Gianluca Vialli for once diverted the foreign tide into Stamford Bridge when he yesterday splashed out £10 million for an Englishman, Chris Sutton, smashing Chelsea's transfer record in the process.
In a deal mooted for many months, the striker who recently returned to the international arena joins the cosmopolitan Blues as the second most expensive Englishman, after the £15 million Alan Shearer, in transfer history. And he is the only home player of the nine signed by Vialli in his 18-month reign.
It ends a frustrating year for Sutton (26) whose season ended prematurely with injury as Blackburn were relegated, prompting his transfer request in May. He had a clause in his contract allowing clubs to speak to him if they offered £12 million, but Blackburn accepted the lower fee.
Now, with an manifestly ambitious new club, Sutton has renewed opportunity to demonstrate his considerable and varied talents at the top end of the Premiership - and possibly with Kevin Keegan's England as a potential partner of Alan Shearer.
"It's very important coming to Chelsea now," said Sutton. "There was a feeling about the place when I first joined Blackburn five years ago and there's a similar one here. I was keen to get signed as quickly as possible. Chelsea have got some very experienced players and hopefully I can blend in."
Sutton, who has signed a six-year contract, arrives at the Bridge only a week after the France midfielder Didier Deschamps's £3 million capture from Juventus, which in turn followed the free-transfer signing of Mario Melchiot from Ajax.
The latest newcomers vividly reflect Chelsea's continued hunger for success and is doubly satisfying for Vialli, who has searched for a new forward of proven quality since November, when Chelsea's previous record signing the £5.75 million Pierluigi Casiraghi was seriously injured and Brian Laudrup sensationally went home to Denmark.
Vialli said of Sutton: "He can be a tough player on the pitch, which is something sometimes that we missed last season and he's got a great personality."
Meanwhile, the future of West Ham's much-coveted defender Rio Ferdinand was tossed back into the melting pot yesterday despite a vehement public denial that he will be playing in Italy next season.
Only a few hours after West Ham informed Roma, the keenest and richest of many would-be buyers, that the 20-year-old England player was not for sale at any price, it was revealed that the London club had spent the previous few days attempting to sign another highly rated centre-back, Everton's Italian Marco Materazzi. Roma are confidently claiming they have already agreed personal terms with Ferdinand: £900,000 a season under a five-year contract. "The deal should be finalised within a couple of days," said a spokesman.
Other sources in Italy insist that when the Roma delegation flies to London today they will make an official offer of around £11 million, against West Ham's initial asking price of £13.8 million.
Liverpool yesterday gave Tottenham until Friday to meet the £3 million price for the Norwegian international midfielder Oyvind Leonhardsen. If the Spurs manager George Graham refuses to increase his initial offer of £1.9 million, Leonhardsen is likely remain at Liverpool for at least another 12 months.
