Chelsea

City wait for Wright-Phillips bid
Manchester City midfielder Shaun Wright-Phillips returned for pre-season training on Thursday with his club still waiting for a bid from Chelsea. The Blues are poised to offer about £20m for the 23-year-old but City have had no contact yet from Chelsea. Manager Jose Mourinho is back from a break and after missing out on Steven Gerrard is keen to tie up the signing. City are in no hurry to part company with Wright-Phillips despite reported debts of about £60m. And they also know the player is happy at the club and in no hurry to leave - a state of affairs certain to strengthen their bargaining position. Wright-Phillips only signed a new contract last season and has said he is not looking for a move, stressing his contentment. Wright-Phillips joined City in the summer of 1998 having been a trainee at Nottingham Forest and has played almost 150 games for the club. Arsenal were also thought to be keen to sign him but could not compete with the spending power of Blues owner Roman Abramovich. Chelsea, who have also agreed a compensation deal with Tottenham over sporting director Frank Arneson, spent £8m earlier in the summer on Athletic Bilbao left-back Asier Del Horno.

Gerrard in shock Liverpool U-turn
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has had a dramatic change of heart and decided to stay at Anfield. The 25-year-old told Liverpool he wanted to leave after contract negotiations broke down. Chelsea looked set to land Gerrard after having an initial £32m bid rejected by Liverpool. But Gerrard has had another change of heart after talks with chief executive Rick Parry, who said: "He realises how much the club means to him." Gerrard is now expected to sign the new contract on offer worth £100,000-a-week, a deal he initially snubbed. Chelsea will be bitterly disappointed at the development after failing to land Gerrard in similar fashion last summer, when he was on the verge of a move to Stamford Bridge only to pull out at the last minute. Parry had admitted defeat in the battle to keep Gerrard at Liverpool on Tuesday, but emerged on Wednesday morning to reveal the sensational twist. He said: "Stevie's decided to stay. It's a little bit like last year, only even more dramatic. "In the language he used to us, he never said he wanted to go. He never said 'I wanted to go'. "I think in the last 24 hours he has reflected on it, he's thought it through and he wants to stay. "There were lots of late-night phone calls and early morning phone calls. I couldn't be more delighted. It is what we wanted all along." And he added he expected no problems over the new contract, saying: "I think that's already hammered out. I don't think there is an issue with that any more." Gerrard's discontent is believed to have sprung from a feeling that he was not wanted at Liverpool because of delays over agreeing a new contract. And Parry admitted: "I've apologised to Stevie if I have misread his emotions. "I guess after winning the Champions League in Istanbul I thought I knew where we were going but he clearly thought for whatever reason that the club wasn't as enthusiastic about keeping him as we might have been. He was anxious. "There were one or two issues with the contract which he took to mean a lack of enthusiasm on our part, which it wasn't. He understands that now. "We've had some emotional moments together, cleared everything up and I don't think this will happen again." Gerrard also defended his agent Struan Marshall, who has been accused by fans of trying to engineer a move away from Liverpool. He said: "There seems to be a lot of blame heading in his direction over recent events. "I can say from the bottom of my heart that he has carried out my wishes and I want to thank him for his support during this difficult period."

Chelsea link to Ronaldino denied
Ronaldinho's agent has denied Spanish radio reports that have claimed Chelsea are set to make a £54.5m swoop for the Barcelona forward. Spanish football show El Tirachinas, which is broadcast on Radio Cope, insisted that the Premiership champions have agreed a deal with the Brazilian. But the 25-year-old's agent and brother Roberto de Assis said: "I do not know anything of this offer. "Nothing has arrived yet, although in football you can never be surprised." Ronaldinho was rumoured to be unsettled at the Nou Camp following the resignation of former Barca vice-president Sandro Rosell, who quit after a long-running dispute with president Joan Laporta. However, the player insisted he was happy at the Nou Camp when reports of a move to Chelsea surfaced in December - when he was named as Fifa's World Player of the Year.

