Chelsea Do Not Need A Star Signing To Be Favourites For The Big Prizes Again

Carlo Ancelotti is a man of his word. Back in April, when Chelsea were still greedily eyeing the Premier League and FA Cup trophies, the coach told the world that rather than going on the sort of transfer rampage that characterized the early part of the Roman Abramovich era, he would merely be tweaking his existing squad by inducting a handful of young players.

He believed in his existing players back then, pre-Double win, and he was proved right. Many worried that the Italian would struggle to impose himself in the transfer market at Stamford Bridge, having employed a relatively hands-off approach in his previous post at Milan and having been constricted by Silvio Berlusconi's belt-tightening. Yet few considered that he might not actually need to invest.

Chelsea, popular wisdom had decreed, were a ticking time bomb with the lynchpins at the heart of the squad - Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, John Terry - growing old together and demanding imminent replacement. The Premier League, popularized worldwide by its frenetic pace & energy, is a more age-obsessed arena than most, and ever since the early days of Jose Mourinho, the Blues have been defined by their ability to grind down and overpower opposition.

That Drogba and Lampard, both 32, drove Chelsea to silverware last season has forced a reassessment of previously undisputed truths. Here were two 30-somethings who weren't just hanging in there but augmenting their already sky-high standards. Both enjoyed career-high goalscoring seasons (29 and 22 Premier League goals respectively) to top it off.

In this context, Ancelotti's reluctance to make big changes is unsurprising. He put his faith in stability, in the tried and tested, while at San Siro, and has a better, leaner, more hungry set of players now than he did in his final years in Serie A.

The parallels between the coach's transfer market approach in Italy and England are hard to ignore. It is hard to believe that the powers that be at Stamford Bridge were not attracted by Ancelotti's ability to regalvanise and motivate existing, heavily-decorated players. As a club, Chelsea have talked about their aim to be self-sufficient for several years, but because their first two Premier League titles were inextricably linked to large-scale spending, many found it hard to take seriously.

The Blues' image as a ruthless money machine (and a plentiful source of transfer speculation for media) will not go away. A huge list of names were linked post-season - David Villa, Sergio Aguero, David Silva, Franck Ribery - but the club let it be known that they were not prepared to do business at 'above the market rate.' In other words, they wouldn't be competing with Manchester City and would only do business for big names at relative bargain prices.

Ancelotti and the board know well that to improve such a stellar squad is a mightily expensive business. Yury Zhirkov, a relatively low-profile arrival, set them back £18 million last summer, and a similar figure will be spent on Brazilian midfielder Ramires in the days to come.

Ramires is a very 'Chelsea type' of player, certainly more so than the likes of Kaka or even Ribery. The 23-year-old hardly leaves a trail of stardust in his wake, but will be greatly appreciated at Stamford Bridge; an unflashy, dedicated performer who relentlessly eats up the turf in midfield. The other arrival, Yossi Benayoun - an experienced, industrious Premier League player - is similarly a typical signing.

With the Premier League's newly-introduced 25-member squad rule (of which eight must be 'home-grown,' or have been at the club for three whole seasons leading up to their 21st birthdays) a coach of Carletto's sobriety is a boon. He made it clear that he considers the five or so academy players that he will promote to the first-team squad this season as his new signings. Having seen one of them, Gael Kakuta, dominate with such elan at the recent European Under-19 Championships, it's difficult to argue.

Contextually, Chelsea are in a good position to play it low-key, as reigning champions and with funds tight at Manchester United, Liverpool and (as always) Arsenal too. The great dichotomy of the Blues' 21st century success has been their nouveau riche image set against their industry and collective strength. Ancelotti is too shrewd to remove the foundations on which that success has been built.

Benayoun The Blue

Yossi Benayoun believes he's at the perfect age to join Chelsea, although he expects to be part of a rotation system initially.

The 30-year-old, who signed from Liverpool this summer, knows the competition he'll face to break into the first team but is looking forward to the challenge.

'It's the perfect age to be at a big club,' explained the Israeli international. 'Let's not forget that for the last three years I have been at a big club.

'I have left a big club, I have come to a big club, so for me it is the same and I believe I can prove myself here.'

Benayoun, who captains his national side, is certainly experienced in the workings of the Barclays Premier League, having worn the colours of West Ham before heading north to Liverpool.

During his career he's played in several roles, which is why he's ready to work for a place no matter what position he may end up.

'I will play in any system,' explained our new number 10. 'I will try to do my best and be involved in the team.

'If I am not then I will try harder and prove myself, because there are enough big players here to play any system. I just want to be on the pitch, anywhere.

'I am intelligent enough to understand this is a big club and you can sit on the bench. There is a big squad with a lot of players but I have a lot of patience.

'At Liverpool I was sat on the bench a lot but when I had the chance I proved myself and deserved to play. This is my ambition here also.'

It's been over eight years since Benayoun last won a trophy, following consecutive league titles with Maccabi Haifa back in Israel under the guidance of Avram Grant.

It may seem like a long time without silverware, but the midfielder's proud of his achievements.

'I am happy with my career, to play for Liverpool for three years and come to Chelsea, not many players can say this and I am proud.

'I hadn't played for big clubs until I went to Liverpool, although I almost won the FA Cup with West Ham,' he added before revealing the relationship he still has with the former Chelsea manager, a man who offered some invaluable advice before Benayoun joined the Blues.

'Avram gave me a few tips,' he said. 'He told me to come with confidence and patience and believe I am good enough, so I just need to work hard and prove it.'

Philliskirk Makes Loan Move

Oxford manager Chris Wilder has boosted his attacking options by bringing in Chelsea youngster Danny Philliskirk on loan.

The 19-year-old will spend a month at the League Two side and is likely to be given a run-out in Monday's pre-season friendly against Banbury United.

Philliskirk - who can play as a second striker or in midfield - started his career at Oldham before then Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho took him to Stamford Bridge for an undisclosed fee.

Wilder feels the former England Under-17 international will be a useful addition to the ranks and told the club's official website: "He's a young prospect I saw at Oldham as a kid and then Chelsea bought him for quite big money.

"It comes to a stage at 19 where he maybe needs to go and get involved with a senior club. He is a young boy but I think maybe people underestimate the level we are playing at now.

"We felt we needed an extra body in and he will benefit from the time here. Chelsea play three up front so he is used to playing in that. If he does well then he has a great opportunity here."

Ian Holloway Wants To Be Reunited With Chelsea Striker Scott Sinclair

Premier League new boys Blackpool are stepping up their efforts to sign Chelsea forward Scott Sinclair.

Championship duo Ipswich and Swansea have also made enquiries about the 21-year-old who has been at Stamford Bridge for five years but made just one top-flight start.

Sinclair was on loan at Wigan last season, making 22 first-team appearances but only five in the starting line-up.

The previous season he was at Birmingham and he has also been loaned to Crystal Palace, Charlton, QPR and Plymouth, where current Blackpool boss Ian Holloway was manager at the time.

Holloway, who also tried to sign Sinclair in February 2008 when he was in charge at Leicester, has been quiet in the transfer market since the Tangerines won promotion.

But he is hoping the fact that he has worked with Sinclair previously will help him to complete a deal in time for the big kick-off on Saturday week.

Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers also knows Sinclair well from his time as Chelsea's reserve team boss.

Bath-born Sinclair made his debut at the age of 15 for first club Bristol Rovers and played just one more game before he was sold to the Blues in July 2005.
Ipswich boss Roy Keane sees Sinclair as the ideal player to add pace and power to the Tractor Boys' lightweight attack.

But the lure of playing in the Premier League for a manager he knows well makes Blackpool overwhelming favourites for his signature.

Another reason why he is likely to prefer to relocate to the north west is that his girlfriend, Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan, is based there.

Ramires Set For Stamford Bridge Medical

Chelsea's ongoing bid to sign Brazilian midfielder Ramires for around £18 million is edging ever closer as he is set to undergo a medical at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

Ramires, who played at the 2010 World Cup, claimed in July that Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti was trying to sign him and a four-year deal is reported to be in the pipeline.

However, earlier on Tuesday it was claimed that a third party holds 50% ownership of the player and that the issue was delaying the transfer as the investors want the maximum return on their asset. It is also against Premier League rules for any third party to retain an interest in a player.

"There is nothing yet," Benfica president Luis Filipe Vieira was quoted as saying. "But Ramires staying doesn't depend solely on us. There is a partnership and we must respect that. If there is a good proposal, we will do everything we can to make it work for us. We are prepared for everything and have options to fill all the positions to make sure we strengthen."

Ancelotti is eager to add Ramires to his squad after releasing both Michael Ballack and Joe Cole in the summer.

