Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka are set to head the casualty list as Chelsea plan a second summer revamp.

Defenders Paulo Ferreira, Jose Bosingwa and Yuri Zhirkov will also go, with the Stamford Bridge hierarchy preparing a radical overhaul of the squad over the next two years. And the future of Didier Drogba is up in the air as Blues bosses want the squad tailored to the ­requirements of £50million Fernando Torres rather than the Ivory Coast striker.

The changes are in the pipeline irrespective of the identity of the coach for next season, with Carlo Ancelotti still awaiting formal news of whether he will be sacked or allowed to see out the final year of his contract.

Owner Roman ­Abramovich is ready to sanction the next stage in the rebuilding of a squad that lost its league title this season due to a severe lack of depth and ageing players.

SOURCE: Daily Mirror

These six stars cost Chelsea a grand total of £99.5m to bring to Stamford Bridge and have had varied levels of success at the West London club but it seems there is much talk of a clear-out as Roman Abramovich prepares to invest big sums to assemble the next generation of Blues stars.

Of the six mentioned perhaps the players who would most be missed would be Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda, the trio of attacking talent have been pivotal in the club’s success of the past few years but as the three are aged 33, 32 and 30 respectively, perhaps now is the time to start thinking about the future.

Chelsea did of course bring in Fernando Torres in January and the continued success of Daniel Sturridge out on loan at Bolton may well see the England youngster make more of an impact when he returns to the club and there has been much talk of the potential signing of Brazilian teenager Neymar.

Russian wide man Yuri Zhirkov has been described as an expensive mistake but to be honest the former CSKA Moscow man has not really been given much of a chance to prove himself. Paulo Ferreira is reportedly set to return to Portugal after seven years of good service. Jose Bosingwa has been fighting Branislav Ivanovic for the right back spot but appears to be heading to Italy where there is apparently interest from both AC Milan and Juventus.

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Chelsea will sell Salamon Kalou and Jose Bosingwa in the summer as part of their squad overhaul, according to various press reports.
The pair have disappointed during their time at Stamford Bridge with neither able to find any consistency in their game. Kalou – an £8m arrival from Feyenoord in 2006 – has become one of the most divisive figures amongst the Stamfrod Bridge faithful with his continually frustrating performances. Capable of showing quick feet and no shortage of skill it is often the final pass or shot that lets him down encouraging a wealth of groans from the stands.
Bosingwa has been largely been a victim of circumstance. He was Luiz Felipe Scolari’s major signing when he arrives, bringing him in from FC Porto for almost £17m , and while he enjoyed initial success under the Brazilian the general team malaise that set in consumed him as well. The Portugal international was unable to take a full part in last season’s historic double-winning campaign after missing the majority of the season through injury and he has failed to recapture his old verve since returning to fitness.
With Kalou and Bosingwa linked to Galatasaray and Juventus resepctively, manager Ancelotti will hope to free up squad places for more big money arrivals, assuming he’s still in the hotseat that is.

SOURCE: Sportingo

It seems that plans are afoot at Stamford Bridge and that Carlo Ancelotti is looking to freshen things up at the faltering West London club who has sunk from Premier League winners to a side who may struggle to claim a top four spot and the Blues manager is keen to rid the club of some deadwood.

Salomon Kalou is the type of player that can infuriate supporters, on the one hand he can be a very effective attacking weapon but then just as easily disappear from view and flatter to deceive, a player who appears to work far better coming off the bench in cameo roles than he does when he starts and this summer he could well leave the club some five years after his arrival.

Jose Bosingwa’s time at the club was somewhat held back by injury that saw his spot taken by Branislav Ivanovic who is a far more balanced full back who is a more consistent performer and seemingly a player that Ancelotti prefers to the Portuguese international.

There is also some speculation that the likes of Florent Malouda, Yuri Zhirkov and even Didier Drogba may be off loaded as Chelsea make plans to add further big name signings this summer to follow on from the signings of David Luiz and Fernando Torres in January.

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Ac Milan are monitoring Jose Bosingwa’s contract talks at Chelsea with a view to launching a summer bid for the right-back.
Bosingwa, who is out of contract in the summer, is currently negotiating a new deal at Stamford Bridge and is thought to be close to signing a one-year extension.
But no agreement has yet been reached and Milan hope to pick the 28-year-old up on a free transfer if he does not commit to another 12 months at Chelsea.
According to reports in Italy, the Portugal international is also attracting interest from Bayern Munich, who could be tempted to offer him a contract if he becomes available in June.