Crespo to stay at Stamford Bridge
Premiership champions Chelsea have confirmed Argentine striker Hernan Crespo will play for them next season. The 30-year-old spent last term on loan at AC Milan and had hoped to return to Italy, but Chelsea say he will be playing at Stamford Bridge. "We're delighted Hernan is coming back, he had a great season at Milan and showed what a good player he is," said Blues' chief executive Peter Kenyon. "He is happy to be coming back and I know he will be welcomed by everyone." Crespo had made no secret throughout the summer of his desire to stay with Milan, after a successful season at the San Siro. But Chelsea's failure to land a big-name striker and Milan's capture of Christian Vieiri meant the former Lazio hitman's permanent move to Italy never transpired. Crespo now believes he has a fantastic opportunity to cement a place in manager Jose Mourinho's starting line up. "Peter Kenyon was very important in my return, he told me that I have the quality to be the best striker in the Premiership," Crespo told the Daily Star. "Chelsea now are a completely different club to the one of a year ago, they have gone forward in every respect and for me that is positive. "It's an important year ahead of the World Cup, I want to be in the Argentina squad and I have to have a good season to achieve that." Crespo signed for Chelsea in 2003 for £16.8m.

Chelsea finalise Arnesen switch
Spurs sporting director Frank Arnesen has finalised his controversial switch to Premiership champions Chelsea. A compensation settlement, reported to be around £8m, was agreed after Spurs threatened to report Chelsea for an illegal approach to the Dane. And Arnesen will officially move to Stamford Bridge on 1 September. A suspension imposed after news of his move to Chelsea leaked out has ended, and he will continue to work for Spurs until he makes the switch. A Spurs statement read: "Frank Arnesen will remain employed by Tottenham until 31 August 2005. Frank has been assisting the Club throughout his period of suspension, which is now ended, and will continue to do so untilhis employment terminates. "The Club is confident that Frank will carry out his duties in a thoroughly professional manner."

Terry praise for Wright-Phillips
Chelsea captain John Terry believes his new team-mate Shaun Wright-Phillips is as good a player as Wayne Rooney. Wright-Phillips completed his £21m move to Stamford Bridge on Monday, and Terry admitted he was delighted the 23-year-old was joining the Blues. Terry said: "When you look at the young, exciting English players, there's Shaun Wright-Phillips, Wayne Rooney and maybe a couple of others. "In terms of ability he's up there with Rooney," he added. "Wright-Phillips is a fantastic signing and it's a relief to have him on our side rather than playing against him. "He's a real threat, beats defenders and puts crosses in. He scores goals and makes goals and I'm looking forward to playing with him and winning trophies with him. "It's a double boost in a way because he's playing for us and not for Arsenal. "I've seen him away with England squads and know that coming to us he'll improve and we'll improve as a club. "Ashley Cole and Wayne Bridge speak very highly of him. Bridgey's words were 'thank God I don't have to play against him again'." Wright-Phillips is expected to battle with Arjen Robben, Damien Duff and Joe Cole for the two attacking wide positions in the side. But Robben was delighted to see the arrival of such a promising player. He said: "He can be good for us. I think he is similar to me. He can run quick and fast. He plays on the right, I play more on the left, but he is a great player with a great dribble and great pace. "We may have the strongest midfield in Europe now, but maybe we had the strongest last year already." Blues midfielder Frank Lampard believes manager Jose Mourinho will have few problems keeping all of his wide men happy. "The manager will do as he sees fit," he said. "We have a lot of big players that have to be kept happy, but at the same time we have to try to keep a settled team. "That is what we had last season and it was a big reason for our success."