Benfica Admit They Can Do Little To Keep Chelsea Target Ramires

Midfielder Ramires looks more and more likely to sign for Chelsea with Benfica admitting that they don’t wholly control the destiny of the Brazilian.

World Cup star Ramires claimed at the end of July that Carlo Ancelotti's Premier League champions had bid for his services. Ramires could be an ideal replacement for both Michael Ballack and Joe Cole after the pair left Chelsea.

The 23-year-old missed Benfica's friendly win over Aston Villa on Sunday as talks continued, with the Portuguese side admitting they only have a minimal say in his future after selling 80 per cent third-party ownership to several investors.

Club president Luis Felipe Vieira is quoted as saying in The Sun, "Ramires staying at Benfica does not depend solely on us. There is a partnership and we must respect it.

"If there is a good proposal we will do everything we can to make it work for us. We are prepared for all eventualities and have options to fill all the positions."

Ramires said earlier in July that he had set his heart on a 'dream' move to Chelsea, Barcelona or Real Madrid.

Drogba Could Play In Community Shield

Didier Drogba has given Chelsea a major Community Shield boost by coming through his first full training session.

The Ivory Coast striker had been expected to miss the start of the new season after finally undergoing his long-delayed groin surgery 10 days ago.

But Drogba has made huge progress and was able to take part in a full work-out with Carlo Ancelotti's squad in Frankfurt.

Drogba is now poised to play a part in tomorrow's friendly with Hamburg and if he emerges unscathed is set to lead the Chelsea line at Wembley on Sunday.

Ancelotti said: "Didier could play against Hamburg. He is healing very quickly."

No Guarantees For Man City - Kalou

Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou has warned Manchester City that their summer spending spree will not guarantee them the Barclays Premier League title.

City boss Roberto Mancini has spent over £70million on signing Yaya Toure, Jerome Boateng, Alexander Kolarov and David Silva as he looks to wrest the league title from the Chelsea. Kalou admits he expects City to improve on their fifth place last season, but insists their new arrivals will take time to gel into a team capable of winning the championship.

"It doesn't mean because you bring in 10 new players that you will be top of the table," the 24-year-old said on chelseafc.com. "There are teams like Man United, Chelsea and Arsenal who will always be near the top."

He added: "Manchester City will do great because they have brought some good players in but at the end of the day it's what happens on the pitch, and having new players doesn't guarantee a win."

Benayoun: Enjoying Everyday

Yossi Benayoun believes he is settling well into life as a Chelsea player, and hopes to quickly prove his worth on the pitch.

The Israeli international is in Germany with the rest of the squad at present, and has already sung his initiation song, a rapidly-heckled version of Liverpool anthem You'll Never Walk Alone before switching into Hebrew.

Speaking after training on Tuesday, Benayoun outlined his desire to show his abilities in our final friendly against Hamburg on Wednesday evening.

'I feel very good. From the first moment they gave me a good feeling like I am already a long time here,' he said, speaking of his new team-mates. 'I am enjoying every day and getting closer to everyone. I am sure I will have a great time here and hopefully we will be successful.'

The 30-year-old made his Chelsea bow against Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday, with a promising 45-minute display. He hopes to be fully operational shortly.

'I trained with the team for the first few days but had an injury with my groin, so I was resting for a week and came back only a few days ago to train. I am sure soon I will be fit enough.'

Benayoun arrives to take the number 10 jersey, made available following Joe Cole's departure and subsequent arrival at our new man's former club, Liverpool. Despite their similar playing styles, Benayoun is hopeful that obvious comparisons are not drawn.

'I don't think about it. My favourite number is 15, but it is not available!' he smiled. 'I don't like to compare myself to another player, I come here to do my best and hopefully it will be good enough. Joe is in Liverpool, I wish him the best, I think he is a great player.'

Another Cole, Ashley, is currently being linked with a move away from Chelsea, but with Carlo Ancelotti having insisted the left-back is staying, Benayoun is confident the England man will remain a team-mate.

'It is always like this in clubs, you always want your best players to stay,' he explained. 'The squad is very strong and it is normal there are offers from other teams, but we really hope Ashley will stay because he is a great player.'

Ancelotti also admitted a possibility that Brazilian midfielder Ramires could be heading to Stamford Bridge, though a deal with his club Benfica remains some way off.

'I don't know, I will speak about Ramires when Ramires will be a Chelsea player,' the manager said after Tuesday's training session. 'Until now he is not a Chelsea player, we hope, but until now nothing is decided.'

The Italian is growing closer to having his line-up for tomorrow's game against Hamburg, and Sunday's Community Shield date with Manchester United, sorted in his mind.

'It is my thought to reward the players that start the game against Manchester United and give them more minutes. It is an important game, the last one of pre-season and we want to check our position physically and tactically before the start of the season.

'I think we need to have more time to be fit because we need above all for the players that came back on 26 July it is more difficult to be fit immediately, you have to take your time - a few weeks will be enough to come back to the best condition.'

Temperatures Rise In Training

The squad stayed in Frankfurt on Monday and took part in an intense training session as the sun shone on a warm afternoon.

Following Sunday's 2-1 defeat to Eintracht, the lads were given the morning off to rest before heading back to the Commerzbank Arena complex for a taxing workout on one of the surrounding pitches, joined today by Gael Kakuta who linked up with the squad following his international success with France Under 19s last week.

The first exercise involved three groups, each player having to run out and around a series of poles before running backwards, turning and sprinting to the line, then backwards back out to jump and head a high ball back into the group. If it sounds tough, just imagine what it is like having to do it!

Next up was some ball work, the group split into four teams on two pitches, the sole aim to maintain possession in your confined area.

Carlo Ancelotti then blew his whistle, marking the end of the high-octane possession exercises before beginning two-on-two attack with one group, which also tested his keeper's abilities between the posts. Meanwhile the second group got down to a game of five-a-side under the watchful gaze of Ray Wilkins.

By now there was an audience, made up of adidas competition winners, who watched the world-class players prepare for Wednesday's clash with Hamburg and another Barclays Premier League campaign.

The session also sparked interest from the locals, who lined up alongside the surrounding fences to catch a glimpse of the Blues in practice.

The manager soon incorporated a few more players in a four-on-four session, with one side defending, the other attacking, while Sam Walker performed his duties between the posts.

He was soon replaced by Hilario, whose quick reactions twice denied Didier Drogba from finding the net, before Ross Turnbull took up the position. Drogba completed the full session following an individual post-match workout yesterday.

Once the session was over the players met some of the awaiting fans, signing autographs and posing for pictures before making their way back to the team hotel.

There, 22-year-old defender Michael Mancienne discussed his pre-season progress, having had his first game involvement on Sunday afternoon following a thigh injury.

'To be honest, even though I was injured I was still doing quite a lot of work with the physios and I was already feeling quite fit and now I'm feeling good,' he said.

'It's very important to get the match sharpness and that's what pre-season does. You need to work hard and do things right. So it works well in preparing you for the season ahead.

'We've come out here to get fitness and get ready for the coming season, and so far it has been very good.'

'For me, this is a different experience to last year because we went to America and a lot of people have come back later because of the World Cup, so we're all at different levels of fitness but everyone is slowly getting there, and the young lads like Josh McEachran and Sam Walker have done well too.'

Chelsea 2010/11 Season Preview

Reigning Premier League champions Chelsea will have their eyes on the ultimate prize this season as they look to land the sole trophy to elude them in the Roman Abramovich era – the UEFA Champions League as well as retaining their status as English champions.

Last season

The 2009-10 season proved to be the most successful in the history of Chelsea FC as Carlo Ancelotti led Chelsea to the League and FA Cup double for the first time in his opening season as Head Coach. After a tense season of twists and turns with Manchester United, Chelsea wrapped up the league title on the final day of the season with a top flight record victory, 8-0 over Wigan Athletic to lift the trophy in style. Along the way, Chelsea set a Premier League record for number of goals scored – finding the net an incredible 103 times in the league.

The squad: 2010 summer transfer activity

An accusation levelled at Chelsea for the last few years is that the squad is too old. To combat this, the summer activity at Stamford Bridge has mainly seen experienced players in the twilight of their career leave through the exit door. Michael Ballack, Juliano Belletti, Deco and sadly for most Chelsea fans, Joe Cole, all moved on to pastures new this summer. New arrivals to the club are slim to date, Liverpool’s Yossi Benayoun replacing Anfield-bound Cole for a reported £6.5million the only likely first-team player to join, with future talent 17-year-old centre-back Tomas Kalas joining from Sigma Olomuc.