SOURCE: TalkSPORT

Carlo Ancelotti clearly appears to favour Branislav Ivanovic over Jose Bosingwa and given the performances the Italian got out of the Serbian last term, seems a fairly obvious choice, that is no to say however that Bosingwa doesn’t also have a lot to offer but it seems that the 28 year old may have to leave Stamford Bridge in order to not stagnate a career that still has a lot to offer.

Bosingwa also works well as a more advanced wing back and it is in this role that he is arguably most proficient in, given that he has a lot more to offer going forward than he does at the back.

Ac Milan are flying high at the top of Serie A and new boss Massimiliano Allegri has done a fine job turning things around this season and has brought in some intelligent additions to his San Siro side and given the ageing nature of the club’s back four a move for fresh talent would appear to make a great deal of sense.

Bosingwa may feel a fresh challenge in Serie A, or indeed in the Bundesliga, would be preferable to trying to persuade Ancelotti that he is worth considering as a regular first team starter.

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CHELSEA are planning a summer clearout to help pay for £75million new-boys Fernando Torres and David Luiz.
Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda, John Obi Mikel, Jose Bosingwa and Yuri Zhirkov will all be under intense scrutiny until the end of the season.

The Blues will act to balance the books after their record-breaking spree.

A Chelsea source confirmed: “There are a few big names and big earners whose performances have fallen short this season.

“If things don’t improve there will be some notable casualties in the summer.

“The competition for places will be keener now and that should be a great motivation for everyone.”

Chelsea, who have just announced losses of £70.9m, are conscious of UEFA’s impending fair play rules which mean clubs must limit their spending according to income.

SOURCE: The Sun

Carlo Ancelotti is apparently a man on a mission, or at least this source believes so, and the success of last season appears to have been long forgotten. Whilst it is true that Chelsea are not looking at their best is there really a need to offload their top talent?

Of the five mentioned one could understand the selling of Jose Bosingwa and Yuri Zhirkov (who appears to be one of the most pointless signings in recent memory, but Didier Drogba, John Obi Mikel and Florent Malouda? Seems unlikely.

That trio were key to the West London side’s capturing of the double last term and whilst they may not be firing on all cylinders they will surely not be cast out into the cold? It does seem however that Roman Abramovich is willing to flex his financial muscles again but will need to trim some deadwood from the Stamford Bridge side before doing so, however are these five the players that should be chopped?

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Chelsea are looking to shake up their defence by putting right-back Jose Bosingwa up for sale and targeting £15 million centre-half Diego Godin from Atletico Madrid.

The Premier League champions are also closely tracking Ajax right-back Gregory Van Der Wiel, who would cost around £18 million. They are considering him as Bosingwa’s replacement although no deal is likely until the summer unless they can sell the Portuguese this month.

Chelsea are also interested in 19-year-old Belgian striker Kevin de Bruyne but have not yet entered into negotiations with his club, Genk, and would balk at the suggestions being made that the youth international would cost up to £10 million. There is, however, a vacancy expected in the Chelsea squad with the Italian striker Fabio Borini, 19, set to join Parma once he has proved his fitness.

The first-team priority for Chelsea, with Alex out injured until next month at least, is, however, a central defender and Godin may prove a more realistic and cheaper target than either David Luiz — manager Carlo Ancelotti’s No 1 choice — or Bolton’s Gary Cahill. (Daily Telegraph)

Though recently short of confidence, Chelsea possess a fantastic first XI.

The trouble at Stamford Bridge is that their backup is now almost solely made up of youth players.

Carlo Ancelotti has been reluctant to put his faith in the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Josh McEachran and Jeffrey Bruma on a regular basis in the Premier League, and they will be gradually eased in.

However, with Jose Bosingwa looking less and less promising than the player first signed by Chelsea, he has now been deemed surplus to requirements – as has Paulo Ferreira.

Gregory Van Der Wiel could solve that problem, and departing sporting director Frank Arnesen recently said, “Gregory is on our number one list.”