Robben under pressure
Shaun Wright-Phillips' £21m arrival at Chelsea does not just mean they have captured a quality player - it shows manager Jose Mourinho is intent on building a dynasty at Stamford Bridge. And it also opens up some interesting sub-plots about who will be playing where for Chelsea next season. Mourinho likes two players for every position, but I think the arrival of Wright-Phillips may just leave Arjen Robben a little vulnerable. Don't get me wrong - Robben was fantastic for a part of last season and I'm not suggesting he will be moved on. But he had a lot of injuries and people know more about him now. There were also whispers, only speculation I should stress, in the media that he was reluctant to play through injuries. There is a mentality over here that you try and play with the odd knock, but in other countries the philosophy among players is that they will play when they are ready. There is no right or wrong on that one, but the arrival of Wright-Phillips emphasises that no-one is indispensible at Chelsea. As a former Chelsea right-winger myself, I know the crowd will love him and his style at Stamford Bridge. He is exciting and regarded as one of the top young English talents in the game today. Mourinho clearly wants to have a core of top-class English players, and Shaun fits right into that philosophy. I sometimes look at players and wish I had something they had - and as a one-time winger I wish I had Shaun's pace. He's got skill as well as pace, is really fit and scores goals. He's got things to learn but he will have the perfect opportunity to do that under Mourinho. His arrival is further confirmation to me that Mourinho is building something long-term at Chelsea, and something with a very English heartbeat. Some managers with money buy the finished article and then have to rebuild the whole system a few years down the line. Mourinho has gone for young players who he can mould and develop - he seems to steer clear of 30-plus players who may not be willing or able to buy into the concept he is trying to foster at Stamford Bridge. I suppose if there is a concern for the new boy, it is that Wright-Phillips faces serious competition for his place for Robben, Damien Duff and Joe Cole, although I'm sure he weighed all that up. The concern for England is that he may not play enough games in the season leading up to a World Cup, and for Shaun he will also want to play enough games to make an impact. It would be a worry for England if that happens, and he will certainly not want to disappear into the black hole that seemed to consume Scott Parker at Chelsea, although Scott was also unlucky with injuries. But if there are any worries, Shaun need only look at how Joe Cole flourished after it looked as if his career had stalled. If you are good enough, you will play under Mourinho. If Shaun is good enough, then Mourinho will have faith in him, as he proved with Cole. It's a really good buy for Chelsea and it will be interesting to see how the battle for places pans out.

Lyon stand firm over Essien fee
Lyon have once again told Chelsea they will not accept less than £32m for midfielder Michael Essien. Club chairman Jean-Michel Aulas has told the Blues they must pay the price they offered for Steven Gerrard before he decided to stay at Anfield. Aulas told French newspaper L'Equipe: "Forty-five million euros. That's the figure. We'll sell Michael for the price of Gerrard. "They're going to pay up or my name's not Aulas." Aulas wants the deal concluded by 25 July and despite the asking price, which would be a British record fee, Chelsea chairman Peter Kenyon said on Tuesday he was confident of landing Essien. "Michael Essien is well and truly still an important acquisition for us. We've made two offers and had meetings with Lyon," he said. "We've still got quite a long way to go but I'm hopeful it will come off." Essien, whose contract with Lyon ends in 2008, has made it clear he wants to go to Chelsea. "I think the transfer will be made," he said. "I am convinced that I will go to Chelsea but in the meantime I am experiencing difficult times. "I can't wait until everything is over. I also spoke with Didier Drogba and he wants me to come." Aulas admitted that the player has shown signs of being unhappy over their refusal to sell. "I wouldn't say he's being deliberately difficult but he's a very unhappy man and that hurts the rest of the squad," said Aulas. Kenyon added: "They don't want to lose a player of his quality but we want to acquire a player of that quality and Michael has made it quite plain that he would like to join Chelsea and seize that opportunity. "He sees it as a natural progression for him to move on from being France's top player." Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is still keen on signing Essien, saying: "We have still a space in midfield. "It's not somewhere we have problems. We're not in trouble but we have a space. So, during the open market if we can get a good player we'll do it."

Shevchenko will not leave Milan
AC Milan's Andriy Shevchenko insisted he is happy at the club, quashing rumours he may leave after a training ground row with coach Carlo Ancelotti. The incident led to speculation the Ukrainian striker could soon be on his way to Premiership champions Chelsea. But the 29-year-old said: "If Milan wanted to sell me I wouldn't leave. I have no intention of leaving this club. "Milan wants me and I want Milan, that is enough for me," added the former Dynamo Kiev player. Chelsea reportedly had a £57m bid for the forward turned down this summer. At the time Shevchenko said he was happy to stay - but then Milan bought strikers Christian Vieri and Alberto Gilardino. And it was thought Chelsea's interest could be revived after Italian television cameras caught Shevchenko arguing with Ancelotti on Monday. He is reported to have told Ancelotti during training: "If you want me here fine but if not I'll leave." But Shevchenko's spokesman told BBC Sport the player was staying at Milan. He said neither the player nor the club was taking the incident too seriously, and that Shevchenko was happy at the San Siro. And while Ancelotti confirmed there was a disagreement, he was quick to try and diffuse the situation. He said: "Shevchenko remains a key figure for Milan. I can assure you he will stay at Milan and I don't think there were any doubts. "It was simply a normal argument between a coach and a player."

