Chelsea Ready To Dig Deep To Bring Benzema To Stamford Bridge

Chelsea are rumoured to be ready to make a significant bid to bring Real Madrid misfit Karim Benzema to Stamford Bridge. Carlo Ancelotti is looking to bring in more youthful attacking options as he sees the likes of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka entering the latter stages of their illustrious careers.

The Blues boss was apparently greatly displeased with his sides showing in the Community Shield encounter with Manchester United and as a result is looking to spend big to help beef up his squad ahead of the new season. Jose Mourinho may well be looking at offloading the French international and there were rumours that a deal to bring Ashley Cole to the Bernabeu could have been tied into such an approach but Ancelotti has no desire to sell the full back so will instead try to get the former Lyon man in a straight cash deal.

The young forward hasn’t had the best of times at the La Liga giants and only managed 18 starts in all competitions last term and spend long spells on the bench. There is no sign that the new Real boss will be looking to push him back up the pecking order so if a big enough bid came in then it would surely be considered.

The 22 year old missed out on French World Cup squad due to his lack of first team action and is currently embroiled in a sex scandal that has rocked his home country. He may well therefore be keen on a fresh start and a new challenge.

Real Madrid will be looking to recoup as much of the £34m outlay they spent last summer and Roman Abramovich is apparently more than happy to fund new additions and the west London side haven’t really spent big at all so far this summer, having only spent money on Yossi Benayoun, so clearly funds won’t be an issue.

Chelsea On Alert As Asmir Begovic Demands First-Team Football

Stoke City goalkeeper Asmir Begovic will look to leave the Britannia Stadium unless he is Tony Pulis' first-choice goalkeeper.

Chelsea is thought to be monitoring the situation and could pounce for his signature.

The 23-year-old was excellent at Portsmouth last season and with Pompey desperate for money, he was sold to Stoke City during the January transfer window.

However, Begovic has been unable to unseat Danish World Cup goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen as first choice at Stoke.

The Daily Mirror reports that Begovic will look for a move if it becomes clear that he will sit on the bench and that Chelsea are keep to snap him up.

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti currently has the unconvincing Hilario as back-up for Petr Cech and is keen to add more strength among his goalkeeping options.

Real Madrid To Battle Chelsea For Benfica Centre-Back David Luiz

After sealing an agreement to buy Portuguese centre-half Ricardo Carvalho from Chelsea, Real Madrid is set to battle the Blues for Benfica central defender David Luiz.

Carvalho's expected transfer has paved the way for Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti to sign another non-home-grown player according to new Premier League regulations, and the Mail reported that he is prepared to pay £27 million for Luiz.

Madrid, meanwhile, appear to have given up on buying the expensive Maicon from Inter, and want to sign both Luiz and AC Milan centre-back Thiago Silva , according to the Spanish Marca newspaper.

Benfica are said to be willing to offlaod Luiz to Madrid for 25 million euros plus Dutch midfielder Roysten Drenthe.

Chelsea Desperate To Offload Striker Franco Di Santo

Chelsea are offering Franco Di Santo to clubs around Europe as they attempt to cash in on the striker, according to The People.

Di Santo, 21, is believed to be out of manager Carlo Ancelotti's plans after failing to shine while on loan at Blackburn Rovers last term. With a return of just one goal in 22 Premier League appearances while in Lancashire, he is believed to have little chance of a Blues future.

Dutch sides Feyenoord and FC Twente, plus English pair Bolton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic are believed to be keen. Chelsea is pushing for a £2 million permanent move rather than another temporary switch.

Chelsea's Ricardo Carvalho To Sign For Real Madrid For €8m

Chelsea stalwart Ricardo Carvalho is joining Real Madrid, both clubs have confirmed.

The 32-year-old is thus on the verge of reuniting with his former coach and mentor Jose Mourinho in a deal claimed by Spanish sources to be worth €8m.

Media sources in Spain claim that negotiations have been ongoing between the two clubs for much of Tuesday, but not until the evening did Chelsea announces that the deal was taking place, subject to the agreement of personal terms.