The Ajax man capable of filling in at centre back should he be needed, and with Branislav Ivanovic also able to play both roles, Chelsea will be well covered in that position.

With Diego Godin set to come in, the defensive woes that have plagued the side this season due in part to injury could finally be resolved.

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Micah Richards has rocked Manchester City by revealing he may need to quit the club to get regular first-team football.

The defender is fed up with being in and out of the team and says that, at the age of 22, he cannot afford to be sitting on the bench.

A conversation with England boss Fabio Capello has convinced him it is time to move on.

“Mr Capello has told me that if I’m not playing regularly he will find it hard to pick me,” said Richards.

“Being back in the England set-up after so long away from it really got me buzzing again and I know I’m good enough to make that right-back position my own. But that won’t happen if I’m not playing consistently.

“I’ve got no problem with the club or Roberto Mancini as a manager but he knows how I feel. I went to see the boss and told him how frustrated I was.

“He said I was part of his plans but I went three Premier League games without even getting on, started against Aston Villa, then didn’t play against Blackpool.

“Sometimes I’m in, then Jerome Boateng comes in instead, or Pablo Zabaleta, or two of us play. It’s in, out, in, out, mix and match.

“I’ve never really been used to sitting on the bench and not playing and I hate it. I don’t feel it’s acceptable to me if I’m honest.

“We’ve got a ridiculous amount of players, so many in every position who are all top quality and there are plenty of good players who don’t get in at all.

“We travel with 21 and three don’t even get to be sub. You hope the club understands that they have to let people go and not leave them to rot.

“This is not me telling the boss, ‘you must pick me for every game’, I’m just telling it as I feel it.

“I want to be somewhere where I’m kicking a ball every week.” (The Sun)

This is fairly shocking stuff from Micah Richards.

At the age of 18 he became England’s youngest ever defender, and looked in all likelihood to be Gary Neville’s long term replacement in the England right back slot instead of Glen Johnson.

Poor form and off the pitch distractions in the next four years curtailed those hopes, and perhaps the conversation with Fabio Capello that Richards mentions as catalyst for his decision was also a wake up call for his career.

There is no doubt that he has potential, but it is up to him to fulfil it somewhere – and Chelsea and Arsenal are reportedly on the look out for defenders in the January transfer window.

Chelsea have told Paulo Ferreira he can move on, while Jose Bosingwa’s injury troubles have been worryingly frequent, and the lack of cover in central defence has also been cause for concern for Carlo Ancelotti.

Richards’ versatility is seen as a key asset in his potential transfer to Stamford Bridge, but Arsenal are also keen, having followed his career since he was a teenager.

Though 5’11″ isn’t exceptionally tall for a central defender, Richards’ strength and leap makes him a viable option in the middle, and could cover for Bakary Sagna and Emmanuel Eboue out wide.

However, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger may wait until the summer to secure his man – meaning Chelsea could swoop in.

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Bayern Munich are tracking Chelsea’s Jose Bosingwa, plus Everton duo Leighton Baines and Johnny Heitinga as they look to get their season back on track.

A series of defensive errors have contributed to a woeful run of form that has seen the German giants win just one of their last four matches.

Eighth in the Bundesliga and keen to strengthen in all areas, chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge specifically warned his defenders: ‘If we do not get used to controlling our errors in the back four we will have to do business on this.

‘We will carefully look into this. We are going to analyse things and then come up with a binding decision.’ (Daily Mail)

It seems highly unlikely that Bayern Munich will almost completely overhaul their defence with three new signings, but that is what the Daily Mail claim.

All the German side’s problems seem to be at the back though, with the latest capitulation being AS Roma’s comeback from two goals down in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday evening.

Up front, Mario Gomez is in alarmingly good form, which has seemingly put an end to those rumours he was about to leave the Allianz Arena.

Chelsea are almost certainly not going to sell Bosingwa, while David Moyes would only accept a bid for either of his players if the bid was significant enough to be worth considering.

Of the two mentioned, Heitinga is the most expendable, for Leighton Baines’ crossing is a constant threat on the left.

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Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has said the whole team must shoulder the blame for their surprising 3-0 Premier League defeat at home to Sunderland.

“As a team we didn’t play well,” Cech said. “It was not because individuals were missing and the back four was changed – it was everybody’s mistake.

