Chelsea weiter auf Einkaufstour?
Verfasst: 14.04.2005, 13:09
Neue Gerüchte (oder mehr) von der London Times; offensichtlich sind Wright-Phillips, Ashley Cole und Steven Gerrard zuoberst auf der Liste...
Chelsea waiting in wings with £18m bid for Wright-Phillips
By James Ducker
IN A move that is certain to be greeted with a deep sense of foreboding by Arsenal and Manchester United, Chelsea will try to sign Shaun Wright-Phillips in the summer once they have completed a deal to bring Steven Gerrard to Stamford Bridge.
The Times has learnt that José Mourinho has identified Wright-Phillips as one of his main transfer targets and while the Chelsea manager is likely to face stern resistance from Manchester City for their midfield player, a fee of about £18 million would be difficult for a club saddled with crippling debts to turn down.
Mourinho has become a keen admirer of Wright- Phillips since moving to England and is understood to want a natural right-sided winger in his squad to complement the attacking talents of Damien Duff and Arjen Robben, both of whom are left-footed. Sources close to Peter Kenyon, the Chelsea chief executive, say the Barclays Premiership leaders are prepared to double Wright-Phillipsu2019s wages to about £50,000 per week.
After the departure last month of Kevin Keegan as manager, John Wardle, the City chairman, said that selling Wright-Phillips was u201Cprobably the last thing I would want to do and I would do everything in my power to avoid thatu201D, but he also conceded that he and his fellow board members would u201Chave to look at everything in the summeru201D to raise funds for Keeganu2019s successor.
City insisted yesterday that they had received no inquiries u2014 u201Cofficial or unofficialu201D u2014 for Wright-Phillips, 23, and reiterated their desire to keep a player who is integral to their long-term plans, but Chelsea are unlikely to be dissuaded by such public utterances.
News of Chelseau2019s interest in Wright-Phillips will be a bitter blow to Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, who has made no secret of his admiration for the player, who has won four England caps. Wenger had been expected to lead the chase for Wright- Phillips this summer, but even armed with funds of about £30 million, the Frenchman knows that he cannot compete with the spending power at Mourinhou2019s disposal.
Arsenal will be buoyed by the belief that Wright-Phillips has ambitions of following in the footsteps of his stepfather, Ian Wright, by playing for the North London club, but officials at City say the winger, who signed a four-year contract days before marking his England debut against Ukraine last August with a goal, has expressed a desire to stay in Manchester.
However, while Cityu2019s financial situation appears to have stabilised in recent months, they still have debts of about £62 million and could have no alternative but to sell if the price is almost right for a player whom they value at about £25 million.
Wardle knows that he would incur the wrath of City supporters should he opt to sell Wright-Phillips, who has become an idol since breaking through from the academy ranks, while such a move would be a devastating blow to the future plans of Stuart Pearce, the caretaker manager, who hopes to be given the job on a permanent basis at the end of the season.
Pearce was insistent recently when he said that Wright-Phillips, at present sidelined with a knee injury, was not for sale. u201CAs far as we are concerned, we know what is going to happen with Shaun,u201D Pearce said. u201CHe is going to get over his current injury, get himself back playing for a club I believe he loves and carry on being a Manchester City player until his contract runs out or he extends it. I donu2019t see any other issue.
u201CI have been working closely with the board since Kevin Keegan left and they have never once mentioned his name with regard to a transfer.u201D
Chelseau2019s first priority, though, is to entice Gerrard away from Liverpool, although with the midfield player already thought to have agreed in principle to the transfer, that should prove less problematic than a deal for Wright-Phillips.
It is expected that Chelsea will shatter the British record transfer fee u2014 set when Manchester United paid Leeds United £30 million for Rio Ferdinand in 2002 u2014 to bring Gerrard to West London.
As well as Wright-Phillips and Gerrard, Mourinho will also step up his attempts to lure Ashley Cole, the Arsenal full back, to Stamford Bridge in the summer. The infamous u201Ctapping-upu201D scandal has done little to quell Mourinhou2019s desire to sign Cole, although Wenger will fight tooth and nail to keep the player.
