Chelsea Warn Ashley Cole The Grass Is No Greener In Madrid

Chelsea chairman, Bruce Buck, believes Ashley Cole would not escape the intrusion into his private life with a transfer to an overseas club.

The Chelsea and England left-back feels hounded in England, where his every movement is tracked by the paparazzi and he has been installed as public enemy No1 in some quarters following his separation from his pop-star wife, Cheryl.

Cole has three years to run on his contract at Stamford Bridge and he loves playing for Chelsea but cannot tolerate the manner in which his private life has been placed under the most unforgiving of microscopes. Quite simply, He is unable to live his life and friends believe the situation has become so bad that he would seriously consider a move to a leading club on the continent.

Real Madrid, who are managed by Cole's former manager at Chelsea, José Mourinho, have an interest in him, although they have yet to make any official contact with the relevant figures at Stamford Bridge. Cole has maintained a good relationship with Mourinho. Buck, however, is not only adamant that Cole is not for sale but he is determined to work with the player to help him to find and enjoy some tranquillity off the pitch.

"Ashley is a superb player. He is a delight to deal with around the football club, he gets on very well with everyone, he trains very well and he is really a model athlete," Buck said. "Obviously, he is not happy with how his private life has become the focus of everything around him and I think we'd like to work with him so that he has a bit of a lower profile. We don't think the problem will change if he went to somewhere else outside of the UK, so I think we want to work with him here to make his personal life more enjoyable."

Buck was asked whether there was the recognition at Chelsea that Cole needed such help. "We say to all our players that might have personal issues that we want to help them as much as we can and even Carlo [Ancelotti, the manager] has said that on several occasions," Buck replied. "There is a limit to what we can do but obviously we want to support our players and we want them to be happy not only on the pitch but also in their private lives. If you are not happy in your private life, it's hard to focus on your professional life."

Were Cole to decamp to Madrid, for example, it is unlikely that the paparazzi would leave him alone, knowing that he might continue to make the news in the United Kingdom. It could even make the situation worse. Buck added he was "not worried" that the intrusion and controversy would drive Cole away. "Ashley Cole is not for sale," he said. "That's the bottom line on that. There's no doubt that he's going to be a Chelsea player this season."

Buck had a similar message over Didier Drogba, in the wake of one of the striker's advisors claiming to have had "direct contact" with Manchester City over a possible move for the striker to Eastlands. Thierno Seydi's comments have been rubbished by City and greeted with faint amusement behind the scenes at Chelsea.

"The club position is pretty straightforward," Buck said. "Didier had the golden boot, Didier had a great season, Didier is an important part of our plans for this season and the future and he is not for sale."

Chelsea have grown weary of being linked to every big name in world football and the latest one came today, when the Brazilian club Santos said they had rejected a bid from Stamford Bridge for the highly rated 18-year-old striker Neymar. Reports in Brazil said that the offer to the club was in the region of £17m.

Buck admitted Chelsea were "looking at some things", having released Joe Cole, Michael Ballack and Juliano Belletti, and with Deco being heavily linked with a move to his native Brazil. Yossi Benayoun, signed from Liverpool, is the club's only summer acquisition thus far, but Buck does not envisage "anything major" in terms of transfers.

"We're very happy with the squad we have now," Buck said, "so if there are any more additions, it will be fine-tuning. Whether or not they'll work out, who knows? We'll just see how it goes over the next six weeks."

Chelsea Insist That Didier Drogba Is Not For Sale Amidst Manchester City Rumours

English champions Chelsea have released a statement indicating that star striker Didier Drogba is staying put at Stamford Bridge.

This follows media speculation on Tuesday suggesting that Manchester City were lining up a bid for the player.

Drogba's agent, Thierno Seydi, said in a radio interview that he had had contact with City.

However, this claim was refuted by the Citizens on Tuesday and now Chelsea themselves have stated that 'the Drog' is not for sale.

