Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor and Russian international Yuri Zhirkov head a £50 million hit list of summer transfer targets being considered by Chelsea as part of the deal to bring Carlo Ancelotti to the club as their new manager.
An agreement has now been reached with the AC Milan coach, who is understood to have finally made a commitment to leave the San Siro and join Chelsea on a three-year contract.
As part of the negotiations the Italian has been promised the funds to land four high-profile players. The significant spending spree will, also, reaffirm owner Roman Abramovich's commitment after another season of upheaval.
Ancelotti is a long-term admirer of Adebayor, valued at more than £20 million, whom he tried to sign for Milan last year before the Togolese striker agreed a new deal at Arsenal.
Zhirkov, the £15 million-rated left-sided player, has been tracked by Chelsea, whose interim manager, Guus Hiddink, has also strongly recommended the 25-year-old.
Chelsea are also aware that Carlos Tevez has yet to agree a deal to remain at Manchester United, and with his two-year loan arrangement due to expire at the end of this season they are free to open negotiations. Tevez is believed to be resigned to leaving Old Trafford.
To lure the Argentine Chelsea would have to buy the player from the companies who own him. United currently pay £4 million to Tevez in wages and a £4 million loan fee to his owners. The cost to United to buy him outright is more than £20 million but any new club would have to pay even more.
Chelsea will also conduct a clear-out of some of their underperforming stars in the overhaul that they want Ancelotti to oversee. Among those under scrutiny are French internationals Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka, along with Deco.
Ancelotti, a 49-year-old Italian, has twice led Milan to the European Cup, as well as to a Serie A title, in his eight years at the San Siro. He has long been a target for Abramovich, who attempted to secure his services last summer before being persuaded to employ Luiz Felipe Scolari after the short, unhappy reign of Avram Grant.
A deal was not possible then but Ancelotti, whose contract at Milan ends this summer, has this time given a firm commitment that he will move to Chelsea. Even so, Chelsea executives are keeping tabs on other potential candidates, while Abramovich is keen that Hiddink does not completely sever his links.
Milan are resigned to the fact that Ancelotti will finally leave and have already started the process of finding his replacement. The early front-runner is the Roma coach Luciano Spaletti.