The Coach/manager

After seeing Avram Grant, Luis Felipe Scolari and Guus Hiddink all fail to satisfy their owners’ taste for trophies since Jose Mourinho’s exit in 2007, Carlo Ancelotti arrived from AC Milan after spending eight years as the head of the Rossoneri. With two Serie A titles and the Champions League title prominent on his CV, the Italian took the helm and led to the Blues to their first Premier League title in three seasons as well as a third FA Cup triumph in the last four years with the swagger and entertainment value so craved by Abramovich. His success in his first season in England should see an end to the revolving door policy to the management position at Stamford Bridge, as the Chelsea fans took the Italian to heart and the ghost of Mourinho finally seemed to be exorcised.

Anchorman: Michael Essien

For many observers as good as a new signing in itself, a fully fit Michael Essien will give Chelsea an extra boost for the season ahead. The Ghanaian’s return to fitness strengthens the Blues midfield, after he missed out on the climax of last season and the World Cup in South Africa. A serious knee injury ensuring he hasn’t played competitively for his club since December. Despite making just 13 league starts last season, Chelsea’s quest for domestic glory wasn’t hampered by Essien’s absence, yet it was the Champions League exit to Inter Milan where the talismanic midfielders’ loss was felt most. With his hard-hitting no-nonsense style of play and possessing a rocket of a shot in his arsenal, Essien’s return to the starting line-up will be an unwelcome one for many opponents this season.

Playmaker: Frank Lampard

Despite enduring a disappointing summer with the English national side at the World Cup, Frank Lampard returns to club football amongst the key players at Stamford Bridge. His consistent record of goal-scoring and assist play over the last five seasons in particular make him top of the team sheet on match-day. Contributing an incredible 27 goals in all competitions last season and now standing at number three in the all time top goalscorers charts for the Blues, Lampard will look to put international frustration behind him by earning silverware at club level again this season.

Hot prospect: Jeffrey Bruma

Excelling as part of Chelsea’s FA Youth Cup winning set-up, 19-year-old Jeffrey Bruma will look to force his way into Ancelotti’s first-team plans this season. On the back of making his Blues debut last season, Bruma, a confident centre back who can cover at right back and strikes a mean set-piece, has been recognized at national level after receiving the call from Netherlands Head Coach Bert Van Marwijk for this month’s international friendly in Kiev against Ukraine. With captain John Terry to learn from on the pitch, Bruma could make big moves this season, especially if Ricardo Carvalho departs to team up with former manager Mourinho at Real Madrid.

2010/11 prediction: Champions

Much of Chelsea’s success may be dependent on the fitness and form of star striker Didier Drogba, but if the Ivorian can produce to close to the frightening return of last season, the Blues will be hard to stop. Drogba banged in a stunning 29 league goals in a Golden Boot winning season as he led Chelsea to the title, supported by Lampard’s 22 goal return with Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda also scoring double figures over the season. Winning the title by a single point in 2009-10, Chelsea owed a lot to their spotless record against their supposed ‘Top 4’ competitors, overcoming Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool at home and away last season. Their rivalry with big-spending Manchester City will be renewed after finishing pointless against City last season.

Carlo Ancelotti Feels Chelsea Better Than Liverpool Even Without UCL Win

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti is desperate to replicate last season's sensational show which saw Chelsea complete the double of Premier League and FA Cup for the first time in their history.

However, following England's dismal run in the WC, Chelsea's English contingents Frank Lampard, John Terry, and Ashley Cole might not have psychologically recovered to face a new challenge. Ancelotti knows the importance of this trio to his side's success in the forthcoming season.

Now Ancelotti has advised his players to put their minds back to the end of last season. And this is what you call living in the past.

Ancelotti, instead of inspiring his players, is trying to take them back to past glories. He feels that last season's taste of success is enough to inspire his team to do the same. The Chelsea boss might want to repeat last season's accomplishments.

But it will take some doing considering the improvements being made at his rival camps.

As part of a cost-cutting strategy Chelsea has been quiet in the summer transfer window. That's not the Chelsea we all know.

Extravagant spending is synonymous to Chelsea; so lack of transfer activities only suggest one thing that Chelsea does fear the proposed UEFA regulations of modulating the cash being splashed by clubs beyond their means.

The departure of Joe Cole from Chelsea underlines the same issue. Chelsea is finally trying to be within their means.

Up till now they were blindly depending on a Russian moneybag to prise their targets away from any club.

However, that had to stop now since the new UEFA rules, once implemented, would make it impossible for Chelsea to compete in the Champions League if they don't cut their costs.

Chelsea is also sweating hard to name the 25-member squad since they currently don't meet the stipulated home-grown quota. There should be 8 home-grown players in the 25-member squad but Chelsea needs three more home-grown players to complete the list.

So are they going to buy? Or are they going to name only 22 players?

If it was the old Chelsea you would straight away affirm that they will buy, buy, and buy to meet any kind of rules and regulations. But not anymore.

The only player linked with Chelsea who has got a realistic chance of completing the move is Ramires. And does he come under that home grown category? No, he doesn't. So it remains to be seen how the double-winning manager is going to sort this one out.

Meanwhile, before signing for Liverpool, the ex-Chelsea midfielder—Joe Cole—declared then that he was going to sign for the biggest club in the country.

If you take Liverpool's achievements in European Champion's League and the number of domestic League titles they won into account, he has a point there.

Although the current plight of Liverpool is awful, they still remain as one of the most successful clubs in England. Who can write off a grand comeback by Liverpool in the most dramatic fashion? Only Ancelotti.

"That is his opinion but I don’t think it is a reality. Liverpool is a fantastic club with a fantastic history and a tradition. But is normal for a player to say things like that when he joins a new club," said Ancelotti referring to Cole's comment that Liverpool is the biggest club in the country.

That was a jibe at Liverpool. He wanted to say Liverpool is nowhere near Chelsea's class but had fallen short with his twisted approach.

Even if Chelsea hasn't won any Champions League titles, Ancelotti feels his Cup and League double in his first season counts more than what Liverpool has achieved over all these years.

His arrogance makes him feel that he has achieved more than what Liverpool did in his debut season.

When other teams are persistently trying to meet the new FA governs, Ancelotti is finding joy in having a go at his rivals.

His prime concern should be Chelsea. But at the moment he seems to be overly concerned about what his rival teams and players have got to say.

In the process he may end up with a 22-man squad.

Ancelotti Rules Out Move For Real Madrid's Kaka

Carlo Ancelotti has again rejected suggestions Real Madrid star Kaka could join Chelsea this summer.

Kaka, 28, left AC Milan for Madrid last summer but, despite high expectations, he struggled for form as injury problems hindered his transition.

Reports have suggested new Madrid boss Jose Mourinho is now willing to cash in on Kaka with Mesut Ozil lined up as a replacement, but Ancelotti has again said Chelsea have no plans to make an approach.

"Kaka cannot come to Chelsea," Ancelotti told Sky Italia. "He was one player of mine and has done so much for Milan, but now he belongs to Real Madrid and he will decide about his future along with his current club.

"Certainly neither I nor Chelsea will do it (decide his future)."

Chelsea Agree Terms With Benfica Over Transfer Of Ramires

Highly rated midfielder Ramires is continually being linked with a move away from Benfica since his good performances for Brazil at the 2010 World Cup, but the reigning Portuguese champions appeared to be reluctant to let go of the 23-year-old.

The Aguias have now apparently changed their mind though, as a report in Record suggests that Benfica have reached an agreement with English powerhouse Chelsea over the transfer of the former Cruzeiro star. The Blues will reportedly pay a fee of €22 million to secure the services of the Brazil international.

Benfica recently sold 50 per cent of the player's rights to an investment group for a fee of €6m, meaning that they will only get €11m from the fee Chelsea pay. However, they only paid a reported €7m fee for Ramires to Cruzeiro a year ago and will thus still make a €10m profit on the young midfielder.

Ramires was left out of Benfica's starting XI in their 4-1 friendly win against Aston Villa on Sunday in order not to take any unnecessary risks with the upcoming transfer in the back of their minds.

Both clubs involved in the transfer have yet to confirm the transfer, but an official statement from Benfica is expected to be released on Tuesday.

Carlo Ancelotti Warns Jose Mourinho Ashley Cole Is Staying Put

Carlo Ancelotti reignited his feud with Jose Mourinho by warning him: You’ve got NO chance of signing Ashley Cole!

The bad blood between the pair spilled over again as Ancelotti told the former Chelsea boss to forget a reunion with the England left-back.

Fresh reports over the weekend suggested that Cole had told Ancelotti he wants to quit Stamford Bridge to join Mourinho at Real Madrid.

But the Italian angrily insisted Mourinho will not be getting his hands on one of his top summer targets.

Ancelotti said: “I’m not interested in the relationship one of my player’s has with other coaches.

“It’s normal that Mourinho has a good relationship with Ashley Cole.

“But nothing has changed our position. He is a Chelsea player and will remain a Chelsea player for the future. There’s no way he will leave.

