he agreed to join us.

Having started his career at Serbian side Kolubara Lazarevac, he became their youngest ever debutant aged 15 years and 11 months. He went on to play 3 seasons for them making an impressive 19 appearances with 1 goal to his name (coming in a friendly) and 1 assist.

His contributions saw Kosice gain interest and in his 2 years with them he made 67 appearances with 4 goals and 12 assists to his name. He was truly their midfield general, sitting deep, making perfect passes to open up play and running in to link up with attack on occasions.

Having impressed a great deal with his playing style, it was no surprise that he found himself at Stamford Bridge for the 2009/10 season. He was drafted into the reserve team, hoping that with his performances would merit a place in the first 11.

For the reserves Matic made 10 appearances with a goal to his name, a beautiful effort against Arsenal reserves. So far it stands as his only goal in any Chelsea shirt. He also had 2 assists to his name.

The reserves team had a lot more fluency whenever he was on the pitch, with Reserves manager Steve Holland describing his importance to the side after a 4-1 win over the reserve Hammers:

'Matic is quite a talent already, his passing won us the game today.'

Matic made his Premier League debut for us in a 4-0 win over Wolves after replacing Malouda for the last 20 minutes. He was impressive on the day and involved in some good attacking play at the end.

His only other appearance was in the 8-0 against Wigan also after 70 minutes as he continued where Ballack left off in helping with 3 more goals for the blues. He was also involved in the 5-0 demolition of Watford in the FA Cup. Sadly, injuries on a consistent basis meant that these were his only appearances.

Internationally Matic has represented Serbia at both U-19 and U-21 level, even making it into the final 30 of Serbia's World Cup list. His exclusion from the final 23 was inevitable as he was in direct competition with quality players like Kacar, Kuzmanovic and Stankovic in his position.

He has made 10 appearances at junior level with 2 goals in his first three games as well as 4 assists overall. For Serbia's national team he has 2 appearances to date. While compared to our last two profiles Matic seems an unattractive option, he is probably the most crucial and maybe even the likeliest to take his chance.

The void of the legendary Ballack is great but if anyone can fill it, it's Matic. His slow progress has mainly been down to injury problems. If he can overcome that, Ancelotti will have at his disposal a player similar in nature to Pirlo but with a more imposing physique.

A bit of hard work and Matic could be the answer to many questions posed by the loyal blue supporters.

Iker Casillas Confident Chelsea Left-Back Ashley Cole Will Make Move To Real Madrid

Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole is close to securing a £30 million move to Real Madrid, according to the Spanish club's goalkeeper, Iker Casillas.

Cole was one of Chelsea's outstanding performers last season, helping the club to a Premier League and FA Cup double, but has reportedly grown disillusioned with English football.

Cole has become a public hate figure since he was caught cheating on his wife, Cheryl, last year and is eager for a move abroad.

And Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas believes a £30m transfer to the Bernabeu may be imminent.

"From what I am hearing the signs look good," Casillas said to the Sun.

"I have only briefly spoken to people at the club but I am confident that he can be a Real Madrid player next year. I think it will be the right move for him both professionally and personally.

"A clean break from England is hopefully something he is very interested in."

If Cole does join Real Madrid, it will see him reunite with his former Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho, who brought him to Stamford Bridge from Arsenal in an acrimonious transfer saga four years ago.

"It will be his last big contract and who better to sign for than his old coach Mourinho at Real," Casillas added.

"He will know better than anybody this club will be successful under Jose. Jose has proved he buys players and makes them the very best in the world in their position.

"With Ashley he doesn't need to do that because he's already the best left-back in the world. Jose knows all about him and it comes as no surprise to me he is very much on Madrid's radar."

Paris St. Germain President Hopeful Of Keeping Arsenal And Chelsea Target Stephane Sessegnon

Paris St. Germain president Robin Leproux is convinced Arsenal and Chelsea target Stephane Sessegnon would enjoy a "magical season" if he stayed at the club.

Sessegnon, 26, has been linked with a switch to the Premier League duo after he stated his wish to leave the capital club this summer. The midfield schemer has been in impressive form since joining from Le Mans two years ago and has grabbed eight goals in 63 Ligue 1 appearances.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is understood to see the £10 million-rated star as a replacement for Cesc Fabregas, while Carlo Ancelotti wants to add some creativity to his team. With Tottenham Hotspur and Everton also interested, the Benin international is not short of English suitors.

Speaking to RMC radio, however, Leproux was optimistic Sessegnon would spurn a transfer.

"I spoke to Stephane before the holidays," Leproux said.

"He is a great player, he has fantastic qualities and makes fans dream on the field.

"He is capable of a magic season for us and I told him that. We know we can count on him."

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."