Wright-Phillips moved to improve
New Chelsea signing Shaun Wright-Phillips says he left Manchester City to improve himself as a player and to win honours. Wright-Phillips completed his £21m transfer on Monday and said he hopes City fans "understand". He said: "I want to be a better player and Chelsea is the club to do it with. "I moved to Chelsea to win medals and challenge for awards. This is an opportunity of a lifetime - to have not come would be a mistake in my career." The England international gave City boss Stuart Pearce assurances he would not leave City just before switching to Stamford Bridge. But he admitted that, in the end, he could not resist the lure of the Premiership champions. He added: "It was upsetting. But Stuart Pearce was a player and he understands the way football is. "I'm sure he, and most players, would have done the same and taken the chance." Blues boss Jose Mourinho is confident the England international will flourish at Stamford Bridge but offered no assurances about him holding down a first-team spot. Wright-Phillips will be vying for one of the two wide roles with Damien Duff, Arjen Robben and Joe Cole but Mourinho said he would not be having too many sleepless nights about who to leave out: "It's not my problem. It's their problem.," he said. "Shaun was involved with a good team and good players but Chelsea are a better team with better players and his conditions to improve are better. "As a player he is too young to stay at this level. I will be sad in a few years if he is not a better player." And Mourinho was convinced Wright-Phillips will soon adapt to Chelsea's style of play - which often sees one lone striker and two wide players who are also expected to fulfil their defensive duties. Mourinho added: "I like to give freedom but there are certain principles of our play that you cannot lose but he is a very intelligent boy. "If you have a players like Shaun you must use his potential. He can be a more a pure winger than our other players but at the same time he can also play from inside. He can play on the right the left or the centre."

Ferguson lays down title gauntlet
Sir Alex Ferguson has warned rival Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho his Manchester United side are ready to wrestle the title back to Old Trafford. United finished third and 18 points behind Chelsea last season. But Ferguson said: "Arsenal went through a season not losing and Chelsea lost only one game last season. But this club is ready to challenge them. "The bar might have been raised but there is still nothing between our side and Chelsea's." He added: "This club is used to challenges," he said. "We have always been faced with them, always accepted them and come through. "And we are looking forward to this challenge. "There is no doubt that in the last three years the standard of the Premiership has increased. "Chelsea had an unusual season last time and I think they will find that difficult to replicate. "Last season our preparation was hampered - this time it will not be. Mourinho is expecting a tougher Premiership challenge after winning the title in his first season in charge at Stamford Bridge. "The other teams are not happy because they lost," he said. "They have the quality and conditions to improve and have set new targets. "We are the champions and everyone wants to beat us. "For example Sir Alex Ferguson is saying Manchester United cannot lose a game. "I've seen quotes from players like Ryan Giggs and Steven Gerrard saying how much they want to win and this makes it difficult for us."

Chelsea set for new Essien talks
Chelsea are happy to wait until the last day of the transfer window to sign Michael Essien - if they have to. The Blues, currently on tour in the USA, are set to re-open talks with Lyon who are holding out for more than £30m for the 22-year-old Ghana midfielder. "Negotiations should begin again this week," confirmed Stamford Bridge chief executive Peter Kenyon. "Ideally we wanted to have him on this trip but as long as Essien is here by 31 August we will be happy." Essien, who has already been the subject of £17m and £18m bids from Chelsea this summer, has begged Blues owner Roman Abramovich to meet Lyon's demands. "I have the feeling Lyon will not sell for anything less than £35m," he told the News of the World. "My last hope is Abramovich. It is he who has to make the decision. I hope he will meet their demands." Essien travelled with the Lyon squad to South Korea and played in their 3-1 defeat by Tottenham in the final of the Peace Cup at the World Cup Stadium in Seoul. Lyon chairman Jean-Michel Aulas has previously insisted that Essien is not for sale but the player is adamant he wants to move to Chelsea. Essien added: "I cannot see myself staying at Lyon - no way. "I don't even want to think about it. It is now in the hands of Abramovich."

