Chelsea Set To Bid £20m For Liverpool Midfielder Mascherano

Liverpool midfield hard-man Javier Mascherano could be on his way to Chelsea if Carlo Ancelotti has his way.

The Chelsea boss is prepared to bid £20million for the Argentine to strengthen his midfield, The People reported on Sunday.

Contract negotiations between Mascherano and the Anfield outfit have stalled, and although he had reportedly been holding out for a transfer to Barcelona, the La Liga champions’ bid to secure the services of Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas has dented the Argentine’s hopes of playing at the Nou Camp.

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is keen to keep Mascherano, but a significant transfer fee will be difficult to turn down.

The midfielder made 47 appearances for Liverpool in the Premier League and European competition last season, scoring one goal and picking up 11 yellow cards. His contract is up in two years.

Chelsea are expected to boost their midfield this summer with the exits of Michael Ballack , Joe Cole and Deco on the cards.

Joe Cole Closing In On Spurs Switch

Tottenham are closing in on England midfield star Joe Cole, who has yet to agree a new contract with Chelsea and will be available on a free transfer.

He has been frustrated by the lack of progress in talks over a new deal and is aware of Tottenham’s interest.

Cole knows a move to White Hart Lane would be hard for Chelsea fans to accept, but has always held Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp in high regard.

It was Redknapp who have Cole his debut as a teenager at West Ham.

Chelsea Eye £26m Tottenham Midfielder Luka Modric

Chelsea are about to launch a £26million bid for Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric.

Connections of the 24-year-old Croatia midfielder have been in London this week for discussions with his club aimed at sounding out his future at White Hart Lane.

But he has emerged as a top target for the newly-crowned Double winners with manager Carlo Ancelotti, backed by director of football Frank Arnesen, acutely aware of the need to bring in younger blood if they are to maintain their place at the top of English football.

Another important factor is Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's determination to win the Champions League, an ambition he is prepared to support by slugging it out with Manchester City in what will be a multi-million pound transfer battle this summer.

Both clubs have made no secret of their desire to sign Liverpool striker Fernando Torres.

Modric suffered after being switched to a deep-lying role by managerial flop Juande Ramos after a £16.5million move to Spurs in the summer of 2008 and it was only after the Spaniard's successor Harry Redknapp utilized his passing and vision in a more attacking role that the Croat and Spurs blossomed.

Now the Spurs boss looks likely to get the call he dreads - when Chelsea come knocking for Modric.

John Barnes: Joe Cole Should Be Guaranteed A Spot In The World Cup Squad

John Barnes reckons Joe Cole is guaranteed a spot in Fabio Capello’s World Cup squad.

The Chelsea star has struggled with injuries all season and was thought to be at risk of not even making England’s 30-man training squad.

The Italian has to cut that number by seven by June 1 – and Cole is sweating on making the plane.

But Barnes, who won 79 caps for England, has told Cole that his experience will see him get the nod to play an important role in South Africa.

Barnes, speaking at an event organised by England team sponsors Nationwide Building Society, said: “Joe will be in the 23-man squad. He has struggled with injuries this season and hasn’t had the impact he has had in previous years.

“But he is still a fantastic player and will be in the squad – though he possibly won’t be in the starting XI.

“To have a player of Joe’s quality and experience – and he is a very experienced player – is what England need.”

And Barnes reckons Cole, 28, can reform the left-sided partnership with namesake Ashley Cole that worked so well in Germany four years ago.

“Look at what Joe did in the last World Cup and you will see it was a great success,” explained the former Liverpool and Watford winger.

“That was because Ashley is probably the best attacking left-back in the world, so we don’t necessarily need an out-and-out winger there.

“Joe has played there and it has worked with him coming inside and Ashley going outside him.”

And Barnes has backed Jermain Defoe, 27, to shine in South Africa as he believes the Tottenham striker is the best natural goalscorer England have.

“I love Defoe and I think he is the best natural finisher England have, better even than Wayne Rooney,” said Barnes of a player who has scored just twice in his last 13 games for club and country.

