CHELSEA ARE to hold further talks with their captain, John Terry, over his future. The Stamford Bridge club are expecting an improved third bid for the player from Manchester City. Terry met Chelsea’s owner, Roman Abramovich, on Saturday after taking part in an event to support the club’s charity partner for the season, Right to Play, at Wentworth.
The pair are understood to have spoken for around two hours although the defender did not hand in a transfer request and Chelsea later said he did not press for an opportunity to speak with City.
The England captain is well aware of the contract offer that would be available to him at Eastlands – virtually doubling his current €157,000-a-week wage package, with a hefty signing-on fee as well. However, he spoke to Abramovich about Chelsea’s ambitions for the season ahead.
The club have, as yet, failed to secure the marquee signings that, after winning the FA Cup in May, the centre-half had indicated would be necessary for next season, and he is yet to be convinced that the club will succeed in their pursuit of Bayern Munich’s France winger, Franck Ribery.
For Terry’s transfer to Manchester City to become possible, the onus would be on the player to hand in a written transfer request and thus force through the move himself. Abramovich and Chelsea maintain their firm stance that the 28-year-old is not for sale, and any bid of around €37 million – as is anticipated this week – will be rejected just as swiftly as were City’s two previous offers.
Chelsea’s new manager, Carlo Ancelotti, chief executive, Peter Kenyon, and chairman, Bruce Buck, have all gone on record to say that Terry will not be sold. The player will have to burn his bridges with the club that nurtured him for any deal to become a reality.
Chelsea are publicly “relaxed” but there will be talks between club and captain today in a bid to resolve an awkward situation ahead of the squad’s departure, on Thursday, for a four-match tour of the United States. The possibility of Terry being offered improved terms to remain at Stamford Bridge has been mooted, though the club’s hierarchy will only go as far as to make his wages level with those of Frank Lampard, at around €175,000-a-week. There is no suggestion that Abramovich will shatter the wage structure at the club to match what City would be willing to pay the defender.
Any offer from City would, however, serve to test Terry’s commitment and illustrate where each party stands. The player fears the club have regressed since the heady days of Jose Mourinho’s reign as manager, and is believed to question whether they will be able to mount a title challenge in the season ahead, even under Ancelotti’s leadership. Yet he has also conceded, privately, that it would be a huge wrench to leave Stamford Bridge. Should he force through a transfer, his reputation at the club could potentially be wrecked.
Chelsea have formally appointed Frank Arnesen as sporting director. The Dane, whose previous title was chief scout and head of youth development, was in danger of losing his job during Luiz Felipe Scolari’s brief spell as manager last season, but now finds his position reinforced, having joined the club’s board, along with the performance director, Mike Forde, earlier this year.
He is to continue in his roles with the reserves and the academy, but will “also now take on responsibilities relating to the co-ordination of first-team activity and supporting the first-team manager”.
A club statement said: “As Chelsea continues to grow rapidly, the board wanted increased senior support for the first team and new manager on a daily basis at Cobham to help assist the overall long-term football and business strategy of the club.”
Meanwhile, Inter Milan’s Swedish international striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has claimed Chelsea want to sign him.
Ibrahimovic, whose Inter coach Mourinho used to be in charge at Stamford Bridge, has revealed that money will not be the main motivating factor in any move after being linked with a €70 million switch to the Premier League.
Ibrahimovic said: “I am fully aware that Chelsea want to sign me and, of course, it is very flattering. They are one of the biggest teams in Europe and the Premier League is one of the best leagues in the world.
“Money is not the most important thing, I will base my decision on what’s good for me, what suits me.”
Samuel Eto’o’s hopes of a big-money move to the Premier League appear to be dwindling.
After Manchester City publicly ended their attempts to sign the Barcelona forward on a massive contract last Friday, neighbours United have now distanced themselves from offering Eto’o an exit from Camp Nou as well.
It had been suggested Manchester United were ready to offer Eto’o wages in the region of €175,000-a-week to bolster their striking options, memories still fresh of his opening goal against them in last season’s Champions League final.
However, while there will be no public statement on the speculation from Old Trafford, senior figures at United have distanced themselves from such talk.
It leaves Eto’o in a quandary given City made it clear on Friday their announcement was not a game of brinkmanship aimed at securing the marquee signing they are known to be keen on.
In demanding half an estimated €21 million transfer fee City had agreed to pay Barcelona, Eto’o said he would remain in Catalonia for the final year of his contract before leaving for nothing.
Without a further intervention, the 28-year-old looks likely to do just that.
Not that such a scenario sits easily with Barcelona, who are keen to complete a deal with Valencia for David Villa but are seeking to offload Eto’o first.
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