"It is all irrelevant, Didier Drogba is not for sale," said a Chelsea spokesman, according to Sky Sports.

Drogba was a key player in the Blues' Premier League success last season.

Real Madrid Prepared To Sweeten Ashley Cole Deal By Offering Kaka To Chelsea

Real Madrid are prepared to break Chelsea's resolve to keep Ashley Cole by offering Brazil superstar Kaka in exchange, according to The Mirror.

The England World Cup 2010 left back is understood to be determined to leave the country due to the press attention following his split from wife, Cheryl. After bringing him to the Blues in 2006, new Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho is reported to be ready to seize the chance to have a reunion with the former Arsenal player.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has declared he has no intention of letting Cole go even for a reported £30 million. This position could be weakened, however, if Kaka was sent to Stamford Bridge in an exchange.

The attacking midfielder endured a debut campaign of disappointment at the Bernabeu after suffering a decline in form and fitness. Ancelotti brought the best out of the £56 million signing at AC Milan and could be tempted by the opportunity bringing the best out of him again.

Chelsea Could Join Manchester United & Manchester City In Race To Sign Inter Striker Mario Balotelli

Chelsea are believed to be lining up a late bid to sign Inter forward Mario Balotelli, should their pursuit of Liverpool hitman Fernando Torres end in a failure to sign the Spaniard.

The 19-year-old Balotelli endured a difficult time under former boss Jose Mourinho, as he was frozen out of the squad on numerous occasions - including a Champions League game against Chelsea.

And despite the appointment of a new manager in the form of Rafael Benitez, the rising star is still being linked with a move away from the San Siro. The Spaniard was recently non-committal about whether or not the former Lumezzane man is set for an exit from the Milan-based club.

Now The Daily Mail reports that the west London club is closely monitoring the situation surrounding the young set-piece specialist's future, as an alternative if they are unable to land Liverpool forward Torres.

Inter were previously reported to be asking £34 million for Balotelli.

Chelsea Fail To Get Neymar From Santos

Chelsea have had a £17million offer for Brazilian teenager Neymar rejected by his club Santos.

The Brazilians claimed Chelsea tabled a bid for the youngster yesterday but it was turned down by Santos, who insists they want £30m for the player regarded as one of the most promising prospects to come out of the country in years.

Chelsea have been following striker Neymar, 18, for a year, and West Ham last week failed with a bid.

Chelsea are also chasing Liverpool star Fernando Torres but Neymar, who has scored 27 goals in all competitions since the turn of the year, would fit the bill of bringing in the world’s best youngsters to the club.

Mourinho Plots Bid For Chelsea Star

Jose Mourinho is preparing another attempt to land Ricardo Carvalho, this time for new club Real Madrid.

The former Blues boss tried to land the Portuguese defender last summer only for the proposed deal to fall through but Chelsea might be more open to an offer in the vicinity of £5million this time round.

Another of Carvalho's former team-mates at Porto, midfielder Deco, also seems finally set to leave Stamford Bridge after two seasons, with Fluminese expected to land the Brazilian-born 32-year-old.

Deco said: "It's been 13 years since I left Brazil for playing in Europe. Now I want to go back home and play in my country because I have never been able to win a title there.

"I want to return to Brazil most of all because of personal reasons but I am still in contract at Chelsea and I have to resolve that.

"Without doubt I know that I owe it to my career to win a title in Brazil. I expect to have my situation resolved before July 26 for being able to travel to Brazil as soon as possible."

Cech A Doubt For Chelsea Opener After Injuring Calf In Training

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech suffered a calf injury in training on Tuesday and could be ruled out for the champions' first Premier League game of the season against West Bromwich Albion.

The Czech Republic international pulled up while running during a session at the club's training ground in Cobham and was taken for a scan to determine the damage with his right leg covered in a protective boot.