“Rooney is an all-round player, he plays wide, he can drop short, whereas as a No.9 Jermain is the one you know will put the ball in the back of the net.”

Mourinho's Tears For Chelsea

Jose Mourinho has revealed he cried after Inter Milan knocked Chelsea out of the UEFA Champions League and now wants to see Massimo Moratti shed tears of joy.

Inter are preparing for Saturday's Champions League final against Bayern Munich in Madrid having knocked out Mourinho's former club Chelsea earlier in the competition.

Mourinho masterminded a 1-0 win in the second leg of the last 16 tie at Stamford Bridge and admits he was overcome with emotion at the end of the game.

"At Stamford Bridge I cried because during the 90 minutes I wasn't thinking that I was playing against friends, but after the game I realised that my friends were out of the competition," he reflected.

"But that was crucial for Inter, without that victory we wouldn't be here today - it was a difficult emotional situation."

Success in the Santiago Bernabeu would crown Inter champions of Europe for the first time in 45 years and it is a trophy Mourinho is determined to win for the club's owner Moratti.

He added: "Defeat or victory, it will be unforgettable, but Moratti is a very special person for me.

"I would love to see him cry (with joy), I would love to see him with the cup in his hands, I would love to see him in a picture next to his father; I would love to give my little contribution to help make that happen."

Mourinho continued: "45 years is 45 years - it's a long time.

"Many of Inter's fans cannot remember that far back and many were not even born when the club last won the European Cup.

"The Champions League final is always important and you want to win it even if you won it last year, but I imagine that for these fans it will be even more special after such a long wait."

Grant Rejected Abramovich Offer To Make Shock Chelsea Return

Avram Grant has rejected a shock return to Chelsea.

The Daily Mail says Grant has rejected Roman Abramovich's invitation to return to Chelsea despite being offered more money than he stands to earn as manager of West Ham.

Grant has snubbed the director of football role he occupied at Stamford Bridge before replacing Jose Mourinho as manager in September 2007.

Despite being sacked by Abramovich two years ago after Chelsea missed out on the Premier League title to Manchester United before losing on penalties to Sir Alex Ferguson's side in the Champions League final, Grant remains close to the Russian billionaire.

Abramovich was prepared to top the £1.3million a year West Ham are offering Grant to replace Gianfranco Zola.

But Grant has opted to remain in the dug-out rather than take another behind-the-scenes post.

Yaya Toure Has Almost Made Up His Mind To Leave Barcelona For Chelsea

The future of Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure continues to be the subject of much discussion, and the Ivorian's agent has now stoked the flames after he revealed that his client has almost made his mind up to leave.

With the likes of Xavi, Sergio Busquets and Seydou Keita ahead of Toure in Pep Guardiola's pecking order, Dmitri Seluk believes that the best move for all concerned is to allow the 27-year-old to leave for the Premier League.

"If Chelsea want Yaya and everyone wins with this deal, why not?" the agent told the Daily Mirror.

"This last season, Toure has not played regularly and Pep Guardiola has preferred Busquets or Keita instead of him.

"If he prefers Busquets and Keita, then the best thing for Toure is to leave for Chelsea. He has made up his mind 90 per cent to leave."

In addition to the new English champions, Toure has been linked with a transfer to Arsenal as part of a deal that would take Cesc Fabregas back to Catalunya. It has been reported that the midfielder was unwilling to make the move, but his representative insists that Toure is not digging his heels in over a transfer.

"He has a good salary here but he doesn't want to earn money here and fall asleep on the bench. Some players would accept that situation. Not him. If he leaves, Barca will then understand what they will lose."

Manchester City Leave Liverpool Striker Fernando Torres To Champions League Heavyweights Chelsea And Barcelona

Manchester City have left Barcelona and Chelsea to fight for the £70 million signature of Fernando Torres after their failure to secure Champions League football.

The big-spending outfit has the resources to go toe-to-toe with their rivals due to owner Sheikh Mansour's bottomless wealth. According to The Guardian, important figures within the club have acknowledged that the lack of top-level European football has dropped them out of the running to prise the Spaniard from Liverpool.