“We believe he’s the best left-back in the world – and because of this, he will stay at this club.”

Former AC Milan boss Ancelotti and Mourinho have been at each others’ throats since ‘The Special One’ moved to city rivals Inter Milan in 2008.

Cole – together with fellow England World Cup flops John Terry and Frank Lampard – made his first pre-season appearance against Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.

But the Three Lions trio, who played 45 minutes each, could not prevent a 2-1 defeat in Germany. Terry looked a yard off the pace in his first run-out since returning from South Africa. The ex-England skipper and goalkeeper Hilario were responsible for the howler which gifted Patrick Ochs a 25th-minute opener.

Lampard equalized midway through the second half, but Halil Altintop’s late penalty won the game for the Bundesliga side.

The performance of second-choice keeper Hilario will have worried Ancelotti, with No.1 Petr Cech battling to recover from a calf injury in time for the Blues’ Premier League opener against West Brom a week on Saturday.

The Italian tried to sweep Hilario’s poor display under the carpet but is banking on Cech getting fit.

He said: “We have to maintain trust in these goalkeepers and we hope Petr Cech can recover well before the start of the season.”

Didier Drogba will train today ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Hamburg.

The Ivory Coast striker had groin surgery last week, but Ancelotti is hopeful his star striker will play some part on Wednesday.

Match Report: Eintracht Frankfurt 2 - 1 Chelsea

Chelsea suffered a second successive friendly defeat after a late penalty gave our German hosts a narrow victory.

On the balance of play it was perhaps a fair result, though it should be noted that Eintracht Frankfurt are a week ahead of the Blues in their preparations, with the Bundesliga kicking off next weekend.

It was individual slips that cost us, first Hilario made a hash of his clearance and then a shirt pull by Branislav Ivanovic handed our hosts a penalty, either side of substitute Frank Lampard's equaliser.

Results however are not the key factor in these games, and Carlo Ancelotti will have been pleased to see his World Cup players, and a couple of injury victims gaining some minutes on the pitch.

For our third pre-season fixture, the manager was boosted by the presence nine returning World Cup internationals, and the Italian opted to start with six of them.

Also available for the first time was Yossi Benayoun, whose groin injury had eased to allow him a debut, and Yury Zhirkov, who had recovered from his hamstring complaint for a first run out of 2010/11.

It was a hot day in central Germany, made all the more uncomfortable with the presence of the Commerzbank Arena's roof, shadowing a patchy-looking pitch that had hosted two American Football games the day before.

Following the pre-match meet and greets, it was the Blues who started the brighter, Nicolas Anelka squaring across the Eintracht area early on, and Jeffrey Bruma heading Florent Malouda's corner over after the initial cross was cleared behind.

Malouda, Salomon Kalou and Benayoun interlinked well after eight minutes, Kalou shooting high after some inventive touches from his team-mates, and then home goalkeeper Oka Nikolov had to rush from his line to punch clear a through ball from John Terry as Malouda closed in.

Ten minutes later though it was the Germans who were celebrating the game's first goal, as another goalkeeping blunder blighted Chelsea's pre-season campaign. Last week it was Ross Turnbull, today it was Hilario's turn.

With the ball rolling towards the custodian, Terry opted to touch the ball back with a forward bearing down. It seemed to throw the Portuguese goalkeeper who then tried to beat his man, lost possession and the ball ran loose to Patrick Ochs, who made no mistake in looping the ball over into an empty net.

It was a messy little episode for Chelsea in what had otherwise been a reasonably tidy opening, if showing signs of a little rust in the eight who had not previously featured this summer.

Just after the half-hour, Frankfurt's summer signing Theofanis Gekas almost caught Hilario out with an overhead kick after he was afforded space inside the area, but the keeper was alert enough to make the save.

A moment later another hashed clearance was almost punished, but Hilario parried well, first from Gekas and then from Ochs. There was only one side looking like scoring now, and just before the break Amanatidis nearly did, crashing a half-volley just wide.

Eight Chelsea changes followed at half-time, among them Frank Lampard, Branislav Ivanovic and Ricardo Carvalho all getting their first taste of pre-season action, and Michael Mancienne on at right-back, his first Chelsea game after a season with Wolves.

Malouda and Essien, another sub, both came close in the opening exchanges, while Gekas sent another Frankfurt effort just wide.

Chelsea's equaliser came courtesy of Lampard, who had only flown into Frankfurt on Sunday morning after illness.

Patrick Van Aanholt made a surging run down the left, and sending a pass inside which Lampard could only half reach before sub goalkeeper Ralf Fahrmann, who got his legs to the ball but not enough to continue its forward momentum, allowing the midfielder to run on and smash it over the line to level things up.

There followed the type of quiet period that comes with multiple substitutions in a friendly game, but with nine minutes remaining Frankfurt were awarded a penalty after a tug inside the area, and Halil Altintop, smashed it straight down the middle and in.

Two minutes later Chelsea had Carvalho to thank for keeping the deficit down to one, as he prevented Altintop from shooting into an empty net after another Hilario clearance was charged down.

At the other end Fabio Borini beat the offside trap and should have levelled, but goalkeeper Fahrmann stayed big and saved with his legs.

It was to be the last chance of the game, and so it is two straight defeats, but several important returns for Chelsea. Next up is Hamburg on Wednesday before the big one against Manchester United later this week.

Let The Clear Out Begin

Right. As you'll be able to tell from the time this article is published, the Frankfurt friendly has just finished.

I believe it is now time for a few players to say goodbye and move from Chelsea.

Number 1? Hilario.

The only things Hilario did right were make saves after he'd created the chances for Frankfurt himself. It was as if he was saying, 'I need the practice, here you go, I give you ball, shoot.' The sheer arrogance of the player to waste time on goal kicks in the first half and to waste time on clearances which led to goals and chances for the opposition.

Carlo, I expect him gone by the start of the PL. Bring in Delac as the third keeper.

Number 2? Borini.

Some will not agree with me and perhaps its Carlo's fault that he looked awful today but you can't play him as the lone striker. 2 reasons, a) he's not good enough in that role and b) he's not good enough for Chelsea. He might be the captain of Italy U-19s but they were atrocious at the tournament that has just finished. Wasted his opportunity at the end which was an easy sideways pass for Sinclair to score.

And Number 3? Ferreira.

First game back since WC and he looks like he's got even worse. Age is not on his side anymore and we have enough youth coming through to cover for him. Along with Deco we could save some money each week by not having to pay his wages.

Carvalho: More To Come

Ricardo Carvalho came through his first 45 minutes of club football this summer on Sunday, and immediately admitted he was feeling the effects.

The Portuguese defender only returned to training last Monday after three weeks off following his World Cup exploits, where he was one of his country's outstanding performers before their second round elimination by Spain.

Against Eintracht Frankfurt yesterday, he was a half-time substitute as Carlo Ancelotti gave vital game time to each of his nine returning World Cup men. Their afternoon was made harder by a soft pitch that quickly cut up.

Asked afterwards how he was feeling, Carvalho said: 'Good, it has been a hard week with double sessions every day, so it is normal to feel a bit more tired than usual but we are getting fit.

'I think we could play much better but the pitch was a little bit difficult, you could feel it during the game, and we made a mistake with the penalty and they scored, so I think we should have had a draw at least.'

Frankfurt's Bundesliga season commences this coming weekend, and so it is to be expected that they are a yard or so sharper than our boys, whose Premier League campaign begins in 12 days' time against West Bromwich Albion, but Carvalho felt this was not the case in the Commerzbank Arena.

'I am not sure if Frankfurt were fitter, both teams played more or less at the same level, I think we could play better but so could they, and in the end they were a little bit lucky with the penalty,' he explained.

'For us now the next game is on Wednesday, and I look forward to it and improving my condition, and for the team it is time to get results, to start to win and to play better.'

Cole Desperate To Leave Chelsea

Reports suggest Ashley Cole has told Carlo Ancelotti that he is desperate to leave Chelsea and be reunited with former Blues boss Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid.

The 29-year-old England international left-back had a short discussion with Ancelotti about his future when he returned to pre-season training last week.

Cole said after the World Cup that he hated life in England and it is now believed he wants to move abroad following the break-up of his marriage to Cheryl and continued lurid stories about his personal life.

A source close to Chelsea told the News of the World: "It was a very amicable meeting, but Ashley made it clear that because of his personal situation he feels it is in his best interests to leave the club.

"He told Ancelotti that he will be very sad to leave and that it had been a privilege playing for the club during such a successful time in its history.

"Ashley was told that he would have to go and see the chairman, which he hasn't done yet and he has not handed in a formal transfer request.