Cech, 28, fears the injury could be a recurrence of the tear he suffered last season during the first leg of the Champions League tie with Internazionale in Milan. The injury ruled him out for four weeks during a vital stage of the season and he missed five games, including the return leg against Inter in which Chelsea were eliminated.

Chelsea, whose next game is a friendly against Ajax on Friday, will play against Manchester United in the FA Community Shield at Wembley on 8 August before starting the defence of their Premier League title against West Brom on 14 August.

Sturridge Stepping Up

Despite being one of Chelsea's more senior players at Crystal Palace on Saturday, Daniel Sturridge remains a relative youngster in the first team squad.

The 20-year-old arrived at Stamford Bridge a year ago after leaving Manchester City, and has made steady progress in that time, picking up the first medals of his professional career.

As he explained to the Official Chelsea Website, merely being in the presence of some of his team-mates has aided his development.

'I think all the players have helped me, in some way or another. They all give their input, and the little things that you need to hear,' said the forward.

'It helps a lot, we have a lot of world-class players here, and they always will help the younger players progress in every way possible. This is a good club to learn things off the bigger players.

'As time goes on, those things you learn go into your game, and you end up becoming a better player just off natural instinct. Just training with these players makes you a better player, and the skills that you learn are a huge bonus on the field.'

Now he hopes to put into practice on a regular basis what he has picked up over the past 12 months, and he feels he is not alone in knocking on the door for a regular place. An early pre-season with our World Cup players missing is the perfect opportunity to impress Carlo Ancelotti, who fielded only six players aged 21 or over against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

'Hopefully, now is the time for me to step up and show what I've learned from last season, and to show everyone what I can do,' Sturridge said.

'We have a load of good, young players - Jeffrey Bruma, Patrick van Aanholt, Gael Kakuta - that can step in, they just need an opportunity.

'They need a lot of patience, also, in actually getting into the team, because it's not easy. Now is just one of those situations where a lot of players get their chance, and they're all working very hard. We've got a lot of players here that can make the grade, and all the young players should get an opportunity to show that.'

Manchester City Deny Interest In Signing Chelsea Star Didier Drogba

Manchester City have moved to distance themselves from the speculation linking them with a possible swoop for Chelsea striker Didier Drogba this summer.

Drogba's agent Thierno Seydi had stated that he had had "direct contact" with City and that there might be some surprising events before the end of the transfer window.

However, City, whose prime striking target this summer appears to be Inter's Mario Balotelli, have denied that they are lining up a bid for the Ivorian front man.

"We can categorically state we have no interest in signing Didier Drogba and any suggestion of an approach is entirely without foundation," City's director of communications Vicky Kloss told The Times.

Rafael Benitez Open To Mario Balotelli Sale As Chelsea Try To Hijack Manchester City's Deal

Inter coach Rafael Benitez has opened the door to Mario Balotelli leaving the club as Chelsea cut across Manchester City's path for the striker.

Massimo Moratti and the player's agent Mino Raiola ran the rule over the hitman after suggesting he was likely to leave.

The club chief said City's interest was real, whereas Raiola confirmed on Monday his client was heading out as "all doors remained open," hinting other clubs were on standby in case City talks crumble.

And Benitez has joined the chorus of voices as he holds the door from closing. The Spaniard's words, aware Balotelli is negotiating with City who are in Italy to close a deal, suggest he is relying on Samuel Eto'o for next season.

The coach also admitted he would be powerless to stop Balotelli from being sold as he steps away from talks.

"Balotelli? Let’s wait and see what happens. The club decides the transfer market and I adapt. The fact remains that one player doesn't make the team, and Inter have plenty of strong players," Benitez told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I have spoken to Eto'o. He is a great professional and is ready to do what the team needs."

City appear strongest to sign the striker, but Raiola's throw-away line of "all doors remain open, there are other clubs," has led to reports claiming Chelsea are trying to stop City and shop the hitman.

Gazzetta reports Inter have received a substantial offer from City, but they are waiting for Chelsea to make their move and respond.