Chelsea 1-0 AC Milan
Arjen Robben's left-footed strike after 12 minutes topped an impressive display as Premiership champions Chelsea beat a strong Milan side in Boston. Eidur Gudjohnsen had a goal ruled out for offside while Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba also went close. Clarence Seedorf had the best chance for Milan, who had Rino Gattuso sent off late on for upending Joe Cole. Chelsea lost their way after a rash of substitutions but Shaun Wright-Phillips came on to make a promising debut. The £21m signing was one of eight changes at the interval, which also saw the arrival of Asier del Horno, who replaced Geremi. Hernan Crespo, who was loaned out to Milan last season, played the first half for Chelsea, the Argentine combining well with Robben to set up Lampard, who could not keep his shot down. Wright-Phillips almost made a dream start when set up by Carlton Cole's enterprising run but the England international screwed his shot wide. As the game wore on, Chelsea sat back on their lead, allowing Milan more chances, but the Blues were still worthy winners. The teams will meet again next Tuesday in New Jersey.

Kenyon brands rivals 'hypocrites'
Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has branded Arsenal and Manchester United "hypocrites" after their criticism of the Premiership champions. The Blues have been criticised by their rivals after being found guilty of "tapping up" Arsenal's Ashley Cole. But Kenyon said: "It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. "There have been two kids on the block for 12 years. Now there is suddenly a third kid threatening to be more successful. They don't like it." He added: "That is what this nonsense is about. They are trying to blow us off course, they are trying to blow us away from our plans and stop us winning. "Is it disrupting us? Not really, but it is time consuming. But it is not going to stop us from being a successful club. We have to accept it but we don't like it." Kenyon, currently in the United States on Chelsea's pre-season tour, also spoke out about the Cole 'tapping-up' affair, when both Chelsea and their manager Jose Mourinho were found guilty of making an illegal approach for the England full-back. Kenyon claimed such incidents "go on every day" and that Chelsea players are regularly the subject of such approaches. He said: "Some of the instances where Chelsea have been villified go on every day and, guess what, it goes on with Chelsea players too. "But we have chosen not to complain. But we will not put ourselves in that position again."

Essien fails to show at Brentford
Chelsea target Michael Essien failed to appear for Ghana in their friendly against Senegal at Brentford's ground on Wednesday. Essien, 22, is expected to finalise his switch from Lyon to Chelsea soon but was also lined up to play for Ghana. Ghana coach Ratomir Dujkovic had said he would play, but despite the £26m midfielder turning up at Griffin Park he did not feature for his country. Essien is expected to sign a five-year deal with Chelsea this week. Chelsea are hopeful of completing the deal, which has been held up by paperwork, in time for Essien to be available for their game with Arsenal on Sunday. The player is tipped as one of the best six midfielders in Europe by Lyon boss Gerard Houllier, who is sad to see his star player leave. Houllier said: "We are forced to let him leave even if we didn't want to but when a player doesn't want to play for a club anymore you have to finally open the door. "I don't think the player is overrated. I can assert to you there are not 50 players like him in Europe. I repeat it but he is a kind of player like Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack. "In those conditions, obviously I regret having to let Michael leave." Chelsea had earlier bids of £10m, £16.75m, £18m and £21m rejected. Lyon official Bernard Lacombe said: "Financially it is an extraordinary operation. It is one third of our budget and it represents the entire budget of some Ligue 1 clubs. "For Michael it was not a question of money. It was his dream to play in England." Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas added: "It is with great regret that Michael will leave Lyon. We wanted to keep him but we cannot make him stay. "It is a wrench but for the club this is a good deal. "We have talked about Michael's situation in great detail and we have decided it is better if we let him go." He described Essien as a player "who for the last two months has no longer wanted to play for Lyon". Aulas added: "This decision is regrettable, in a sporting and ethical sense. Everything has been done to keep him." Essien himself added: "I think Lyon would have given me a nice pay rise, perhaps even superior to what I had asked. "I like the Premier League a lot. I wanted to play there and Chelsea have now become one of the great clubs in Europe. It's a new adventure. "Lyon wanted to keep me but Chelsea were too strong." Lyon defender Sylvain Monsoreau revealed that Essien's team-mates understand why he wants to join Chelsea. "It is sad to see him go but for him it is extraordinary and we all wish him good luck," said Monsoreau. Fellow defender Anthony Reveillere added: "Lyon existed before Michael Essien and will exist after him but it is true that we are losing a fantastic player. "It is his choice to leave and you have to respect that."

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