The Wait is Almost Over!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chelsea Eye Fabio Coentrao As A Possible Replacement For Ashley Cole

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

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

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

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

Villa: Torres More Likely To Join Chelsea

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Schweinsteiger Open To Move

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ancelotti To Push On With Wesley Sneijder Bid

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

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

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

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

Stoney Agrees New Terms

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ancelotti Expects City Signings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aguero Eyes Chelsea Move

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"They have quality players everywhere."

Jose Mourinho Stepping Up Efforts To Buy Chelsea Defender Ashley Cole

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

£70M Price-Tag On Torres

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Germany's Captain Is Michael Ballack - Bastian Schweinsteiger

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cech: Spain Have The Spine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Annan Calm Despite English Interest

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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