They are keen on "Supermario" as coach Carlo Ancelotti feels he will be a better partner for Didier Drogba compared to Fernando Torres - the Blues other notable target.

It seems Inter are hoping the trio of clubs, Manchester United are also hovering, contend each other in a bidding frenzy as they press for the best possible deal.

Sky Sport Italia claim Balotelli will not leave with the team for their friendly tour at the weekend, adding further weight that he will seal his transfer to the Premier League by the end of the week.

Chelsea Plan £25m Bid For Santos Striker Neymar

Chelsea are set to splash the cash to land £25 million-rated Santos starlet Neymar, according to The Express.

Neymar, 18, is regarded as one of the most exciting youngsters in world football and has already helped himself to 12 goals in 35 first team appearances.

This form had seen Manchester City agree a first option for the player with Santos — which expires when Robinho's loan ends on August 4 — and prompted West Ham United to make a £16 million bid, which was rejected, earlier this month.

Chelsea were rumoured to be behind this offer, and had planned to loan the striker to the Hammers for next season.

After this deal fell through, Carlo Ancelotti is understood to have sanctioned another massive bid which would see the player arrive at Stamford Bridge immediately if accepted.

Chelsea Winger Scott Sinclair Hoping For 'Look In' At The Club Next Season

Chelsea winger Scott Sinclair is hopeful a strong pre-season can make him a first team fixture at the club.

Sinclair, 21, has been sent out on loan to a number of sides since signing from Bristol Rovers in 2005. After grabbing one goal in 18 Premier League appearances for Wigan Athletic last season, the England youth international is hopeful for a shot at success at Stamford Bridge.

Speaking to the club's website, Sinclair hoped to build on his 30-minute cameo in the 1-0 weekend friendly victory against Crystal Palace — where he spent a spell on loan in 2008.

"I thought I gave them a few problems and I got a free-kick which I thought was a penalty," Sinclair said.

"It was in the box but the ref said he gave them the benefit of the doubt.

"It was nice coming back to Palace and seeing a few players I know and it is good to be back at Chelsea. Hopefully I will get a look in for the start of the season.

"The double training sessions are getting harder and harder as we go along. I am fit anyway and in a couple more weeks I should be up to a high standard of fitness."

Chelsea On Alert As Kaka And Rafael van der Vaart Near Madrid Exit

Real Madrid are once again ready to twist the knife into Roman Abramovich's grand plans with an £18million move for Germany's World Cup star Mesut Ozil.

The 21-year-old Werder Bremen midfielder is the most coveted player in Europe, but Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has made a bold move to line up Ozil, plus his national team-mates Sami Khedira of Stuttgart and Mario Gomez from Bayern Munich, for a combined £58million.

Not satisfied with wrecking Chelsea's Champions League dream with Inter Milan last season, the former Stamford Bridge darling is destined to leave his old employer bristling with envy once again.

The fall-out at Real Madrid will be intriguing. As Sportsmail revealed last month, the entrance door for Liverpool's Steven Gerrard no longer seems ajar as Madrid president Florentino Perez demands younger players of better value.

Chelsea targets Kaka and Rafael van der Vaart may be heading for the exit. With Khedira to come, Xabi Alonso pivotal and Angel Di Maria competing with Cristiano Ronaldo on the wing, there will be little room for manoeuvre.

Chelsea may have little desire to take scraps from the Real Madrid table but Kaka is no mere crumb of comfort while Van der Vaart still has plenty to offer as one of his fans, Chelsea director of football Frank Arnesen, will testify.

When Ozil left Gareth Barry and Co floundering during their World Cup humiliation, England took notice.

Abramovich was transfixed and decided then this was the player Chelsea had to have. A devout Muslim of Turkish descent, Ozil's quick feet and speed of thought have long marked him out as a star. Bremen thought as much when they splashed out £4million for him as an 18-year-old - a record German sum for a teenager.

