Ancelotti Expects City Signings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aguero Eyes Chelsea Move

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"They have quality players everywhere."

Jose Mourinho Stepping Up Efforts To Buy Chelsea Defender Ashley Cole

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

£70M Price-Tag On Torres

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Germany's Captain Is Michael Ballack - Bastian Schweinsteiger

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cech: Spain Have The Spine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Annan Calm Despite English Interest

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chelsea Join Race For Dutch Ace Sneijder

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mikel Obi: It's All Good

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chelsea Players Delighted Essien Available For Start Of Pre-Season

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

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

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

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

Chelsea Prepare £30m Offer For Liverpool Star Fernando Torres

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Redknapp Confirms Levy And Joe Cole Talks

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

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

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

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