The Blues said, "Chelsea Football Club can confirm it has agreed terms with Real Madrid for the transfer of Ricardo Carvalho. The transfer is subject to a medical and the player agreeing personal terms.

"Chelsea would like to thank Riccy for his six years of service, and we wish him well in his future career."

Real Madrid stated shortly afterwards that Ricardo Carvalho "would be under contract at Real Madrid for the next two seasons," implying that both wages and the medical test were mere formalities.

Neither announcement offered the transfer fee, but €8m is reported to be the sum of the deal. It has been further rumoured that there is a "plus-one" option on Carvalho's two-year deal, but this was not mentioned by the Santiago Bernabeu club.

Carvalho will serve as Madrid's fifth summer signing after wide midfielders Angel Di Maria and Pedro Leon, attacking midfielder-cum-forward Sergio Canales, and central midfielder Sami Khedira.

At the Bernabeu, he will compete with Raul Albiol, Pepe, and Ezequiel Garay for a starting berth, while if Real Madrid sign an attacking full-back, as is expected, he may also have to jostle for position with Sergio Ramos.

Pat Nevin: Looking Good

Legendary Chelsea winger turned pundit Pat Nevin believes things are coming together for the Blues as we approach the start of the Premier League campaign.

Here is an odd thing, I honestly can't remember one single pre-season game in my entire career. I can vaguely sense that I once played with Chelsea somewhere in north-west England or was it north Wales? Actually I can't be sure. Then later on there was some part time thug from a semi-professional team who nearly broke my leg, but could I tell you his team, the score, or who I was even playing for at the time? No chance.

Ask me about the first league game from each of my seasons however and I could probably recall the score, what kind of game it was and how I played. I am sure you get the point, the season starts now as far as professional footballers are concerned. Everything before this weekend has been about fitness, about shaping the side and getting new players to understand the systems as well as the capabilities of their team-mates.

The string of defeats in those pre-season friendlies, including the Community Shield was not what was desired. In truth even though there was a trophy at stake and it was played at Wembley, what is more important, three points against West Brom or that 3-1 defeat to United?

Right now I have to admit to being more upbeat than most about Chelsea's chances in 2010/2011, in fact I am more positive than I was at this time last season, which turned out to be quite good in the end, I think you will agree. Yes Deco, Ballack and Joe Cole have gone but each was a peripheral influence last time round.

I thought Michael Ballack had a very good end to the season when he played deeper in midfield but with Essien back at last and the likelihood of one stronger midfielder coming in soon I think that area could be stronger than ever. Joe Cole is however a bigger question and not an easy one. For what it is worth, not surprisingly I think Joe is a fine player and he will always be respected by Chelsea fans for what he did for the club, but and there is a big but, there is a question, will he be hugely missed?

In my media work I probably went to see Liverpool last season more than anyone apart from Chelsea and have constantly said that Yossi Benayoun is one the best players in the Premier League and certainly among the most imaginative and visionary. His treatment by Rafa Benitez absolutely confounded me, every time he had a good game, made or scored a goal he would get dropped. I am delighted to say that there was never a complaint or an attitude problem from the Israeli, but I was convinced Yossi was in the right and Rafa in the wrong throughout. So not to put too fine a point on it, I think Chelsea have got the best of the deal, I would always choose Benayoun before Cole, anyone listening to my commentaries would know that I am not just saying this because he has arrived at the Bridge.

So even though players have gone and the pre season has been pretty poor, I am not in any way downcast. This year it is a harder Premier League than ever with Man City, Spurs and Everton all improving, but that was needed, the Chelsea/Man Utd duopoly gets a bit boring for everyone else.

What Chelsea needed in the short term was a 'helpful' opening league program to get the players - especially those who have been at the World Cup - back up to speed. A quick glance at the opening five fixtures and I am sure you will agree, it has fallen into our laps almost perfectly. A convincing defeat of new boys West Brom and it will not be struggling Chelsea in the media, it will be double winners Chelsea...and doesn't that still sound good?