Chelsea waiting in wings with £18m bid for Wright-Phillips
By James Ducker
IN A move that is certain to be greeted with a deep sense of foreboding by Arsenal and Manchester United, Chelsea will try to sign Shaun Wright-Phillips in the summer once they have completed a deal to bring Steven Gerrard to Stamford Bridge.
The Times has learnt that José Mourinho has identified Wright-Phillips as one of his main transfer targets and while the Chelsea manager is likely to face stern resistance from Manchester City for their midfield player, a fee of about £18 million would be difficult for a club saddled with crippling debts to turn down.
Mourinho has become a keen admirer of Wright- Phillips since moving to England and is understood to want a natural right-sided winger in his squad to complement the attacking talents of Damien Duff and Arjen Robben, both of whom are left-footed. Sources close to Peter Kenyon, the Chelsea chief executive, say the Barclays Premiership leaders are prepared to double Wright-Phillipsu2019s wages to about £50,000 per week.
After the departure last month of Kevin Keegan as manager, John Wardle, the City chairman, said that selling Wright-Phillips was u201Cprobably the last thing I would want to do and I would do everything in my power to avoid thatu201D, but he also conceded that he and his fellow board members would u201Chave to look at everything in the summeru201D to raise funds for Keeganu2019s successor.
City insisted yesterday that they had received no inquiries u2014 u201Cofficial or unofficialu201D u2014 for Wright-Phillips, 23, and reiterated their desire to keep a player who is integral to their long-term plans, but Chelsea are unlikely to be dissuaded by such public utterances.
News of Chelseau2019s interest in Wright-Phillips will be a bitter blow to Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, who has made no secret of his admiration for the player, who has won four England caps. Wenger had been expected to lead the chase for Wright- Phillips this summer, but even armed with funds of about £30 million, the Frenchman knows that he cannot compete with the spending power at Mourinhou2019s disposal.
Arsenal will be buoyed by the belief that Wright-Phillips has ambitions of following in the footsteps of his stepfather, Ian Wright, by playing for the North London club, but officials at City say the winger, who signed a four-year contract days before marking his England debut against Ukraine last August with a goal, has expressed a desire to stay in Manchester.
However, while Cityu2019s financial situation appears to have stabilised in recent months, they still have debts of about £62 million and could have no alternative but to sell if the price is almost right for a player whom they value at about £25 million.
Wardle knows that he would incur the wrath of City supporters should he opt to sell Wright-Phillips, who has become an idol since breaking through from the academy ranks, while such a move would be a devastating blow to the future plans of Stuart Pearce, the caretaker manager, who hopes to be given the job on a permanent basis at the end of the season.
Pearce was insistent recently when he said that Wright-Phillips, at present sidelined with a knee injury, was not for sale. u201CAs far as we are concerned, we know what is going to happen with Shaun,u201D Pearce said. u201CHe is going to get over his current injury, get himself back playing for a club I believe he loves and carry on being a Manchester City player until his contract runs out or he extends it. I donu2019t see any other issue.
u201CI have been working closely with the board since Kevin Keegan left and they have never once mentioned his name with regard to a transfer.u201D
Chelseau2019s first priority, though, is to entice Gerrard away from Liverpool, although with the midfield player already thought to have agreed in principle to the transfer, that should prove less problematic than a deal for Wright-Phillips.
It is expected that Chelsea will shatter the British record transfer fee u2014 set when Manchester United paid Leeds United £30 million for Rio Ferdinand in 2002 u2014 to bring Gerrard to West London.
As well as Wright-Phillips and Gerrard, Mourinho will also step up his attempts to lure Ashley Cole, the Arsenal full back, to Stamford Bridge in the summer. The infamous u201Ctapping-upu201D scandal has done little to quell Mourinhou2019s desire to sign Cole, although Wenger will fight tooth and nail to keep the player.
churz vorem spiel gägä liverpool chömid die wieder mit em agebot für e gerrard.