Mass Chelsea exodus expected this summer

[the wes 7,212]

Chelsea could lose up to 12 players this summer as Avram Grant begins planning for the future.

Grant is understood to be confident of keeping his job, despite criticism from fans and from within his own squad, and has reportedly been offered substantial funds by club owner Roman Abramovich to buy world-class players during the off-season.

The Israeli coach inherited the current Chelsea squad from Jose Mourinho, and does not feel it meets his requirements.

Fringe players such as Andriy Shevchenko, Claudio Pizarro, Steve Sidwell and Tal Ben Haim will almost certainly be shown the door, while even the futures of more established squad members such as Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Florent Malouda, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Carlo Cudicini and Juliano Belletti are clouded in uncertainty.

Ben Haim is certain to leave following his latest outburst. The Israel international, signed by Mourinho last summer yet a peripheral figure since his compatriot took over, has claimed he wouldn't have even joined Chelsea had he known about the change in management.

"Jose Mourinho is the reason I came to Chelsea," said Ben Haim. "And if I knew Avram Grant was going to be the coach I would have signed for another club.

"It was Jose who brought me here and no one except he and I know the conversation we had when he tried to sign me the first time a year ago last January.

"The fact is while Jose was the coach I played most of the games and people who know me know that I would not have come here to be a reserve.

"I knew nothing good would come for me with Grant as Chelsea coach."

Real Madrid, meanwhile, have stepped up their interest in Drogba. The striker has long suggested he sees his future away from Samford Bridge and Real sporting director Predrag Mijatovic was in London last week to hold preliminary talks with the Ivorian's agents.

Mijatovic has personally watched Drogba this season a number of times and a bid of around £20 million is expected for the 30-year-old.

Lampard, too, is set to leave the club should Mourinho, as expected, take over at one of the big continental clubs, with Inter Milan or Barcelona the most likely destinations.

Should Abramovich eventually bow to pressure from players and fans to replace Grant, current Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard remains the favourite. However, members of the Chelsea hierarchy have expressed an interest Michael Laudrup.

Sporting director Frank Arnesen is believed to be hugely impressed with what fellow Dane Laudrup has achieved with Getafe, taking them to the upper reaches of the Spanish top flight, the domestic cup final and almost beating Bayern Munich to a place in the Uefa Cup semi-finals.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/04/16/ufndrogba216.xml

[manpe 10,855]

fuck grant

Edited April 16, 2008 by manpe

[EskWeston 696]

There is so much bulls**t flying around at the moment that it is making things even harder to know what to think. Some sources claiming Grant is definately out with them claiming either Rijkaard, Hiddink or Laudrup to replace him. Other sources claiming Roman is happy with Grant and Grant is confident of keeping his job with £100m to spend in the summer!!!!

Just want whatever is going to happen, happen!

[True_Blue 469]

Fuck that...

Grant won't be staying at Chelsea unless he win's the League or the UCL.As it stands now we are pretty far from the League and the UCL is a possibility but with us playing really bad for a couple of consecutive matches i am not to confident.But IF a miracle does happen and we win one or both trophies he is staying 100%.

On the other hand if we lose Lampard and Cudicini fans will be massively dissapointed.Terry would be the only player we would have left before the Roman Era began.Thats fuckin sad,but i guarantee you that Frank is staying and Carlo should do the same thing even tough he can be a first team keeper in almost every top club,and i would not blame him if he left he has done so much for us.As for Ben,Sidwell,Pizzaro,Sheva they are gone for sure,with probably Malouda catching up and Drogba if all the transfer talk is true.That would be 6 players,i dont think Shaun will leave or is Belleti but the brazilian didn't show much except of the wonder goal against Spurs.We will have to bring some serious players in the summer but if Grant stay in charge I once again won't be confident in his 2-1 or 1-0 wins which we almost never dominate and which probably ended out title hopes.

[warnie_666 1,081]

As I mentioned in the other topic. 9 players are to leave.

SWP, BenHaim, Pizzaro, Sidweell, Drogba, Ferrira, Malouda, Lampard/ Ballack/ Essien/Makalele, Sheva.

If things go as well , I would soo love to see Michael Laudrup instead of Grant at the Helm. Dont want Rijkaard in here.