'He's like a ghost, the way he arrives into the box unnoticed,' said one Manchester United scout. Yet it seems the obvious luxuries and the allure of the Premier League are not enough for the wunderkind from Gelsenkirchen.

Arsenal have watched him for two years; Manchester City, of course, were interested; Manchester United asked to be kept informed - having first courted him as a teenager - but Ozil, the self-confessed Barcelona fan who Franz Beckenbauer compares to Lionel Messi, has instead set his sights on becoming the new idol of the Bernabeu.

All eyes are now on Ozil and his fellow Germans to see which way they jump. Bremen general manager Klaus Allofs says he has not given up the 'ghost' but Madrid insiders claim the deal is close.

Allofs said: 'I have been told by the newspapers about these reports. But I insist that we have received no enquiries or offers for the player.

'We remain in regular contact with Mesut and his agent. We had our ideas but we have not been able to bring this to an end. We are not angry, no way. We intend to keep on trying.'

It looks like the Special One has beaten everyone to it.

Joe Cole Secures Liverpool Move

Liverpool have signed former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole on a free transfer.

The 28-year-old England international left Stamford Bridge at the end of last season after failing to agree a new contract with the club and has agreed personal terms on a four-year deal at Anfield.

The England midfielder will undergo a medical in the next 48 hours.

Cole was linked with a number of Barclays Premier League sides, including Arsenal and Tottenham, but has opted to move to Merseyside.

He could have gone to a team offering Champions League football but has chosen to join new Reds boss Roy Hodgson at Anfield even though they can only offer the Europa League this season.

The capture of Cole was seen as being a key factor in proving to the likes of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, who have both been linked with departures after a disappointing seventh-placed finish in Rafael Benitez's final season in charge, that Liverpool can still compete for quality signings.

Cole is the second summer arrival at Liverpool after Serbia forward Milan Jovanovic joined following the expiration of his contract with Standard Liege.

Cole will be seen as a direct replacement for Yossi Benayoun, who coincidentally moved to Chelsea for £5.5million earlier this month, and only time will tell who got the better of that exchange.

Hodgson is still on the look-out for a new left-back with Fabio Aurelio having left and Emiliano Insua on the verge of completing his move to Fiorentina.

After that the Liverpool boss will hope to secure commitments from Gerrard and Torres about their futures.

Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp, whose father Harry was keen on signing Cole for Spurs, said reports the player was holding out for the most lucrative contract were unfair.

"From what I know, compared to other players in the Premier League now, he's not being greedy at all,'' Redknapp told Sky Sports News.

"He just wants a good deal and rightfully so - he's a free agent and he's worked that situation nicely - but I know he's not asking for anything astronomical, like what is being portrayed in the press.

"He's just looking for the right club and he needs to play football now.

"He missed a lot of time at Chelsea last season with his knee injury and didn't quite get back to the level he showed previously.

"He needs to go somewhere, be loved, and play football and get back to being the Joe Cole we all know.''

Young Plymouth Argyle Squad's Late Strikes Stun Chelsea

Substitutes Lewis Coombes and James Golby scored late goals for Argyle Under-18s in an impressive, if unexpected victory over FA Youth Cup holders Chelsea, at Cobham.

The Surrey success was the junior Greens' second successive 2-1 win over Premier League Academy opposition, after their triumph at West Bromwich Albion.

Argyle assistant youth coach Kevin Nancekivell said: "We weathered the storm in the first 20 minutes and needed Ollie Chenoweth to produce three fantastic saves.

"Once we got through that we found our feet and gradually imposed ourselves.

"The second-half was very even. We looked bright and threatened as much as Chelsea and, in the end, got our reward."

Nancekivell added: "I have to say the attitude and application of the lads in the first two weeks of pre-season has been absolutely outstanding."

The Pilgrims had to survive an opening blitz from the Blues' youngsters during a one-sided first 20 minutes.