Kickz Kids Given Chance To Shine

A number of young participants on Chelsea's anti-crime 'Kickz' initiative have been offered trials at the club after they impressed on the football-based initiative.

Joseph Felix from the Westminster program, Glen Kamara from Kensington and Chelsea and Troy Timothy from Hammersmith and Fulham impressed the coaches and Chelsea scouts with their footballing ability, their attitude and their hard work.

The Kickz project is helping to divert participants away from many of the social problems facing young people, often in some of the most deprived areas in the country. Chelsea now deliver six Kickz projects to over 1,200 young people three times a week in London as well as providing similar social inclusion initiatives in Surrey and Essex.

The projects use the power and appeal of football to build safer, stronger, more respectful communities through the development of young people's potential. They combine football coaching three nights a week in some of the country's most disadvantaged areas alongside a range of educational workshops and opportunities to gain qualifications and increase employability.

'The lads have given their all and their hard work has been rewarded,' said Kickz project manager Daniel GIll. 'They've worked really hard not only at their game but at turning their lives around and these trials will show them and everyone else on the program that if you work hard and apply yourselves opportunities in life do exist.'

Wilkins Reassures Blues Fans Over Defender

Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins has reassured Blues fans regarding the potential departure of Ashley Cole.

Wilkins insists that everything is going well for the English defender at Stamford Bridge in hopes that the transfer speculation will at long last die down.

The left back has been linked with a summer move to Real Madrid to team up with former manager Jose Mourinho.

“Ashley is fine and he has trained extremely well with us,” Wilkins insisted.

“He only came back on the 26th (of July), so he is not at full speed as yet but he seems to be in a good frame of mind and there has certainly been no chat between Ashley and myself as regards him leaving.”

Jose Mourinho is a known admirer of Cole, and after the World Cup the player made several comments that sparked the transfer rumors.

Since then, Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti – and assistant Ray Wilkins – have both warned the La Liga giants off Cole, and Mourinho’s latest comments seem to end all of the speculation.

“Carlo Ancelotti was very, very clear and that’s the best way in football,” said Mourinho, who is entering his first season as Real boss.

“He killed the story by saying, ‘No money can buy Ashley Cole, he needs to stay’.

“I think Ashley thought about leaving for personal and professional reasons. We thought about him because he’s a good player who I enjoyed working with.

“But when a coach says no, it’s no, and we have to accept that.”

McCarthy Rules Out Permanent Mancienne Deal

Manager Mick McCarthy has again confirmed that Wolverhampton Wanderers cannot afford to buy Chelsea's England Under-21s ace Michael Mancienne on a permanent basis.

The 22-year-old, who can play in defence or midfield, impressed while on loan at Molineux last season, but McCarthy says that any return to the Black Country would not be on a permanent basis.

He commented: "I would like to see my quote where I said I would be prepared to pay £4million.

"I am pretty good at remembering what I said, but I am red hot at remembering what I haven't.

"We won't be buying Mancienne. They want to sell him - if they want to loan Michael out again, then that's a different matter altogether.

"I haven't discussed it with Chelsea. From my understanding, they want to sell him and he's asked for a transfer. They want to sell him rather than loan him.

"I would be interested if they want to loan him out again, but that's up to them."

Stoke Snub Chelsea Interest In Asmir Begovic

Stoke City have issued a hands off warning to Chelsea after they declared an interest in signing Asmir Begovic.

Begovic, who joined Stoke from Portsmouth in January, was wanted by Chelsea to act as understudy to Petr Cech even though they already have Hilario and Ross Turnbull on their books.

Manager Tony Pulis has revealed that Chelsea have been in contact about the goalkeeper's availability - but there is no chance that he will be sold.

Begovic, 23, is in a battle with Thomas Sorensen for the first choice position at the Britannia Stadium.

"They (Chelsea) have enquired, but they have been told he is not for sale,'' Pulis told the Stoke Sentinel.”We are trying to bring players in, not let our better players go.''

Pulis also played down the chances of Stoke being able to attract Nice striker Loic Remy.