"He knows Ancelotti wants him to stay, but he feels that moving abroad is the only way he can escape the attention after what happened with Cheryl and the other stories about his private life."

Real are believed to be willing to launch a £25million bid for the former Arsenal star.

Double Boost For Blues

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti expects Didier Drogba and Petr Cech to be fit for the start of the new season.

Drogba was a surprise inclusion in the Chelsea squad for their pre-season trip to Germany just one week after undergoing groin surgery.

The Ivory Coast ace was expected to be sidelined for up to three weeks following the surgery, but although he will not figure in Sunday's clash with Eintracht Frankfurt he could be involved in the midweek game with Hamburg.

Cech, who has been struggling with a calf problem, has not made the trip to Germany, but Ancelotti expects the custodian to be available for next weekend's Community Shield clash with Manchester United.

"He [Drogba] is in good condition, he has recovered well from surgery so he will be able to play the next game [against Hamburg]," Ancelotti told Sky Sports News.

"Yeah it is very good he is doing very well.

"All our squad is improving our condition and I think we will be ready for the start of the season.

"All the players in Germany will play tomorrow maybe only 45 minutes, but against Hamburg I want to put out the line-up that will play against Manchester United.

"Petr Cech is good, I think he will be fit for the game against Manchester United.

"I think that all the players will be fit against Manchester United and only [Jose] Bosingwa needs more time to be fit."

Frank Lampard has not travelled with the squad to Germany because of illness but he will link up later next week, while Daniel Sturridge is missing with a minor ankle problem.

Wigan Athletic In The Clear To Land Franco di Santo

According to reports Wigan Athletic are in pole position to sign Chelsea FC striker Franco di Santo.

The Latics were understood to be battling with Bolton Wanderers and Dutch sides Feyernoord and Twente Enschede for the youngster’s signature.

The Mirror claims Chelsea are reluctant to deal with Bolton Wanderers.

In the last few days Feyenoord chief Leo Beenhakker has revealed he would not be pursuing the Argentine.

Ozil Admits Chelsea Move Would Be A 'Dream'

In demand Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil says it "would be a dream" to play in the Premier League and admitted that the prospect of a move to Chelsea greatly excites him.

Ozil, 21, has attracted the attention of some of Europe's biggest clubs after emerging as one Germany's most impressive performers at the World Cup in South Africa. The Werder Bremen playmaker has just one year left on his contract and would represent excellent value for money for any potential suitors in an otherwise inflated transfer market.

The Bundesliga club appears resigned to cashing in on their star player now, rather than risk losing him on a free transfer next summer, with Chelsea reportedly among the interested parties. And if either of the Premier League giants were to swoop, Ozil believes it would be difficult to turn down a move to England.

"There are four or five clubs in Europe that you would have to say as a player would be a dream to play for," Ozil said in the Daily Star Sunday.

"When you are looking at moving clubs it's impossible not to pay attention to the Premier League and even more impossible not to pay attention to Chelsea.

"I am a winner and, when I am looking for a new club, I simply look at where I can be the most successful and where I can win the most trophies. If you look at the recent history of Chelsea then it's clear that a player can be very successful there.

"Of course clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona are of huge interest and the Premier League's top two clubs are of serious interest to me when the time comes. I am under contract with Werder for another year and it is impossible for me to say if a deal will be done this summer.

"They may decide that they want to keep me for another season or they may decide to sell me this summer so they can get some money for me. That is up to the club."

Kalou Happy To Be Back

Ivorian forward Salomon Kalou is relishing being back at Chelsea following his summer break.

Kalou, who has started his pre-season preparation following three weeks off after the World Cup, joins his team-mates as they travel to Germany on Saturday.

And the 24-year-old, who arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2006, has enjoyed linking back up with his colleagues in training following the Blues' Premier League and FA Cup Double last season.

"We haven't been with the team for two-and-a-half months so you long to come back and catch up with the other players," Kalou told Chelsea's official website.

"After we won the Double we never really got the time to be together so we didn't have the time to enjoy more the winning so it's good to be back with the players."

Kalou believes Chelsea have a squad more than capable of challenging for the Champions League trophy this term as they look to complete their silverware collection.

He added: "I believe that it can be a great season for us again if we can keep everyone fit; we have the team to do better than last year by winning the Champions League because it's very important everyone is hoping that the club win that trophy."

The forward, who netted 12 goals last season, is looking to better his scoring rate as well as establishing himself as a regular starter this term.

"I want to score more goals than last year, between 15 and 20, and I think my personal goal is to be an important player for the team like in the end of last season and to continue at that level and play well for the team," he said.

Kalou's other hope for the season is to see team-mate Jose Bosingwa return to action after being ruled out with a knee injury since last October.

"He hasn't played for so long," added Kalou.

"We want to see him back on the pitch doing his thing, and he will be like a new signing because it is such a long time since he played."

Carlo Backing World Cup Flops

Carlo Ancelotti is relying on Chelsea's World Cup washouts to conquer the UEFA Champions League this season.

The Stamford Bridge manager has set his sights on European glory after guiding the Blues to the Premier League and FA Cup titles last term.

And he believes the Chelsea players that flopped in South Africa will be eager to put that disappointment behind them and help him achieve his dream.

"All my Musketeers, including (Didier) Drogba, (Florent) Malouda, (Frank) Lampard and (John) Terry, have played in a World Cup which has lowered their profile," Ancelotti told The Sun.

"If you look at all the big nations that failed, from England to Argentina, France and Brazil, the coach was trying to get the right balance between the individuals and the organization of the team.

"In my first season with Chelsea, we won the Premier League, FA Cup and Community Shield. But I missed out on the Champions League, so that is now my dream.

"At the moment everything here in London is good. But I know if we do not keep winning that things will soon change for me.

"So we must quickly rediscover the enthusiasm we had last season and same good football."

Milk Cup: Chelsea Break Club Duck

Chelsea celebrated their first trophy win at the Milk Cup in what was a fitting end to the tournament for them.

The young Blues had dominated the Junior Section and it was no different in the final against Cruz Azul as the boys from Stamford Bridge ran out 3-0 winners.

Victory was as good as assured at half-time with two spectacular goals from Reece Mitchell and John Swift proving the Mexicans’ undoing. Lewis Baker claimed the third by stroking home a penalty in stoppage time.

Head coach Adrian Viveash said: “It’s been a tremendous week, on and off the pitch. We’ve loved being in Ireland.

“This is a new group we’ve brought and they are worthy of the Milk Cup, this competition and its history.”

Scorer Mitchell added: “Hard work is the key to what we’ve achieved.”

Chelsea had the ideal start with Mitchell’s eye-catching goal after just three minutes. It’s not hard to see why he has been offered a scholarship at the West London club.

Swift floated a pin-perfect cross in from the right which Mitchell met with a bicycle kick and hit the far corner of the net.

It was the Chelsea striker’s fourth goal of the tournament and the best of them all.

Swift doubled Chelsea’s advantage on the stroke of half-time when the towering midfielder let fly from 25 yards with a blistering effort which fizzed past Perez and into the net.

Azul started the second period with a bit more urgency, but without threatening the Chelsea rearguard, who seemed content to protect their lead at a canter.

Baker sent Perez the wrong way from the penalty spot to claim Chelsea’s first junior crown.

King Kakuta In France

Gael Kakuta created the winning goal as France claimed the Uefa Under 19 European Championship on home soil with victory over Spain on Friday evening.

The Frenchman joins English Under-17 internationals Josh McEachran and Nathaniel Chalobah in becoming a European champion, following their success earlier in the summer when they also triumphed over the Spanish.

Kakuta played the full 90 minutes as France came from behind to win 2-1 in Caen, northern France, and it was from his cross that Alexandre Lacazette headed home the winner five minutes from time.

Spain had taken the lead early on when Liverpool forward Daniel Pacheco set up Rodrigo to finish, but Arsenal man Gilles Sunu's equalizer four minutes into the second half gave France hope of avoiding their cruel defeat to Spain in the 2008 Under 17 Final.

The Chelsea man forced Spain goalkeeper Alex into a smart save but moments later had the last laugh as he dinked in a delicate cross for Lacazette to head home.

France are the second successive hosts, following Ukraine, to lift the Under 19 title.

Benayoun Relishing Chelsea Challenge

Chelsea's Yossi Benayoun is ready for the challenge of breaking into a team which won the Premier League and FA Cup double last season.

After three years with Liverpool, the Israel international finally quit Merseyside when he joined the Blues in a £5million move in July.

A niggling groin injury halted his progress in pre-season but Benayoun is determined to make an impact for Carlo Ancelotti's side as the Blues look to defend their domestic titles.

"There are a lot of good players, big players, for me it is the beginning and I have to work hard and prove I can bring something to this club," said Benayoun.