City finished in fifth place in the Premier League last season after they targeted a top-four finish. Torres is understood to only be prepared to leave Merseyside for one of Europe's traditional elite.

Blues Keen On Kaka Swoop - Report

Chelsea is hopeful of signing Real Madrid playmaker Kaka in a cut-price summer deal, according to Spanish newspaper AS.

Blues chief Carlo Ancelotti, who has just won the Double in his first season in English football, worked with the Brazilian star during their time together at AC Milan.

The 28-year-old moved to Madrid in a £68.5million deal last summer but had a quiet first season in La Liga and has been tipped to move on.

Despite his amazing first season at Stamford Bridge Ancelotti is not resting on his laurels and is ready to bolster his squad, but whether central midfield is an area he needs to strengthen is debatable.

Michael Essien will be like a new signing next season, while Jon Obi Mikel, Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack have all performed superbly at different points of the season.

Chelsea Villain Tom Henning Ovrebo To Quit International Refereeing

Controversial Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo has quit international refereeing after he was ignored for the upcoming World Cup.

Ovrebo, 43, received death threats in 2008 when he denied Chelsea several penalty shouts in their Champions League semi-final defeat to Barcelona.

He continued to court headlines in this year's competition, when he allowed a Miroslav Klose goal in the first leg quarter-final meeting between Bayern Munich and Fiorentina to stand when the striker was clearly offside and then later declined to send the same player off for a dangerous tackle.

Speaking to Reuters today, he insisted his retirement after officiating 23 matches in Europe's top club tournament, plus numerous internationals was "no big drama", as next year he would have been over UEFA's age limit.

"This is based on signals Norway's Football Association got from UEFA about prospects for further assignments," Ovrebo said.

"Some will remember me for the Chelsea-Barcelona game in particular, but I can live well with that."

Youth Internationals: Borini On Target

Fabio Borini was on target to help Italy Under-19s to victory in the first game of a European Championship qualification tournament.

Italy beat Czech Republic 2-0 on Friday despite playing for over 30 minutes with 10 men. A Jacopo Sala cross led to the opening goal in the first half before Borini doubled the lead 15 minutes from the end with a shot from the edge of the penalty area. Sala played the first-half; Borini was subbed on 78 minutes.

Italy faces Northern Ireland on Sunday and then host-nation Russia on Wednesday.

Chelsea youth products Josh McEachran and Nathaniel Chalobah were part of the England Under-17 team that ensured a place in the European Championship semi-finals with a win over Greece on Friday night.

A 1-0 victory in the second group game of the tournament in Liechenstein gave the young England side six points out of six. McEachran, playing behind the main striker, was typically creative while schoolboy defender Chalobah headed a corner just wide.

England's final group game is against Turkey on Monday with the semi-final on Thursday.

Jeffrey Bruma and Patrick van Aanholt have both been in action for the Dutch Under 19 side in two matches against Portugal. The first resulted in a 3-1 defeat; the second match, in which Van Aanholt only played the first half, ended goalless.

Charity Pitch Events Raise Vital Funds

Stamford Bridge played host to our national and global charity partners this week as they held separate football tournaments on the hallowed turf.

On Wednesday afternoon, Help a London Child held a five-a-side tournament on the pitch before the winners went on to play an 11-a-side match for the cup.

The competition was called Capital Kicks and Capital Radio's Breakfast Show host and life-long Chelsea fan Jonny Vaughan came along to show his support.

'Thank you very much to all the teams who took part,' said Vaughan, 'it was all in aid of our charity Help a London Child.

'There was loads of enthusiasm, we raised loads of money and it was a cracking day.'

The cup final pitted Capital/LBC, managed by Ron 'Chopper' Harris, and The Independent, managed by Scott Minto, against one another. Minto's side The Independent (pictured) won a tense encounter by a single goal.

'I just told them to go out and enjoy it. Don't try to be the hero and take on 10 people, you're all in it together so play as a team,' said the triumphant Minto.