"He's a very talented young player, but whether we do the deal is another thing,'' Pulis said.”It's not just Stoke interested, but three or four others.''

Mourinho To Battle Chelsea For Lukaku

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho will rival his former club Chelsea in the race for Anderlecht wonderkid Romelu Lukaku.

The 17-year-old is widely regarded as the finest young striker on the continent and has been coveted by a host of Europe’s top clubs. Manchester City and Manchester United have both had scouts in attendance at the striker’s games last season, but the player is believed to favour a move to the current Premier League champions, and is a self-confessed Didier Drogba fan, who he has been likened to.

According to Marca, Mourinho is willing to spend £20 million on the bulky forward in an effort to beat his former club to the chase. Lukaku allegedly has his heart set on a move to Stamford Bridge next year, despite rumoured interest from Manchester United and Manchester City.

The player has already scored 19 goals in 45 games for Anderlecht despite his tender years, and although the club is eager to retain him, the prodigious forward is already one of the most coveted stars on the continent.

Didier Drogba Rules Out Possible Move To Manchester City

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has ruled out any chance of an exit from Stamford Bridge this season.

Reports had claimed that the Ivorian was a target for other big clubs, with Manchester City mentioned as possible suitors, with the striker's agent at one stage claiming the Citizens were interested in his client.

But Drogba is intent upon helping the west London outfit to more success after last season's Premier League and FA Cup double.

"Every summer there is speculation, you saw me in a Chelsea shirt [on Sunday] and I think that is how you will see me all season!" Drogba told his club's official website.

Meanwhile, the Ivorian is expecting City to play a part in this season's title race and push for the top four places.

"We saw last year that Tottenham were there fighting for fourth place, Arsenal were there, so the Premiership will be more open, with Manchester City spending more money and buying quality players," he explained.

Chelsea was the wrong side of a 3-1 scoreline when they faced Manchester United in Sunday's Community Shield at Wembley.

The result does not perturb Drogba too much though, with pre-season having started late for many of Carlo Ancelotti's squad due to the World Cup.

"We are working hard, we have a lot of players who have trained for ten days or a week, it is too short to be fit and ready for big competitions but we have to improve our game even if we are not fit, and hope that in two or three weeks time it will be better," he said.

"The match was disappointing of course but I am not really worried because it is only 10 days since we started working and we need more time together.

"I am disappointed because we lost the game, we had a few chances at the end but more than the defeat today it was important to see and understand that we are not ready yet."

Scott Sinclair Swaps Chelsea For Swansea City After Signing Three-Year Contract

Swansea City have signed Chelsea forward Scott Sinclair on a three-year deal.

Swans' boss Brendan Rodgers has paid an initial £500,000 for the 21-year-old, with the fee possibly rising to over £1million depending on performances.

Sinclair, who can play in midfield or up front, had been at Chelsea since 2005, but only managed to make 5 appearances for the club, spending much of his time on loan at various clubs.

"Scott is obviously a player I know well and I am delighted to sign him," Rodgers told the club's official website.

"He is a big talent and has been a sought-after player since he broke onto the scene.

"As far as I am concerned there is no better place for him than Swansea City. With this group of players, style of football and fantastic fans, this will be a great club for his development.

"He is only 21 and still has big potential. I think this will be a good home for him. He is a great signing for the present and the future and joins a group of exciting young players."

Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins added: "While everyone is aware that we run a tight ship here financially, we will always invest in the team when funds are available.

"I think this signing highlights our intent.

"It is also the club's priority to invest in bright, young talent wherever possible and I don't think you will find many young players with the talent Scott possesses."

Former Chelsea Chief Executive Peter Kenyon Officially Cuts Ties With Club

Controversial former Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has officially cuts all ties with the club after resigning his position as non-executive director.

Kenyon, 56, played a key role in the Roman Abramovich revolution after he was poached from Manchester United in 2003. Ex-manager Jose Mourinho was brought in by him, with the subsequent recruitment drive leading to two successive Premier League titles in 2004-05 and 2005-06.

