the wes

Werder Bremen midfielder Diego has attempted to duck transfer speculation while in London with the Brazil squad. Ahead of tonight's friendly against Sweden, Diego was asked by Brazilian journalists about interest from Chelsea, but would only say: "Out of respect to my club, Werder Bremen, I would prefer not to say anything. "But I will confirm, yes, that several proposals have emerged." tribalfooball.com

Chelsea are ready to discuss a new contract with veteran midfielder Claude Makelele. Paris sources say Blues management want the 35 year-old to go round again next season and are preparing a new deal for the French veteran.

:ballack: Rio Ferdinand is a wanker john terry is the best man for the job

http://www.skysports.com/video/0,20285,12606_3340106,00.html

Chelsea could be ready to pounce after it was revealed that Inter phenomenon Mario Balotelli is mulling over a move away from the Serie A leaders. The 17-year-old Balotelli burst onto the scene with an eye-catching display against Juventus in the Coppa Italia this season, and is already drawing comparisons with fellow Milanese teen sensation, Alexandre Pato. Balotelli has already caught the attention of Chelsea, whose scouts have been seen casting their eye over him in recent weeks. Despite impressing whenever given the chance, the bounty of strikers at Roberto Mancini’s disposal means Balotelli has had only limited first-team opportunities, and his brother and agent, Corrado, has subsequently sent a hefty hint the way of Stamford Bridge. “He would like to progress, he deserves the first team,” he told Tuttosport. “There have been no negotiations to renew his contract. In future, Mario could go abroad.” Balotelli previously rejected overtures from the Ghanian national team – his parents’ birth-place – in favour of biding his time for a call-up to the country where he now plies his trade. http://sport.setanta.com/en/Sport/News/Foo...ld-leave-Inter/

Didier Drogba has accused Chelsea fans of showing their former player William Gallas a lack of respect during his side's 2-1 win against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. Drogba, who scored twice in the second half, said: "The fans should show William Gallas a bit more respect after everything he did for the club. He won two League titles when he was a Chelsea player and he did a lot." Chelsea claimed that Gallas had threatened to score an own goal if they did not let him leave for Arsenal in the summer of 2006 — an accusation that the France defender has always denied. The win put Chelsea in second place and back in the hunt for a third Barclays Premier League crown. Boss Avram Grant said: "We will do our best to win it. To play attacking football and score goals is more important than anything."

Chelsea’s Peruvian forward Claudio Pizarro is once again being tracked by Spanish side Villarreal, who were in the race to sign the forward last summer, but lost out to Chelsea when Pizarro opted to join the Londoners instead. In total Pizarro has made just 10 starts for Chelsea since arriving in the summer from Bayern Munich after several seasons in the Bundesliga, firstly with Werder Bremen and then with the Bavarian giants, and he has found himself unable to force his way into Avram Grant’s regular first team plans with Drogba, Kalou and now Anelka blocking his path to the first team. Although Pizarro scored on his league debut for Chelsea when he grabbed a goal in the Blues 3-2 win over Birmingham City, he has managed only 1 more since, also bizarrely against Birmingham in the return fixture in January. Rumours were rife over the winter that Pizarro would be off-loaded to Valencia but a move failed to materialise, Pizarro’s wage of £2.5 million per annum possibly proving a stumbling block, and the player remains at Chelsea for the time being. However, it is surely only a matter of time before Pizarro moves on, as at 29 he can’t afford to spend his best footballing years stuck on the bench, or worse in the stands. Villarreal are now thought to have registered their interest for the striker, who has 45 Peruvian caps as well as an excellent record in the Bundesliga, with some sources even suggesting that a fee has been agreed for the player between the two clubs. Villarreal are currently third in La Liga and have become something of an enclave for South American players in recent seasons so the arrival of a Peruvian would hardly be surprising. With a Champions League campaign potentially in the offing for the side known as the Yellow Submarine, because of their tendency to endure boom and bust periods, the club are believed to be keen to strengthen themselves in key areas. They have already been linked with midfielders Rueben de la Red, a Real Madrid player, who is currently impressing with Getafe on loan helping them into the final of the Spanish Cup last night as well as the last 8 of the UEFA Cup, and Edu Dracena, who is currently on the books of Fenerbahce. The arrival of Pizarro might signal the end for either Franco or Tomasson, both of whom have been on the fringes of the squad this season. Nevertheless the acquisition of Pizarro, adding to Giuseppe Rossi and Nihat, both of whom have been in fine form this season, would mean that Villarreal would have some excellent striking options for next season. http://www.aboutaball.co.uk/footballnews/V...p?ArticleID=586

Chelsea have been given the green light to sign defender Daniel Jarque if they can meet the buy-out clause in his deal. The Blues have been strongly linked with a move for the Espanyol star and for the first time the La Liga outfit have admitted the player could move on in the summer. Espanyol chairman Daniel Sanchez Llibre has said they will not stand in the player's way if someone comes in and matches their valuation and that will make Chelsea favourites. "The professionals have a short career and I'd totally understand if Jarque left if he received a great offer from another club," Llibre said. "People have to understand that he is to leave it'll be for the good of everybody. 99 percent of the fans understand those things. "Jarque had been exceptional for Espanyol. He signed a new contract a year ago and while his deal was not for a long time, he accepted to include a buy-out clause. "Besides in the last few months he told us he would only leave Espanyol if he received an offer that would permit him to earn more money." http://www.eatsleepsport.com/articles/708296.html

welcome back

i pick joe cole

why take off joe cole

joe cole man of the match so far

why not m8 lol

i agree ronaldo is fucking brilliant i wish Chelsea had him in are team!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

joe cole is on fire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the line-up i would pick would be!!!!!!!!!! -----------cech--------------- belletti--terry--carvalho--cole-- ----------makelele------------- essien----ballack------lampard-- ------drogba--anelka-----------

Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell has emerged as a summer transfer target for Manchester City boss Sven Goran Eriksson. Eriksson could have as much as £50million to spend on new players this summer as he looks to turn City into a team capable of breaking into the Champions League and one of the first signings that he wants to make is Sidwell, who moved to Stamford Bridge on a free transfer last summer. The former Reading man has mainly had to settle for a place on the Chelsea bench and is known to be growing increasingly frustrated at the lack of starts. Eriksson believes the 25-year-old could be the midfield enforcer that his side have so badly missed this season and a swoop looks to be on the cards. The City boss is a close friend of Roman Abramovich and is hoping that could smooth the path towards a deal for Sidwell. http://www.eatsleepsport.com/articles/706845.html

i agree with badboy just hope that avram grant puts 2 up front against the yids

sam dalla bona was a good player too!!!!!!!!!!

Chelsea captain John Terry may have given his backing to Sunderland's survival bid, but Mackem boss Roy Keane still believes Manchester United will lift the Barclays Premier League trophy. After a testing afternoon in combat with Sunderland's talismanic, if goal-shy forward Kenwyne Jones, match-winner Terry said he is confident Sunderland will stay up. And it is Jones, a £6million signing from Southampton, who was the talk of the Chelsea dressing room - stand by for a bid from the Stamford Bridge club in the summer - and the reason for Terry's declaration of support. After securing Chelsea's 10th win in 12 games with his early header - when Jones lost the England skipper at a Frank Lampard corner - Terry said: "The fans here are brilliant and they will definitely help. Sunderland's a very tough place to come and they are a very good side "They are very hard working, very honest and gave us a good battle. Overall we shaded it. But we have been here before and it's at times like this when the experience comes through. We had to dig our heals in and make it difficult. We did that. "There have not been too many games recently where we have been hanging on. Sunderland came at us and had a few chances. We had to soak it up and deal with the pressure. "Jones was fantastic and I have played against him twice now. He is a very good player. Very hard working and probably the best in the air in the entire Premier League. He really is that good. "All the lads are talking about him afterwards. How well he did and how impressive he was. If Sunderland can stay up and keep hold of him they have a fantastic chance of kicking on." Keane will take great encouragement from Sunderland's performance, the first time they have given one of the top four a game. The message from the Sunderland boss was clear: "Play like that for the remainder of the season, and we'll survive." Sunderland's final fixture is a home game against Arsenal, and Keane will be praying his side will have secured their safety the preceding week when they travel to fellow strugglers Bolton, who are currently only two points behind and lying in 18th place. So Keane has just one more game against the title contenders to come, but he is still backing his former side to retain their Premier League crown. He said: "I still think it'll be United. They're a few points ahead, for starters. I think they have the edge, simple as that. "Look at the players they bought in the summer, Andersen, Tevez. Ronaldo is having a pretty decent season again. I think there's a good chance Chelsea could win the European Cup. "When you're playing against these teams, people always go on about their flair players, and how attack-minded they are, but they're all decent at the back. They'll always have most of possession, but they're pretty solid Chelsea , of course they are. Same for United, Liverpool and Arsenal, they're pretty decent at the back." http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...d=1779&ct=5

Werder Bremen star Diego insists his future rests in the hands of his club, amid reports Chelsea and Manchester City are trying to sign him The highly-rated midfielder has been linked with a move away from Bremen in the summer with a number of Europe's top clubs thought to be chasing his signature. Chelsea and Manchester City are reported to be tracking the Brazilian international, who scored against England last year. The 23-year-old, who recently signed a new deal until 2011 at Bremen, claims he is happy to stay at the club until told otherwise. "The decision lies with the club. If Klaus Allofs and the president say that I stay, then I play on for Werder," Diego told German paper Syker Kreiszeitung. "Speculations and rumours are normal in the football business, which annoy me. "The only thing that bothers me are lies that are disseminated."

Khalid Boulahrouz is being linked with a return to the Bundesliga The 26-year-old Dutch international defender is currently on loan at Sevilla after struggling to adapt to life in the Premier League. His form in Spain has also been disappointing but after two impressive seasons with Hamburg before his move to Stamford Bridge, Boulahrouz remains well thought of in Germany. fansFC.com

Valencia striker David Villa has revealed for the first time that he may be on his way out of the Mestalla at the end of the current campaign. The diminutive Spanish striker has lost faith in Los Che's ability to challenge the top clubs in La Liga and he believes a move away would be beneficial for his career. Liverpool and Chelsea have been linked with Villa, while Tottenham are believed to be the latest club to have shown a strong interest and the player admits he would be willing to discuss a transfer. Villa told Goal: "I have always listened when there have been offers and I am still determined to do what is best for my career, but of course with the consent of the club as I have a contract. "I have to think about my future and that is what I am going to do. I will listen to anything, like I always have." Valencia's struggle on the trophy front this season has affected Villa's form, with the former Real Zaragoza hitman managing to find the net on just eight occasions.

Portsmouth assistant boss Tony Adams believes former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho never rated Glen Johnson. Adams said: "I don't think Mourinho fancied him and it got through to the player. You've got to be careful as a coach not to give things away. What we've done is love him to bits. He has been better going forward than defensively but there have been a couple of games where he's been first class as a defender."