Then on Thursday the club's global charity partner Right To Play also held a football tournament at Stamford Bridge.

The international charity held a World Cup-type of tournament for the fourth year and raised a phenomenal amount of money.

'We set up a World Cup tournament where teams don't represent Argentina and England which is the standard World Cup tournament format, we represent Liberia, Lebanon, Rwanda and so on,' said Mike Emery, director of Right To Play.

'Teams pay to take part, they are proud of the country they represent and last year we had a final that was Sierra Leone versus Rwanda, which is never going to happen in modern football.

'This year we have raised £125,000 which is great. This is the fourth year running and it has raised almost £100,000 every year so it is a really good event for us and the money is distributed to our projects around the world,' added Emery.

One person taking part in the Right To Play World Cup was Parkour founder Sébastien Foucan, who starred in the James Bond film Casino Royale by using his skills of jumping and climbing to overcome most obstacles.

'I am here because I have been really involved with Right To Play for more than three years now and I try my best to be with them as much as I can to really help the kids in poor countries,' said Foucan.

'I feel it is the type of tournament when it is not really about the competition, it is about participation and I am really happy to be here.'

Chelsea Admit New Uefa Rules Will Change Transfer And Contract Policy

The Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck has admitted the club will have to keep a close eye on spending and the club's wage structure in the light of the proposed Uefa plans to force clubs to balance their books.

The proposals will prevent clubs from spending more than they make from their revenues and aim to curb billionaire owners investing huge amounts of money. The new rules will be in place from the 2012-13 season and clubs could be thrown out of European competition if they do not abide by the regulations. However, Buck thinks that the rules concerning owner-investment are not particularly clear at present.

"We have looked very closely at the proposed rules and, starting now, we are going to have to be very careful on transfer fees and in salary renegotiation because having a positive profit and loss statement will be crucial in getting a Uefa licence and participating in the Champions League," said Buck. "Even if we wanted to spend more money we just won't be able to so we have to do what is necessary to comply with the new rules. In round terms your football income is going to have to equal your football expenses.

"I think personally it is very significantly different if a club gets money from its owner than a club going out and borrowing money from a bank, and I think the rules ought to take account of that. It is unclear at the moment whether they will.

"One of the problems that we see with the current formulation is that it is going to maintain the status quo. In other words, if owners cannot put money into their clubs then it is going to be very difficult for the club that is, say, at the bottom of the Premier League to work its way up to the top, or a club from the Championship to move into a respectable position in the Premier League. We don't think maintaining the status quo is right."

Meanwhile, Buck has reaffirmed there are no plans to move away from Stamford Bridge or increase its capacity which currently stands at around 42,000. The club is understood to be looking at naming rights for the stadium but that would, almost certainly, be a long-term deal over a 10-year period and with a high-profile, blue-chip investor.

"In this current economic environment it makes no sense for us to look at the possibility of a new stadium, spending that type of money," added Buck. "In terms of Stamford Bridge, it is possible we could find a way of increasing capacity by several thousand seats but it would be very expensive. You would only really do it to improve the atmosphere as opposed to improve the financial situation regarding match-day revenue.

"Also it is unclear how digital media development will affect live crowds 10 years from now. When you are going to be able to watch the match on your wrist watch, is that not going to impact on attendances? We don't really know.

"So because of all those factors, we don't think this is the right time to look at expanding Stamford Bridge or build a new stadium, but what we do have to do is look at new income sources and one of those as everyone knows is naming rights.

"We have a project for that and chief executive Ron Gourlay is doing a darn good job with that. Hopefully in the not too distant future we will have something that makes sense for a sponsor and makes sense for Chelsea and our fans."

New Treatment Could Mean Michael Ballack Is Ready For South Africa – German Doctor

The World Cup dreams of Germany captain Michael Ballack may not be over after all, as a doctor has declared that new treatment methods could speed up the healing process of the 33-year-old.

Injured in the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Portsmouth last weekend, the midfielder was swiftly ruled out of any possible action in South Africa, but Dr. Markus Becker of the German Orthopedics Network has suggested that that decision was taken a little too quickly.