"The only thing I can promise is I will work hard and do my best, and hopefully it will be good enough.

"I had offers from a few teams but when Chelsea came in for me it was the obvious and only thing to think about, and I am glad it came out in the end."

Benayoun made his last appearance for Liverpool against the Blues on May 2, when Chelsea took a giant step towards the league title with a 2-0 win.

"The last home game I knew it would be my last for Liverpool, I tried to do my best but Chelsea were strong," added Benayoun.

"All the years here in England, five years, Chelsea were always a difficult side to play against with big players and that's why they are always there at the top fighting for trophies. That's why I am glad to be a part of it now."

Benayoun's pedigree is second to none. As a talented youngster in Israel, he was asked to join the Ajax academy at just 15.

He began his senior career two years later with Hapoel Beer-Sheva before moving on to Maccabi Haifa in 1998.

After completing national service he left Maccabi having scored 55 goals in 130 appearances and joined Racing Santander in Spain in 2002.

But his goalscoring exploits soon brought him to the attention of English clubs and West Ham snapped him up for £2.5million three years later.

He helped the Hammers to finish ninth in the Premier League and reach the 2006 FA Cup final under then manager Alan Pardew.

He played one more season at Upton Park before making a £5million move to Anfield in 2007 where he replaced Luis Garcia, who moved back to Spain as part of the transfer deal that saw Fernando Torres join Liverpool.

His time at Liverpool was spent in and out of the side with Rafael Benitez never really appearing to treat him as a regular first-team player.

Last season he started 29 games and scored nine goals including a late one against Atletico Madrid at Anfield that looked to have put Liverpool into the Europa League final before Diego Forlan's last-gasp strike ended that dream.

Captain of the Israel national side, Benayoun has quickly felt at home after making the move back to London.

"It is a great training ground and you can see it is one of the best clubs in the world from the way the people here treat you," added Benayoun.

"It is a good challenge for me and I am ready for it."

Coach Ancelotti admitted that much of Benayoun's appeal lay in his versatility. The midfielder is equally at home on either wing and his trickery will cause plenty of problems for opposing defences.

"Yossi has a lot of quality in midfield and can play in lots of positions. I like his behaviour on the pitch," said Ancelotti.

"He will do a great job."

Is Mikel Arteta The Solution?

Recent weeks have seen us linked with just about every able bodied player on the planet.

One player that the media have missed is probably someone who should be on the forefront of plans this season. I am of course talking about Spanish playmaker Mikel Arteta.

Now the Premier League is often considered devoid of true playmakers, with Fabregas being the first that springs to mind. The other, and second only to Fabregas is Arteta. Everton's player of the year in 2005/06/07/08.

Arteta has been established as Everton's greatest sun. Linked with Chelsea in the past and continuously with Arsenal this summer as Fabregas considers Barcelona's offer, at £10million he offers a bargain that could prove a steal.

A graduate of the Barcelona academy, Arteta has proved himself in the Premier League and with the constant cries of Chelsea lacking a playmaker in the truest form, it is a surprise few mention his name on the site.

Mikel Arteta began his career as a holding player in the Guardiola mould and played with his best friend Xabi Alonso in San Sebastian. A meeting with a brilliant manager by the name of David Moyes sent his career rocketing towards the sky.

Moyes realised that he is best suited further forward and since then Arteta has never looked back. Capable of playing the Ballack role deep in midfield, spraying the ball and linking up the attack, Arteta would fit seamlessly in the 4-3-3 system.

Also more than capable of playing at the so called 'tip of the diamond position' as has been made famous by valued member Lukamolski on the site.

His defensive abilities allow him to play in other positions and formations if necessary. Mikel is an amazing crosser of the ball and has excellent passes and vision in the final third. His spot-kicks, be they free-kicks, corners or penalties are simply astounding.

He may not be among the very top brass of world football, but the man who replaced Gravesen at Everton and was declared the Premier League's best midfielder in 2006/07 by SkySports but he has a lot to offer, and a move to a bigger arena may be great, for him and the club in question.

Having discussed options in the likes of City's Rejects I thought it my civic duty to raise it up a notch.

Ramires Claims Chelsea Bid

Benfica midfielder Ramires has claimed Chelsea have lodged a bid for his signature.

The Brazil international has been linked with a switch away from Benfica this summer, with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea all mooted as potential suitors.

Ramires has made no secret of his eagerness to join Premier League holders Chelsea, who are said to be in talks with Benfica over a £20million deal.

The 23-year-old is quoted as saying in the Daily Mail: "There has been a bid for me from Chelsea.

"To play for the best team in the Premier League and for a club with so much history, it would be my dream.

"I've had a fantastic year at Benfica but this is a dream that I cannot let go."

The Price Is Far From Right!

Sometimes you just have to wonder what goes through some peoples minds!

A couple of times this summer the name of Gregory van der Wiel has been linked with Chelsea.

The Dutch defender, currently on the books of Ajax, had a decent enough World Cup and is rumoured to be on the move.

Bayern Munich were the prime candidates for his signature but rumour suggests that deal is not going to happen now.

His club, Ajax, has financial worries and has told Martin Jol he has to sell before buying, naturally, because of our history, we get linked.

But the price tag now being quoted by some sources is laughable, a huge £20 million!

It’s not going to happen at that price is it?

Nicolas Anelka Sues L'Equipe Over World Cup Rant At Raymond Domenech

The France striker Nicolas Anelka is taking the French newspaper L'Equipe to court for libel after it printed details of his expletive-filled World Cup rant at the then France coach, Raymond Domenech.

Anelka has never denied ranting at Domenech during half-time in the group match against Mexico on 17 June, which France were drawing 0-0 at the time and went on to lose 2-0. But has said the newspaper distorted his words – splashed across the front page with the expletives included.

L'Equipe said on its website that the case is likely to start this autumn and the newspaper will defend itself by calling the "various witnesses to the scene".

The French Football Federation sent Anelka home from the World Cup as a result of the story, and the following day the entire squad went on strike in protest at the decision.

Wycombe Wanderers 5 - 1 Chelsea XI:

A sensational four-minute hat-trick from Jon-Paul Pittman helped Wycombe Wanders come from a goal down to win 5-1 against a Chelsea XI side on Thursday night.

Aliu Djalo opened the scoring for the London club after 13 minutes, only for Scott Rendell and Ben Strevens to put the League Two side into the lead before second-half substitute Jon-Paul Pittman completed the rout.

The only first-team players to be included in the Chelsea side were Scott Sinclair, Franco Di Santo and Jack Cork, with new signing Phillip Prosenik starting on the bench.

Despite the weak line-up, Chelsea came out strongest and broke the deadlock after 13 minutes when a Scott Sinclair shot brought a smart save from Wanderers goalkeeper Nikki Bull, but the parry fell into the path of striker Djalo who tapped into an empty net.

Chelsea did not stay in front for long though as Wycombe’s intensified pressure reaped rewards after 24 minutes when a loose ball from an attempted defensive clearing fell kindly to Rendell eight yards out and the 23-year-old calmly stroked the ball home.
Gary Waddock’s side deservedly took the lead 12 minutes later when a clever flick from Kieran Murtagh found Strevens inside the penalty area and the striker finished from a tight angle to take Wanderers into the lead before half-time.

The second-half was a balanced affair before American Pittman came on with 25 minutes remaining and proceeded to put the game beyond doubt.

On 76 minutes clever work from Chairboys midfielder Kevin Betsy fed in the 23-year-old to fire low underneath Chelsea goalkeeper Samuel Walker, only two minutes later it was 4-1 as winger Matt Phillips was this time the provider as Pittman finished cooly and then just over a minute later the striker ran through on goal and calmly chipped home a finish and wrap up a confident team victory.

Wycombe Wanderers: Nikki Bull (Steve Arnold, 83); Chris Westwood (Marvin McCoy, 74), Dave Winfield, Alan Bennett, Danny Foster; Gareth Ainsworth (Ian Westlake, 85), Lewis Montrose (Matt Bloomfield, 66), Keiran Murtagh, Kevin Betsy; Scott Rendell (Matt Phillips, 60), Ben Strevens (Jon-Paul Pittman, 66).

Subs: Steve Arnold, Leon Johnson, Ian Westlake, Marvin McCoy, Matt Bloomfield, Matt Phillips, Jon-Paul Pittman.

Chelsea XI: Samuel Walker; Billy Clifford, Rohan Ince, Aziz Deen-Conteh, Ryan Bertrand; Scott Sinclair, Jack Cork, Conor Clifford, Milan Lalkovic (Dan Philliskirk, 59); Franco Di Santo, Aliu Djalo (Philipp Prosenik, 59).

Academy Through To Milk Final

Chelsea FC's U-15 Academy side is through to the Final of the 2010 Milk Cup over in Northern Ireland.