Kenyon's reign didn't go without criticism and he was slammed for his suspected 'tapping up' of Ashley Cole, pictured with Rio Ferdinand during contract negotiations with United, as well as ousting of ex-boss Claudio Ranieri. He originally resigned from his post of CEO on September 16 2009 and will now concentrate full time on his role with the Creative Artists Agency.

Speaking to the Blues' official website, chairman Bruce Buck said: "Peter presided over the club during a time of great success and unprecedented commercial growth, and subsequently, as non-executive director he was effective in representing Chelsea FC in our dialogue with world football bodies.

"I'd like to thank Peter for everything he's done for this football club and everyone here wishes him well for the future. He'll always be welcome back at Chelsea."

Chelsea Partner With Lucozade Sport

Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce that Lucozade Sport has become the club's official sports nutrition partner.

Lucozade Sport has been the official sports drink of the Premier League since its inception in 1992, bringing with it 18 seasons of experience in elite football.

The sports nutrition brand will be fuelling the Blues for the next three seasons as the club looks to build on a hugely successful 2009/10 term which saw the team win both the Barclays Premier League and The FA Cup.

Lucozade Sport's full range of 26 nutritional products will help Carlo Ancelotti's team be at 100 per cent for every kick-off, drive them throughout the 90 minutes and aid recovery effectively after the final whistle.

Lucozade Sport Scientists will also work closely with Chelsea's backroom staff at the training ground in Cobham.

Stewart Crooks, sponsorship manager for Lucozade Sport, said: 'We are delighted to be teaming up with Chelsea and believe our considerable experience in top-flight football will contribute towards the continued success of the team.'

Ben Wells, head of marketing for Chelsea added: 'Lucozade Sport has an unrivalled heritage in the world of sports nutrition, so it's a natural fit for Chelsea as we aim for further honours this season. Working with Lucozade Sport means that our players have access to safe products that are proven to make a difference.'

Chelsea Face Stiff Champions League Test As Big Beasts Bare Teeth

Last May, as the sun warmed the roof terrace of Chelsea's training complex at Cobham and the chefs put on a barbecue, the glinting Premier League and FA Cup were passed around the staff as nonchalantly as the relish. Carlo Ancelotti was entitled to feel content with all he surveyed. A convivial end of term celebration crowned a debut year in England that could scarcely have been bettered.

The obvious supposition is that the pressure is on for the Italian to improve this season, to somehow enhance his opening act in the months of intense competition to come. That can only equate to one heavyweight calling: the Champions League. It was the four European Cups on Ancelotti's CV (two as a player and two as a coach with Milan) that leapt off the page so there is no reason to assume that the powers at Stamford Bridge are not expectant on that score.

But Ancelotti is a smart and experienced enough football man to know that however much the club's owner, Roman Abramovich, might hunger for a European coronation, however keenly Chelsea's fans might trade another domestic prize for the big one, and however desperate John Terry and his cohorts are to put an end to the gallingly close shaves, the maximum he can guarantee them is his best effort. No more. The rest is down to the Champions League gods. And they clearly do not believe anybody has a divine right to their blessing.

Just look at where a couple of past winners with glowing European pedigree kicked off their continental adventures this season: Liverpool travelled to Skopje to take on Rabotnicki in the Europa Cup qualifiers. Juventus dropped into Dublin to play Shamrock Rovers. What they wouldn't do even to have a shot at aiming for a grand occasion with the Champions League music ringing in their ears at Wembley next summer.

Every season there are a handful of super-strong favourites, yet it is anyone's guess which of them will prevail. Over the past decade, some 14 different teams have reached the final. There have been eight different winners. Only Milan and Barcelona have hoisted the trophy more than once.

Ancelotti is far too shrewd to deliberately or overtly focus his resources during this campaign on the Champions League. The risk of disappointment in a notoriously fickle competition is too great. The field is too strong. The margin of error is too slim.
Just ask Real Madrid about expecting certainties from this competition. They outspent the national debt of several countries this time last year on Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká and Karim Benzema in a bid to give themselves the best chance possible of a fairytale 10th European Cup, won at their home stadium, the Bernabéu. They duly bombed out in the round of 16 for the fifth season running. Now they have installed José Mourinho – the hottest plotter around in terms of this particular tournament – to see if his magic wand will do the trick.