“With the help of a new treatment method could be accelerated healing significantly,” he told Bild. “I think that Ballack could in any case be at least partially restored for the World Cup.”

The new method of treatment involves injecting an acid into the injured ligaments, and Nuernberg club doctor, Dr. Matthias Brem, has endorsed this technique, stating that it has helped one of his players make a remarkable recovery.

Oliver Bierhoff has hit back on behalf of the DFB (German FA), stating: “Dr. Muller-Wohlfahrt [the medic to the national side] is an internationally respected physician. We have every confidence in him. We have always fought for every player - even for Michael Ballack. Distance diagnoses do not make sense.”

Therefore, it seems that Germany will make no late u-turn on the Chelsea ace before naming their final squad.

Florent Malouda Wants To Replicate Chelsea Form With France In South Africa

France have been in far from impressive form in the build-up towards the 2010 World Cup, but highly-rated Chelsea winger Florent Malouda is still full of ambition.

"It’s difficult to say how the players who were excluded [from France's World Cup squad] will feel; I imagine that they’re very disappointed. But now, for those who are part of the group, it’s time to get serious, to take responsibility," he told FIFA.com.

"There is a lot of work to do and I can assure you that we have no intention of turning up at the World Cup with our heads down. We’re going to South Africa to win.

"When you have the good fortune to win trophies at club level, as was the case this season with Chelsea, you want to replicate that with your national team.

"I’m ambitious, there’s no denying it. Nicolas Anelka and I would love to relive our recent successes, but with France this time."

Chelsea Battling Manchester City In Race To Sign James Milner From Aston Villa

Chelsea has joined Manchester City in the fight to sign James Milner from Aston Villa, according to a report from The Sun.

City is believed to have had an initial bid of £25 million rejected by Villa, and is now readying a second offer of £30m.

However, Chelsea, still reportedly smarting from being beaten to Robinho by the Citizens two summers ago, are keen to make sure that they don't lose out again.

The report claims that Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti feels that the prospect of playing Champions League football at Stamford Bridge will tip the balance in his club's favour as far as Milner is concerned.

Milner, 24, has two years left on his current deal. He is an ambitious player who wants to win trophies and become an England regular and may see lining up alongside the likes of John Terry and Frank Lampard as a more likely route of achieving this than joining former team-mate Gareth Barry at Eastlands.

Chelsea Pair Dropped As Serbia Cut Their World Cup Squad To 24

Serbia's coach Radomir Antic today cut his World Cup squad to 24 players with the Chelsea duo of Slobodan Rajkovic and Nemanja Matic two of the six players to be omitted.

The Ajax attacker Miralem Sulejmani, PSV Eindhoven's defender Jagos Vukovic, the Partizan Belgrade midfielder Nemanja Tomic and Red Star Belgrade's striker Dejan Lekic will also miss out.

The Valencia forward Nikola Zigic was retained and says he does not feel any extra pressure after being tipped by Antic to be one of the stars in South Africa.

"The coach's words are not a burden," Zigic said. "It's good that Antic praised me and I will try to justify his confidence. I always give my best for Serbia and it will always be that way."

Serbia were drawn in Group D alongside Germany, Ghana and Australia.

Ancelotti Urges Asian Kids To Sign Up For Chelsea

With less than two weeks to go before the start of Chelsea’s second Search for an Asian Star campaign Manager Carlo Ancelotti is encouraging young Asian players to sign to the groundbreaking scheme.

The program is designed to breakdown barriers between football and the Asian community while encouraging young Asian players to get involved with the game at all levels.

Through a series of tests and matches, Chelsea hopes to uncover stars of the future. Two of last year’s winners have now gone to sign for professional club academies.

“This is a huge opportunity to come to Chelsea and enjoy the best coaches and the best training ground,” said the Double winning manager. “Everyone with a love for the game should sign up and see what they can do – it will be great fun and a good way to make new friends and who knows, perhaps one day we will see you at Chelsea.” The tournament will take place on the second May Bank Holiday weekend (29-31) for players from Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi backgrounds aged eight to 13-years-old.