They emerged unscathed due to some wayward shooting from the home forwards and three fine saves from goalkeeper Chenoweth.

First-year professional Chenoweth, 18, from Liskeard, was playing his first pre-season match action after being omitted from the senior squad's trip to the Netherlands.

The powerful defending of centre-back Curtis Nelson and ball-winning attributes of midfielder Jordan Berry came to the forem, as the Greens began to turn the tide.

Right-back Jack Stephens, left-winger Jake Baker and striker Matt Rickard all threatened to open the scoring. And, on the stroke of half-time, centre-back Sam Sawyer sent a header from a right-wing free kick thudding onto the Chelsea crossbar.

Midfielder Jordan Copp and Rickard went close to breaking the deadlock early in the second half, but the Greens had to wait until the 81st minute to pierce the home rearguard.

Second-year apprentice Coombes, who lives in Lipson, drifted to the near post to sidefoot a right-wing corner from Copp into the net.

Three minutes later Argyle doubled their advantage when Sawyer set up Golby, a 16-year-old trialist from Somerton in Somerset, to coolly lob the home keeper from 20 yards

Chelsea pulled one back a minute later from the penalty spot, after Nelson was adjudged to have brought down his opponent, but it was too little too late to deny the cock-a-hoop Pilgrims.

Next up for the young Greens are games against two Championship Academy sides — at Watford, on Thursday, at their London Colney training ground (1pm) and on Saturday at Reading at their Hogwood Park training complex (11am).

Argyle: Ollie Chenoweth, Jack Stephens, Connor Clifford, Dan Hart (Jordan Copp, 46), Curtis Nelson, Sam Sawyer, Jed Harper-Penman, Jordan Berry (Tom Hurley, 67), Matt Rickard (Lewis Coombes, 67), Jared Sims (James Golby, 60), Jake Baker.

Keepers On The Up

First team numbers at Cobham may be low, but the goalkeeping department has a 'perfect situation' with a full complement available to coach Christophe Lollichon.

Petr Cech, Hilario and Ross Turnbull each played half an hour of Saturday's 1-0 win at Crystal Palace after reporting back for pre-season training on July 5, weeks earlier than the Chelsea men who played at the World Cup in South Africa this summer.

It means Lollichon has been able to get down to work quickly, and he is delighted with how things are coming together.

'It is a perfect situation with the goalkeepers because we can work how we want. If we had just one or two goalkeepers we would have to work a lot to catch up and have the same preparation. Now it is perfect, we have lots of time and good organisation,' he said.

'For the pre-season I like them to start with the other players because I think it's important the goalkeepers work with them to be a part of the group, and to play with their feet. It is very interesting and is a good thing to work the cardiovascular system. After that, the work is different in the gym, and we started to work specifically in the second week.

'The match on Saturday was very good, it was a good way for the goalkeepers to play for the same time and the atmosphere in this group is fantastic. I am happy after the game because I liked their positions and they were like leaders with a lot of young players.

'They all talked very well, the goalkeepers are like the grandfather of the young team because they play behind the defence and have to talk all the time with intelligence.'

As previously, Cech will begin the season as undisputed number one, though Lollichon has identified targets for each of his three men to focus on.

'We have three different goalkeepers. We have Petr Cech at the top and two substitutes,' he explained. 'These two substitutes are not similar, they are at different stages.

'Ross continues to learn his job and showed a good improvement last year, Hilario knows the situation and I have to be careful to manage his work, it is not the same as Ross, his best target is to maintain his quality.

'For Petr Cech he has to stay on top of the world, he has tactical and physical targets, but technically it is difficult to improve.'

Czech Republic's failure to qualify for the World Cup has left Cech, 28, with an unexpected football-free summer, which Lollichon believes will be beneficial in the months ahead.

'It is not a good thing for him because he loves all competitions, and I think he has a big target in his career to win an international tournament,' he argued. 'But, no World Cup gives him a very good rest. It is a good consequence. In training he is very fresh, but I think he would have preferred to play in the World Cup.'