The cult of the coach has perhaps never held quite so much store in Europe's elite tournament. Mourinho made sure of that last season, to the extent that some of the outstanding contributions of his players were a little overshadowed come the curtain call against Louis van Gaal's Bayern Munich in Madrid. Despite the expectation that Mourinho alone can conjure in a flash a ruthless team from the ornate ingredients at his disposal, Real's recent history of blighted hopes in this tournament really should have taught them not to expect a guaranteed miracle. Not that they will be able to help themselves. They will be powerless to resist catapulting their thinking towards another date with the trophy they feel like they part-own.

But let's be honest, no matter the club, the coach, the footballing talent, no one with any sense can go into a season with all their eggs in the Champions League basket.

Mourinho knows the competition is as strong as ever. It took him three years at San Siro, as well as a generously supportive board, to weld together a team capable of taking on everything Europe could throw at them. Having said that, as Van Gaal demonstrated by guiding Bayern to an impressive renaissance, and Pep Guardiola showed the previous year by launching Barcelona into the history books, alchemy can happen quickly with the right blend of quality, unity, inspiration and fortune.

What is changing is the ability of the top teams to challenge on all fronts. Last season Internazionale, Bayern and Chelsea mounted an assault on the Champions League while winning the double at home. Barcelona came close alongside a successful defence of La Liga. The most powerful clubs are setting a heck of a standard, by showing it can be done to go hell for leather on both the domestic and European scenes. Once upon a time, the treble was such a mythical achievement you would be lucky to witness it once in a generation. We have just seen it done two years running.

Anyone thinking about loading extra demands on Ancelotti would do well to swallow a dose of perspective. Chelsea are hardly the only club who hanker after the Champions League like the holiest of grails. It is certainly no lower on the agenda at Barcelona and Real Madrid, at Manchester United, Bayern Munich,Milan and, naturally, at the club where it is now on show – in the trophy room of the holders Inter.

The fact that it is too competitive a field to pick a favourite is part of what gives the Champions League its allure. Mourinho was not wrong when he announced that it was a higher level than the World Cup before Inter's triumph. The only thing we can be sure of from this edition is that a handful of excellent teams, marshalled by first-rate managers, will end up disappointed.

Chelsea Target Asmir Begovic As Back-Up To Injured Petr Cech

Chelsea have expressed an interest in the Stoke City goalkeeper Asmir Begovic as the manager, Carlo Ancelotti, considers his options behind his injured No1 Petr Cech.

Henrique Hilário is Ancelotti's current first-choice back-up ahead of Ross Turnbull and the Portuguese was given the starting nod at Wembley in the Community Shield against Manchester United.

However, both goalkeepers have made errors during the pre-season and have looked shaky at times, forcing Ancelotti to consider whether a new signing might offer more stability.

Begovic, 23, has the added advantage of qualifying as a home-grown player because, despite his Bosnian nationality, he moved to Portsmouth on a youth contract in 2003. That means that although he had loans spells at Macclesfield Town, Bournemouth and Yeovil Town before he turned 21, he has spent the required three years before that birthday training at the academies of English clubs.

Chelsea have only five home-grown players at present – John Terry, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, Michael Mancienne and Turnbull – meaning that, with the Premier League's new regulations stipulating that clubs must name eight such players in a senior squad of no more than 25, Ancelotti stands to play the first half of the season with only 22 senior players.

With Ramires, Benfica's Brazil midfielder, set to move to Stamford Bridge to replace Deco, who has signed for Fluminense, Ancelotti has his full compliment of 17 senior overseas players.

Were he to sign Begovic, he would have the option to loan out Hilário to free up a space for another overseas signing. Chelsea has been linked with a move for the Benfica defender David Luiz.

