ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE:CHELSEA INTEND to open talks with Didier Drogba aimed at extending the Ivorian's stay at Stamford Bridge after his former club Marseille suggested publicly they would be capable of structuring a deal to bring the veteran striker back to France.
Drogba, a €26.7 million signing from Marseille in 2004, will find his position at Chelsea challenged next season, with the new manager, Andre Villas-Boas, still hopeful that Radamel Falcao will follow him to the Premier League from Porto. The Colombian could yet be joined by the Brazil teenager Neymar, though Real Madrid remain the favourites to secure the 19-year-old from Santos.
Regardless of Chelsea’s success in that pursuit and their interest in Anderlecht’s Romelu Lukaku, Drogba is still considered a mainstay at Stamford Bridge and, as he enters the final 12 months of his contract, the club intend to offer him a one-year extension.
Preparatory talks have been held with his representatives and formal negotiations are expected to commence ahead of the player’s return for pre-season training next week.
Drogba has consistently stated that he would only be interested in leaving Chelsea to return to the Stade Velodrome, where he enjoyed a successful single campaign in 2003-04 and was welcomed back as a returning hero for a Champions League group game last December.
The French club’s president, Vincent Labrune, suggested yesterday that Marseille would be capable of funding his purchase and wages, albeit only after instigating their own player sales.
“The question would be whether in terms of salary – not a transfer fee – Marseille have the means to pay Didier Drogba for four years and the answer is ‘yes’,” he said. “Though only if we had some departures [from the squad].”
Yet, Chelsea will apparently resist that interest, effectively meaning it would take Drogba requesting to leave Stamford Bridge for his departure to be smoothed. Interest is retained in Neymar, though Chelsea – like Manchester City – have been quick to distance themselves from suggestions made by Santos president, Luis Alvaro de Oliveira Ribeiro, that they were among five European clubs who have agreed to meet the striker’s €49 million release clause.
Reports in Spain and Brazil had suggested that Real, Barcelona, Chelsea, City and the Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala had been willing to trigger Neymar’s purchase. “We don’t want to sell the player, but, of course, there is a release clause in his contract that can be paid,” said Ribeiro.
“Five European clubs have offered to match the clause. I cannot name them because there is an agreement between Santos and the clubs, but they are the most important European clubs. They have asked to speak to the player and, obviously, we’ve allowed them to do so.”
Chelsea made offers for Neymar last summer only to be rejected, with Santos unimpressed with their conduct at the time.
“The clubs have behaved ethically this year,” said Ribeiro. “They sought out Santos first and were willing to pay the clause.
“Last year, Chelsea’s attitude was different. Their first action was to seek out the player’s representatives. These clubs can come and make their offers, but if he wants to stay at Santos then he’ll say no and stay at Santos.”
Villas-Boas will be presented to the media as Chelsea’s new manager at Stamford Bridge this morning, with his restructuring of the backroom staff ongoing and significant squad strengthening anticipated in the next few weeks.
The Lille club doctor, Franck Le Gall, is expected to join Chelsea following the decision to release Bryan English over the weekend.
English, like assistant first-team coach, Paul Clement, and fitness coach, Glen Driscoll, remains on gardening leave while compensation is negotiated.
Guardian Service