“We were not compact enough, we were just all over the place and that’s why they had those chances and unfortunately for us they took two of them and the third goal I don’t even count as it’s just one of those things that when everything can go wrong does go wrong.” (Daily Telegraph)

Chelsea could have lost by even more to Sunderland on Sunday. The three goal margin did not flatter the Black Cats.

However, in fairness to Carlo Ancelotti’s Blues team, they were missing some key players.

John Terry and Alex were out, meaning a centre half partnership of Branislav Ivanovic and Paulo Ferreira had to play, while Michael Essien and Frank Lampard were also absent.

A midfield trio of John Obi Mikel, Ramires and Yuri Zhirkov appears neither balanced nor incisive. Not one of those players is a strong tackler, a creative player, or a big goal threat. Each is a jack of all trades, but a master of none – though Ramires deserves more time to settle to prove his worth.

However, Steve Bruce’s game plan worked brilliantly – and he has clearly learned from his similar tactical approach against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.

Knowing most of Chelsea’s threat comes through Ashley Cole and Florent Malouda on their left hand side, Bruce asked Kieran Richardson to tail Cole throughout the match, while Nedum Onuoha tracked Malouda.

With no Lampard or Essien in midfield, there was far less threat on the right hand side of the Chelsea midfield, and Jose Bosingwa found himself penned back by the high pressing Sunderland forwards.

This meant Chelsea could not build from the back in their usual fashion, and often resorted to a longer ball in panic.

The question is, once Chelsea get their big players back, would Bruce’s tactics be a universal approach to take them on, or will they be safe in the knowledge that their best is the match for anyone?

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Chelsea’s Brazilian defender Alex has revealed he wants to finish his career at Stamford Bridge.

“To be here is a good feeling, it’s very important for me and I’m very happy,” said Alex.

“In my career I never expected this, that one day I would come to play in England for a big team like Chelsea and complete 100 games.

“I’m very happy and hope to stay here for a long, long time and play for 200 or 300 games. This season I have been here longer than PSV, it feels like home and I hope I can stay here for the rest of my career.” (Daily Telegraph)

With Ricardo Carvalho moving to Real Madrid in the summer, a place opened up alongside John Terry in Chelsea’s central defence.

Branislav Ivanovic has switched between right back and centre back this season due to injuries to both Alex and Jose Bosingwa, but realistically it is between he and the Brazilian competing for the second centre back role in the Blues’ starting XI.

Both are assured in defence both in the air and on the deck, but Alex’s powerful shot and propensity to score rockets of free kicks makes him a valuable asset for Chelsea.

Although Jeffrey Bruma is gradually being integrating into first team matters, Alex and Ivanovic have assured there is no need for Chelsea fans to worry about the Blues’ defence for a while yet.

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Bayern Munich have revealed they received a part-exchange bid for Franck Ribery from Chelsea during the summer.

General manager Uli Hoeness admits Bayern received a number of offers for the French star, with the Blues bidding €65million plus full-back Jose Bosingwa.
However, the offer fell short of the €100million asking price for the 26-year-old attacker, so Chelsea’s approach was rebuffed by the German outfit.

“We never received an offer over 100 million,” Hoeness told Bild newspaper.

“The best bid came from Chelsea – 65 million plus the player Bosingwa.

“We also received other offers of 76 and 80 million.”

Hoeness also revealed that Bayern were not looking to offload Ribery, and that the player never demanded to be given a transfer.

“He never came to us and said he wanted to leave at any price,” he added. (Sky Sports)

Chelsea seem keen to make up for their transfer ban being suspended and Carlo Ancelotti is being linked with all and sundry, despite the fact that his side sits five points clear at the top of the Premier League. Clearly Bayern Munich will only consider selling Franck Ribery if a truly stupendous offer comes in and if a bid of £60m plus Portuguese monobrow Jose Bosingwa isn’t sufficient you have to wonder just how much the Bundesliga side want for their talented French playmaker.

It’s worth remembering the German outfit only paid a paltry £20m for the former Marseille man just over two years ago and if they don’t actually want to sell the 26 year old then I guess they could just say he is not for sale rather than intimating that if a large offer comes along they will consider it.

Does Carlo really need to invest so heavily in a ‘marquee’ signing, I think not.

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