Teams from around the world, including Everton, Man U and Chelsea, compete in a week-long tournament on the North Coast area of Northern Ireland. The teams are divided into three categories: Elite, Premier, and Junior for Under-19s, Under-17s and Under-15s respectively.

Chelsea aim to enter a young team into the Junior section of the tournament in readiness for the Academy season ahead. Whilst we have the ability to enter teams at U-17 and U19 level, these players are at the stage of Reserve football and will be concentrating on other pre-season friendlies.

Chelsea were placed in Group A with 11 other teams, however only 2 group matches are played. After these games, 8 teams 'qualify' for the quarter-finals which were played on Wednesday.

The great thing about the Milk Cup is not only do the spectators get to see future stars wearing their favourite jerseys but for teams from other countries to face each other.

CFC began with a 3-0 win over South Coast Bayern, an American youth team, on Monday over in Coleraine. On Tuesday for their second game, the U-15s saw off Co.Armagh convincingly with one of the highlight displays of the week - 7-0.

Back in Coleraine on Wednesday for the quarter final, Chelsea managed a 1-0 win over Co.Tyrone to book a place in the Semi's yesterday.

"You have to remember these schoolboys only finished their school year on the July 20th, so they’ve been back training for two or three sessions before we came to the Milk Cup," Geoff Harvey, team boss, revealed.

"I think tiredness came into a bit (against Tyrone), three games in three days is a real test for them. The boys then faced Dundalk SL and destroyed the team 4-0.

The last game of the week at 4pm today sees Mexican side Cruz Azul as the last team in the way of another piece of Blue silverware. As Neil Bath, Academy Manager, said recently in an interview, Chelsea are achieving much more in Youth tournaments compared to 5 years ago. Here's hoping that we continue to be this successful.

For those interested Reece Mitchell has been one of the stand out performers. The number 9 has been scoring all tournament and will be looking for more goals this afternoon.

Numbers Boosted For Frankfurt

There will be fresh faces for our third pre-season friendly of the summer on Sunday, with our World Cup representatives now back into the groove at Cobham.

The last of our players to spend their summers in South Africa reported back for training on Monday and have quickly set about playing fitness catch-up with the rest of the squad, which included the French, Ivorians and Serb Branislav Ivanovic, who were back last Thursday after their early World Cup elimination.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti fielded a young side for our first two pre-season friendlies, with John Mikel Obi, Michael Essien and Daniel Sturridge our only regular first team outfield players on show, but our English and Portuguese internationals now return to the group, despite only arriving back at Cobham from their holidays on Monday.

That means likely starts against Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday for Ashley Cole, John Terry, Frank Lampard, Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira.

They will also be joined in the travelling party by Yossi Benayoun, who has recovered sufficiently from a groin problem to be available for selection, and Didier Drogba, who had hernia surgery last week. Four players, however, will remain in England.

'We will keep here Cech, Alex, Bosingwa and Deco because they need to work on their fitness,' explained Ancelotti. 'The other players are in good condition, and for the first game the players back from the World Cup can play for 45 minutes.

'The English and the Portuguese came back good and are doing well, but they are not in the best condition because it is very soon.'

With only a short time in which to prepare his side for our first competitive fixture of the season, in the Community Shield against Manchester United at Wembley on August 8, Ancelotti recognizes the importance of getting the group together for a few days.

'Now we are very close to the first appointment of the season against Manchester United and want to use these games to improve condition more, and I think we will be ready for that first game at Wembley,' he said.

'We decided to do this trip to Germany because we didn't have the players for a long time, so it is better to stay in Europe for a friendly game, and I think it is a good decision instead of going on a long tour.'

Carlo Ancelotti Claims Manchester City-Bound Mario Balotelli Was Never An Option

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti admits Manchester City-bound Mario Balotelli was not part of his transfer plans this summer.

Balotelli, who is just hours away from completing his move from Inter to the Citizens, was linked with the Blues, but Ancelotti has offered a different view.

Asked by La Stampa whether the Italian was close to Chelsea at some point, Ancelotti said: "This doesn't result with me.

"City have spent the most in Europe and they will be fighting for the title. Mario is a crazy talent, but the Premier League is ideal for him.

"He will find Roberto Mancini, the coach that launched him in Serie A."

Ancelotti was asked what his aims are with Chelsea, and all eyes are on the Champions League.

"My first impact with Chelsea was winning the league, the FA Cup and Community Shield. I am missing the Champions League - that is my dream," he concluded.

Mourinho Keen To Sign Chelsea's Ricardo Carvalho

Jose Mourinho has publicly stated his admiration for Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho and indicated that he would like to sign the 32-year-old for Real Madrid.

Mourinho brought centre-back Carvalho to Stamford Bridge in 2004 and the Portuguese defender has been a mainstay of the Chelsea back four ever since.

However, there has been growing speculation that Carvalho could be set to join hid old mentor Mourinho at Real Madrid, especially with Chelsea having to comply with new Premier League rules to name a squad of only 25 players, meaning some will probably have to be sold.

Carvalho placed himself at the top of the list for a Chelsea exit, recently stating that he would go "swimming or running" to have the chance to move to the Bernabeau.

Now Mourinho has indicated that the enthusiasm for a deal is mutual. He told Spanish TV station TV1, "I always said that Carvalho is one of the best in the world."

When questioned about Carvalho's advancing years, Mourinho commented, "He is in the period of his greatest maturity."

On the prospects of Carvalho moving to Real Madrid, Mourinho did little to rule it out and coyly remarked, "We'll see what happens."

Blues Deny Mancienne Talk

Chelsea have denied reports that England Under-21 international defender Michael Mancienne has handed in a transfer request.

It looked as though the talented young centre-back was ready to call time on his career at Stamford Bridge after five years with the club.

Mancienne has started just two Premier League games for the Blues in his time in West London and has spent significant spells on loan with QPR and Wolves in the past four seasons.

Molineux boss Mick McCarthy has refused to rule out a move for the 22-year-old earlier in the day amid reports that he was on the market.

But a Blues spokesman confirmed to Sky Sports News that Mancienne has not asked to leave Chelsea this summer.

The defender could be more heavily involved in Carlo Ancelotti's plans this season due to the introduction of new squad rules for all Premier League clubs.

Each side must name a 25-man squad on 1st September, of whom eight have to be 'home-grown' criteria, which Mancienne would meet.

He has found first-team opportunities hard to come by with John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho and Alex all ahead of him in the pecking order.

Neymar Has No Reason To Leave Brazil - Father

Talented Brazilian youngster Neymar could snub Premier League champions Chelsea and remain with Santos beyond the summer, his father has claimed.

Neymar da Silva Santos has expressed his delight at his son eventually getting a call-up to the Brazilian national team for their upcoming friendly against the USA next month and has stated that the 18-year-old now has no reason to leave the country for England.

Chelsea had made a £20 million bid for the 18-year-old earlier this month but Santos officially rejected that offer. Neymar's father had expressed his anger at the Brazilian giants for not consulting him before making their decision, but it now appears that he would be happy to see his son remain in Brazil.

"His dream was to reach the Selecao playing for Santos," Neymar's father told TV Record Litoral. "This goal has been achieved. Therefore, I don't think there's a reason to think about leaving the country. That's why we will do everything we can for him to stay."

This is the first time that Neymar has been called to the senior side and Da Silva Santos explained just what it meant for his entire family.

"I didn't have the time to watch the squad announcement and because Neymar was training, we couldn't follow it together. But it was a day of great happiness. When I arrived home, the whole family celebrated.

"It's a shame that in that moment [before the World Cup] it was hard for him to be called-up, because of the previous coach [Dunga]. But today there's a renovation and this creates an expectation for the new players."

Carlo Ancelotti Hoping To Tie Up £17 Million Signing Of Benfica Midfielder Ramires Before Starting Pre-Season Tour Of Germany

Chelsea are keen to finalise their £17 million move for Benfica midfielder Ramires before leaving for the pre-season tour of Germany.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti’s squad will depart on Saturday and the Italian hopes that the Brazil international will join the team on the trip, according to the Daily Star.

However, the Portuguese club is reluctant to give up their midfield star, and the Blues could have to wait before they complete the signing of the Brazilian World Cup star.

Chelsea, who won the Premier League and FA Cup last season, have made just one signing this summer, bringing Liverpool winger Yossi Benayoun to Stamford Bridge for just £5 million.

After letting Michael Ballack and Joe Cole leave the club this summer, Chelsea sees Ramires as an ideal replacement in the midfield.

The Blues are also interested in Benfica defender David Luiz, but the Portuguese club rejected Chelsea’s initial bid of £25 million for the centre-back.

Kakuta On Reaching The Final!