Participants will take part in series tests specifically designed and used by the Chelsea academy to examine speed, skill and ability followed by small sided games.

One player from each age group will be selected for a week's training with the Chelsea academy squads during the summer. Two of last year's winners have since gone to be signed by Leyton Orient and Southend.

Chelsea Football Club will also be inviting managers, coaches and scouts from clubs at all levels of the game to identify talented youngsters and information will also be on hand for Asian players to find clubs in their area.

Know Your Chairman - Bruce Buck

When hearing Chelsea Chairman Bruce Buck speak, one may wonder what series of events brought him to Stamford Bridge. Here is an American, themselves not known as particularly strong football lovers, running one of the more successful Premier League sides in recent history.

Just another successful businessman perhaps, lured by Roman Abramovich’s millions to oversee the development of the club, passed off as yet another ‘lifelong supporter’. At a time when the Liverpool chairman has openly declared himself a lifelong Chelsea fan and you might argue who gives a damn where his allegiances lie.

Bruce Buck, however, has indeed been a Chelsea supporter long before the days of Roman Abramovich and the subsequent success they have been able to enjoy since as a result of his millions. Buck left New York for England in 1983 and became a Chelsea fan not long after, becoming a season ticket holder in the early 1990s. As a graduate of Columbia University Law School, Buck was a founding managing partner of the London office of the biggest U.S law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

Buck represents both European and non-European clients, specializing in mergers, acquisitions and capital market transactions. He was particularly involved in overseeing the firm’s Russian practice since the opening of a Moscow office in 1992. It is through these connections that led Buck to meet Roman Abramovich.

It was Buck who advised Abramovich on his £140 million purchase of Chelsea Football Club in 2003, as well as having done legal work on acquisitions for the Russian company Siberian Oil (Sibneft), of which Abramovich was the majority shareholder. Bruce Buck remains the only person, besides Abramovich to own a share of the football club, holding the mighty amount of one single share.

Bruce Buck is one of the more vocal and recognizable individuals at Chelsea, known for his occasional media interviews. Backed by an owner who refuses to involve himself in the media, Buck maintains the connection between the business and the supporters, responding to any queries and concerns which the supporters and indeed the media may choose to express. Not that the club has too much to worry about at the present time.

Financial reports released last December revealed that all of the club’s outstanding debt had been converted into equity, making Chelsea effectively debt free. This is a worrying sign for the clubs challenging for Chelsea’s crown, a sign of the continuing success and development of the club in the future. Bruce Buck has certainly made an impact during his time at Stamford Bridge. An American he may be, but with Chelsea Football Club very much in his heart, doing the best for his club. Unlike some owners up the road in Liverpool I could mention.

Chelsea Captain John Terry Is A 'Jerk' - Ex-Liverpool Striker Andriy Voronin

Former Liverpool striker Andriy Voronin has blasted John Terry for the challenge that saw him require surgery and stated Jamie Carragher is "capable of wickedness".

The Dynamo Moscow player went under the knife this week to correct a nose injury suffered when Terry made contact with his face during England's 2-1 win against Ukraine at Wembley last year.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Voronin believed he was intentionally struck by the Chelsea captain and called him a "jerk".

"Terry couldn't clear the ball cleanly, so hit me in the face," Voronin said.

"Jerk! In my opinion, he did it deliberately. Terry is capable of wickedness. As are Jamie Carragher and Rio Ferdinand. They are the masters."

Voronin cut short his Premier League stay in January when he moved for £1.8m to Dynamo after a lacklustre spell in the English top flight. And he didn't have many kind words for the football he experienced at Anfield.

"In England it's carnage," Voronin said.

"If in a match one of the players doesn't bleed, doesn't smash his head in a collision or lose his leg, the fans feel cheated - the game was a failure.

"It's a crazy pace from the first minute to the final whistle. Complete dedication, tremendous atmosphere in the stadiums, but the tactics of most teams are simple in the extreme: throw the ball 50 yards up the pitch and then mob rush up to the opposition goal to score."