The next match action comes on Friday at Ajax, with Cech again expected to start behind an experimental young side.

Carlo Ancelotti Sets Sights On Historic Treble After Chelsea's 'Early' Euro Exit Last Season

Carlo Ancelotti led Chelsea to the Double in his first season in English football but now wants to go one better and win the Champions League.

The Chelsea boss believes his squad can defend their Premier League and FA Cup titles and improve on last season’s defeat by Inter Milan in the knock-out round of Europe’s elite club competition.

Ancelotti said: ‘Our aim is to do better than last year in the Champions League. We went out too early. It is not so easy to be competitive in every competition.

‘We have to defend the Premier League title. We want to do our best in all the competitions.’

The 51-year-old taunted Premier League runners up Manchester United with claims Manchester City could be pushing Chelsea for the title next May.

‘I think they will do better in respect to last season,’ he said. ‘They have a lot of fantastic players and could be an important opponent.’

The Italian would not comment on reports linking Chelsea with Liverpool’s Fernando Torres, insisting he does not need another striker.

Ancelotti also rebuffed suggestions of Ashley Cole joining Real Madrid.

‘Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka come back in the next days, and we also have Daniel Sturridge — so I don’t think we need other strikers. I’m happy to have this squad at the moment.

‘Cole will be important for us next season. 100 per cent. We have to maintain the same feeling.’

Chelsea began their pre-season campaign by beating Crystal Palace 1-0 on Saturday, thanks to a left-foot Michael Essien drive after 60 minutes.

It was the 27-year-old’s first appearance since injuring his left knee training with Ghana for the Africa Cup of Nations in January.

He said: ‘The knee is good. There is no more pain.’

Nigeria midfielder John Mikel Obi completed his comeback after a knee operation in May. Centre-half Alex, who is also returning from knee surgery, played an hour.

Chelsea Boost As Ozil's Werder Talks Collapse

Mesut Ozil could join Chelsea or Real Madrid after his club Werder Bremen failed to strike a fresh deal with the player.

The 21-year-old has entered the final year of his contract and talks to extend the deal failed to succeed at the weekend.

Ozil can now leave on a free transfer next summer, prompting Bremen to cash in on one of the stars of the World Cup.

Interested clubs would have to cough up around £22million.

“We had hoped to reach agreement after the World Cup, but we could not find a solution,” said Klaus Allofs, the Bremen sporting director.

Chelsea Youngster Jeffrey Bruma To Sign Loan Deal With Wolfsburg

Chelsea starlet Jeffrey Bruma is reported to be close to going out on loan to Wolfsburg.

The manager of the Bundesliga club, Steve McClaren, was interested in the young defender during his time at Twente, according to The Mirror.

And he is now believed to be viewing the 18-year-old as an important target during the current transfer window.

It is believed that the Blues do not see the versatile defender - who can play at right-back as well as in the centre of defence - as a player who could break into the first-team in the upcoming season, and are consequently willing to let the talented Dutchman go out on loan to the German heavyweights.

Bruma made an appearance for Chelsea in their 1-0 pre-season friendly victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

Wigan Athletic Plotting Loan Move For Chelsea Striker Franco Di Santo

Wigan Athletic are reported to be interested in signing Chelsea striker Franco Di Santo on loan.

The tall forward spent last season on loan with Blackburn Rovers, but managed to score only once in 22 appearances in the Premier League.

The 21-year-old is now rumoured to be surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge, and has been linked with moves away from the club.

The Mirror reports that the Latics are interested in taking the former Audax Italiano hitman on loan to the DW Stadium, amidst interest from Bolton Wanderers, Feyenoord and Twente.

If the potential transfer of Di Santo reaches fruition, the striker could be paired alongside fellow Argentine forward Mauro Boselli by Wigan manager Roberto Martinez.