Despite conceding an early goal, France U-19 managed to defeat the courageous Croatian team and book the place in UEFA European Under-19 Championship Final where they will meet Spain.

Exceptionally happy with that is Gaël Kakuta, who scored and equaliser, but is the one to be blamed for Croats taking the lead inside 4 minutes of the game.

Speaking afterwards Kakuta remarked,

'[I was scared] a little as it is because of me we conceded that goal. I miscontrolled the ball, and after that came a foul and the goal. We put pressure on our own shoulders by conceding early.'

The winning goal for France came courtesy of substitute Cédric Bakambu. The Sochaux player came off the bench in place of Yannis Tafer.

Here's what Kakuta had to say on both lads and atmosphere in French camp.

'Cédric did not give up. He scored his two goals in the first match but none in the second nor against England. He kept his chin up and continued working hard in training. This time he came on and scored so it all paid off. He and Yannis are two different styles of player. Cédric lays off the ball and goes while Yannis keeps it and looks for a one-two. [I get on well] with both of them. This is a very good group; everyone has fun with each other. A nice chemistry is born off the pitch and that makes things easy on it.'

Friday's Final brings chance to revenge for French, who were beaten by Spain in 2008 Under-17 Final. Many of those who experienced 4:0 trashing are now in U-19 team, prompting Kakuta to remark,

'Spain are not our old friends, they are our enemies. Two years ago they trashed us 4-0 so it will be a good revenge for us. They take good care of the ball and are very patient. We will try to work on that. It will be a good match. After what they did to us two years ago, everybody is looking forward to it.'

Where Is Slobodan Rajkovic

After scanning through the forums earlier, I came across a thread created by ThatShevchenkoGoal relating to our 21-year-old Centre Back.

After 3 seasons on loan and two Dutch Eredivisie titles under his belt, he's clearly ready for more challenges.

He's never made a first team appearance yet and with his old team mate Miroslav Stoch moving on to the Turkish league with Fenerbahce, he's perhaps tempted to be looking at another move away from Chelsea either on loan or permanently.

The question is though, where is he at the moment?

His loan contract was supposed to end in June and as he was not selected for the WC squad where has he gone?

Tipped as an upcoming strong center-back to partner John Terry once he returned to Chelsea, he now appears to be in a sort of limbo.

The question wasn't answered in the forum and as not all of our members check them regularly I thought I'd pose it on the front page.

Anelka: We Want Wins

Preparing for our five-day trip to Germany, Nicolas Anelka admits it is a pleasant change not to be away on tour for a fortnight.

The World Cup and the subsequent holidays of our involved players meant a lengthy trip overseas, as has become the norm in recent seasons, was not possible this time around, but instead the Frenchman will be joining his team-mates for a pair of friendlies, against Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday and Hamburg on Wednesday.

'In my career tours have been a regular thing, going away, with Chelsea we have been to China and America, and with other clubs to Korea, Austria, Spain,' recalled the 31-year-old. 'I prefer to stay here at the training ground for longer, to train and go home.

'When you have kids and a family you want to see them, and it is great to be back in training and at the same time to be able to come home, like you are already in the season, but it will be good to be away together as a team for a few days, and I hope we can go there and come back with good results.'

It is a common belief that results do not matter in pre-season games, that building fitness is the only factor worth noting. But for Anelka, winning these matches ranks just as highly on the agenda.

'We have two games in Germany, so we play them and we want to win them, that's the most important thing. It is good to start in that way before the season, we have a good team and when you play for Chelsea you have to win all your games, so we will go there and try to come back with good results,' he explained.

'Training so far has been good and I feel fit, we worked very hard and it will be harder and harder until the beginning of the season.

'After a few days you want to be out playing matches again,' explained the forward, who reported back on July 22. 'I like my football so when I come back, I can't wait to be on the pitch and playing.

'I have been playing for so long and I still want to play and win every game. When you have this kind of mentality and play at this kind of club you want to play, enjoy your football and win your games.

'When we are back from Germany, we have the Community Shield which is a big game, but for the players the most important is to be fit for the first league game against West Bromwich Albion.'

There are just over two weeks until Roberto Di Matteo brings his newly promoted Baggies to Stamford Bridge for our Barclays Premier League curtain-raiser. Chelsea fans, like Anelka, will be hoping we enter that game with a series of wins already achieved.

Bridging The Generation Gap

The pre-season is traditionally a time when you see experienced first teamers playing alongside young, hopeful products of the Academy. The games at Crystal Palace and in Amsterdam bore witness to this.

But what about the interaction between the established and the upcoming throughout the rest of the year? It is a carefully considered area of player development at Chelsea, down to the careful logging of every training session an Academy player enjoys with Carlo Ancelotti's squad.

As Chelsea teenagers continue to make news on the international stage with Gael Kakuta tomorrow playing in the European Under 19s Championship Final, following on from Josh McEachran and Nathaniel Chalobah winning the Under 17 equivalent with England, and Jeffrey Bruma's call up by Holland, the Official Chelsea Website asked Academy manager Neil Bath (pictured below right) for an overview of how the relationship between his players and the first team set up works:

The Academy building is located just a short walk away from the first team headquarters but for a young player at Chelsea in 2010, how much interaction will he have with those over there?

'First of all, the interaction between the Academy and first-team staff is closer than it has ever been since I have been at the club. That is nothing against previous management, we just made a real conscious effort from the start with Carlo [Ancelotti] to come up with a one-club coaching program. That was the best way to start and we were working with [sporting director] Frank Arnesen's role between the two areas and that helps support it.

'Then in the last year we have had more players from the youth set up training on a daily basis with the first team than we have ever had. There is close working going on there.

'In terms of interacting with the first team, we believe that in the first two years - the Under 16s and Under 17s - interaction should be mostly for football reasons. They meet on the pitch. Occasionally we will have lunch over in the first-team building but the boys are reporting to the Academy, doing duties in the Academy and having lunch and breakfast together in the Academy.

'If some of them progress quicker and actually starts playing for the first team then that might change. But even Under 17s and Under 18s who are in the reserves will stay in the Academy building.

'Although that may not look like we are encouraging interaction, we want to encourage interaction for the right reasons. We have tried things like cleaning boots with the first team players but whatever way we looked into it, the logistics were difficult, particularly when we have programs just after lunch that are about doing more technical work with the players. We felt we can't let boot cleaning get in the way of the technical program.

'We do create a culture in the Academy building that the boys are responsible for some of the cleaning and tidying as part of their education and there is a lot we share with the first team set up.

'We are continually looking at each other's IT and video analysis systems and some of the development staff, including [assistant first team coach] Paul Clement and [first team fitness coach] Glen Driscoll have all been Academy people who have gone across. So there is a lot of interaction but we are conscious of holding the boys back a little bit from the first team set up, so they don't think they have made it too soon.

'It's about getting the balance right. The boys understand that and I feel in many ways they prefer that. They think that when I am a bit older - 19 or 20 - and I am training a bit more with the first team then I can mix socially.'

Might the increase in youth players training with the first team be down to improved quality as well as the club's policy to improve interaction?

'We said we would reorganise the Academy five or six years ago and it would take 10 years to really get it going. Six years in the standard has improved. We have invested in the whole Academy system - players, staff and resources - and therefore the standards have gone up.

'We have more Academy players playing internationally than we have ever had and more players training with the first team on a daily basis, so the standard has gone up.

'Two years ago we lost the Youth Cup Final, this year we won it. In our younger age groups, this year we won four tournaments in Europe. Five year ago I can't remember us winning any tournaments in Europe.'

If a young player wanted to seek advice from a first teamer who plays in his position, would that be possible?

'It is. Rather than myself going directly to players, we would use the relationship we have with Ray Wilkins and Clem and they will control that. Otherwise it can be chaos. If you ask a player to speak to a younger player, the support is first class. At the same time we need to respect their position. Without us needing to set up formal meetings, because the boys are training with them it is happening naturally.'

Do you notice effects from training with the first team, such as improvement in confidence and self-esteem?

'Definitely. The players notice the difference as well, and it is obviously the speed of the game. Mentally you have to be sharper and when they come back to the Academy, that is when they notice it. They have had say 10 sessions there and come back finding it a little bit easier here. That is when we realise they are moving on and pulling away from others. You see some go across and struggle and you see others and you think wow, he can play with good players.'

How encouraging was it to hear Carlo Ancelotti talk at the end of last season about Academy players joining his squad full time for this season?

'We talk about winning youth tournaments as progress and getting debuts and appearances, and getting lads out on loan, but ultimately it is all about getting players into the first team squad. When Carlo says maybe five lads in you start thinking okay, this year is really starting to show a light at the end of the tunnel because it has been difficult. We are getting there but we are still a way off.'