Cech tore a calf muscle last month and he was ruled out of the pre-season friendlies against Ajax, Eintracht Frankfurt and Hamburg. His total pre-season playing minutes amount to 30 in the opening fixture against Crystal Palace. Ancelotti says that Cech will be fit to face West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League opener at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Begovic cost £3.25m when he moved from Portsmouth to Stoke in last winter's transfer window, a reflection of his ability and potential, but he was unable to dislodge Thomas Sorensen as the manager Tony Pulis's first choice. He made four appearances at the end of the season, after Sorensen injured his shoulder against Chelsea.

Bologna Set To Seal Loan Deal For Chelsea Starlet Nemanja Matic

Serie A side Bologna are hopeful of completing the transfer of young midfielder Nemanja Matic from Premier League giants Chelsea on a one-year loan deal in the coming days, if a report in Corriere dello Sport is to be believed.

The Felsinei are keen to strengthen their team this summer after finishing only one place above the Serie A relegation zone last season. Head coach Franco Colomba supposedly sees Matic as the perfect addition to his squad.

The 21-year-old signed a four-year contract with the Blues last summer, but made only three substitute appearances last season. Matic has already won two caps for the senior Serbian national side, despite his youthful age, but missed out on selection for the 2010 World Cup squad.

The report claims that Bologna are close to reaching an agreement with Chelsea and the transfer could be a done deal sooner rather than later.

Didier Drogba: Blues Need To Find Match Fitness Quickly

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has admitted that the Blues looked a little flat during their Communtiy Shield defeat to Manchester United at Wembley on Sunday.

The Ivorian insists however that the World Cup has affected some players, with late returns to the club meaning that pre-season training has been disrupted.

"We had a difficult pre-season, a lot of players were coming back from holidays," Drogba told Sky Sports News.

"I came back only 10 days ago. I think we have a lot of players like this coming back very late."

That limited pre-season training has made it hard for players to be at their sharpest, but Drogba admits that time is running out for the squad to find full fitness.

He added: "It's difficult to be fit after only days so we'll need more time but the competition is starting next week so we have to find a solution."

Carlo Ancelotti Says Time, Not Transfers, Will Cure Chelsea's Poor Form

Carlo Ancelotti insists there will be no panic buys at Chelsea following their dismal build-up to the new season which culminated in a 3-1 defeat to Manchester United in the Community Shield on Sunday.

The defeat at Wembley marked Chelsea's fourth consecutive defeat as they prepare for their defence of the Premier League title with just one new senior player added to their books this summer.

Aside from Ramires, who is expected to join the London club imminently, Ancelotti insists he is happy with the resources at his disposal and that recent results reflect only the lack of time he has had to work with his World Cup players since they returned to training.

Furthermore, the Italian laughed off the possibility of making further signings as a response to his side's current form.

"Fortunately, it's pre-season," he said. "I think that there is time to come back to win. It was not a good pre-season for results. We lost four games but I think we did our best.

"We need for the players who came back the on July 26 to have more time to train."

Ancelotti does not believe his World Cup players - such as John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba - will be fully match fit for another fortnight.

For that reason, he is grateful for this week's international fixtures, which will give many of his players additional game time.

"The England players are very close to being fit," he said. "It's good for them to play an international game. They could play 70 minutes without a problem."

Despite appearing unconcerned about recent displays, Ancelotti accepts his players need to rediscover their form fast if they are not to be playing catch-up at the start of the season.

"I'm not worried but I think that we have to improve," he said. "We have to have more time in possession."

Ancelotti felt his side played "too slowly" yesterday and allowed United too much time on the ball.

Paul Scholes did most of the damage with a midfield masterclass which Ancelotti was able to appreciate but felt was helped by his own side's lack of match sharpness.

"Scholes is a fantastic player; he played a very good game," he said. "Maybe we gave him more possibility to play well because we didn't put strong pressure on him.

"When you are not fit 100 per cent, it's difficult to put strong pressure on during the game. But he showed fantastic touch, fantastic switch of play. I agree that he was the man of the match."