Chelsea abandon attempts to sign Alves

SOCCER:Chelsea have abandoned their attempts to sign Daniel Alves from Sevilla, though they will listen to offers for either Lassana Diarra or Glen Johnson as Jose Mourinho attempts to trim his squad by one before the closure of the transfer window.

Mourinho yesterday unveiled Juliano Belletti, the Brazil right-back signed for €5.9 million from Barcelona, apparently as the last of his summer signings having failed to secure Alves, much to the player's frustration. Chelsea will now attempt to offload either Diarra, who has attracted interest from Arsenal, or Johnson as they seek a first-team group of 26 players.

"Juliano's arrival gives me what I need, which is a closed door in my dressingroom," said Mourinho. "We know the market is open until August 31st, but not for us . . . People will ask whether Belletti is my first-choice. For me . . . the best player is the one who offers the best relation between quality and price. Belletti is a very good player and the relation between his quality and price makes him the best.

"But the door is open for a player to leave. I want my squad to be a little bit shorter, from 27 to 26. I think it is obvious our squad is very balanced and we have two players for every position but at right-back we have Belletti, Glen Johnson, Paulo Ferreira and Diarra . . . Every player likes to play so, if someone shows a real interest in one of them and they show an interest in leaving, we can be open to that."

Arsenal continue to monitor Diarra, who would operate in midfield at the Emirates, while Aston Villa are seeking a right-back. Johnson, the first signing of the Roman Abramovich era at Chelsea, spent last season on loan at Portsmouth and has made only 35 league starts for the Londoners since joining for €8.8 million in 2003 from West Ham.

Alves, Mourinho's long-standing target, appears to be facing an uncomfortable future at Sevilla after two bids from Chelsea were rebuffed. The Brazilian bemoaned the club president Jose Maria del Nido's refusal to honour a gentleman's agreement he would be allowed to leave this summer. "It's the opportunity of a lifetime and I want to leave," said Alves. "I am disappointed by the way I have been treated."

Belletti (31) has arrived in his stead with Mourinho saying: "As a player he is a pure right-back who has played for two of the biggest teams in the world, Brazil and Barcelona," said the Portuguese. "For Brazil he was world champion and at Barcelona he was not just a Spanish champion but a European champion. He's an attacking full-back and what I was waiting for."

Meanwhile, Steve Bruce is close to signing a new contract at Birmingham City, with the St Andrew's board expected to announce next week their manager has agreed an improved 12-month rolling deal. The manager has 18 months remaining on the five-year deal he signed in 2004 but Birmingham have redrawn that contract, offering Bruce more security by virtue of the rolling agreement and also a pay rise.

For Everton, a contentious vote on whether to leave Goodison Park for Kirkby received majority approval from the club's support yesterday, with a contract to construct a new €222 million stadium in the town expected to be signed within the next two months.

Fifty nine per cent of the 36,662 Evertonians eligible to vote backed a project that has bitterly divided supporters. Electoral Reform Services, called in by the club to oversee the vote, confirmed 15,230 people were in favour of the move and 10,468 (41 per cent) against. There were 10,901 abstentions and 63 ballot papers were declared invalid. The announcement gives a clear mandate to Everton to proceed with their plans for a 50,000-seater stadium at minimal cost to the club.