Chelsea lose out to Benitez but close in on £24m Cole
By Jason BurtPublished: 14 August 2006
Chelsea will this week raise their offer for Ashley Cole to between £22m and £24m after they were informed that their alternative left-back target would cost almost as much.
The Premiership champions, who lost the Community Shield 2-1 to Liverpool in Cardiff yesterday, have grown increasingly exasperated with Arsenal in their negotiations over Cole and last Wednesday issued a dismissive statement indicating that they had made a final bid for the 25-year-old.
After that, they contacted Lyon about the France international Eric Abidal. However, Lyon's president, Jean-Michel Aulas, told Chelsea he wanted €30m (£21m) for the 5ft 11in 27-year-old, who can also play at centre-back, but that he would accept a significantly lower offer next year.
Lyon, who last year sold Michael Essien to Chelsea for £24m, are in no hurry to part with Abidal, especially as they are deep in talks over the future of their midfielder Mahmadou Diarra, who looks set to join Real Madrid, although Manchester United have expressed an interest.
Chelsea informed Lyon that they would come back to them this week if they are to make an offer but decided that they would first raise their bid for Cole.
They are now expected to sign the England player, which means they will end up paying substantially more than the £16m they had hoped to secure him for. Another important factor is the central role now being played by Chelsea's owner Roman Abramovich, who has involved himself in the most recent negotiations and wants a swift - and positive - resolution.
Cole's arrival will be met with demands from Wayne Bridge to be allowed to leave the club. He could be made to wait until the January transfer window.
Abramovich was in Cardiff yesterday to see another of his signings, Andrei Shevchenko, score his first goal for the club, although it was not enough to prevent the champions losing the Community Shield to Liverpool through strikes by John Arne Riise and Peter Crouch.
After the match there was a continuation of the spat between the Liverpool manager, Rafael Benitez, and Chelsea's Jose Mourinho. Once again, the two men did not shake hands at the final whistle.
Benitez said he had snubbed Mourinho because of his reaction to defeat in last season's FA Cup semi-final. "For me it's not a problem," Benitez said. "After the FA Cup he decided not to shake hands. This time he was behind me." Mourinho said he had stayed on the pitch but had been ignored.
He also admitted that Liverpool were deserved winners yesterday, but said he was unconcerned as it was a one-off game and "the competition is 10 months".
"I could feel when there was space for individual challenges and 25-metre runs that they were much stronger than us," Mourinho said. "It was quite difficult."
He said this was due to a shorter pre-season training programme. "We have to work. That's what I keep saying. I read a few papers where some of your super specialists laugh when I say we need time. They are funny people and like to write funny things."
Mourinho also defended his recent decision to reduce the size of his squad - and to change their style of play.
"We want to play a different way," he said. "It's obvious and to play that way you need to work tactically and with a sharpness that we don't have at this moment."
He praised Shevchenko but added that he was not given sufficient support. "In the last third he is fantastic," Mourinho said. "An attacking player needs a team behind him. He is an amazing player." Chelsea's other big signing, Michael Ballack, was withdrawn midway through the first half and will have a scan today on a hip injury.
Mourinho, who joined the chorus of complaints about the timing of this week's internationals, would not acknowledge that Liverpool will mount a sustained title challenge.
Benitez was not stirred. "For us it's another trophy which is good for the confidence," he said. "We know it will be different during the season."
He believes he has improved his squad with the pace of Craig Bellamy, Mark Gonzalez and Jermaine Pennant, and felt able to start with the first of those players, plus the likes of Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso, on the bench.
Chelsea will this week raise their offer for Ashley Cole to between £22m and £24m after they were informed that their alternative left-back target would cost almost as much.
The Premiership champions, who lost the Community Shield 2-1 to Liverpool in Cardiff yesterday, have grown increasingly exasperated with Arsenal in their negotiations over Cole and last Wednesday issued a dismissive statement indicating that they had made a final bid for the 25-year-old.
After that, they contacted Lyon about the France international Eric Abidal. However, Lyon's president, Jean-Michel Aulas, told Chelsea he wanted €30m (£21m) for the 5ft 11in 27-year-old, who can also play at centre-back, but that he would accept a significantly lower offer next year.
Lyon, who last year sold Michael Essien to Chelsea for £24m, are in no hurry to part with Abidal, especially as they are deep in talks over the future of their midfielder Mahmadou Diarra, who looks set to join Real Madrid, although Manchester United have expressed an interest.
Chelsea informed Lyon that they would come back to them this week if they are to make an offer but decided that they would first raise their bid for Cole.
They are now expected to sign the England player, which means they will end up paying substantially more than the £16m they had hoped to secure him for. Another important factor is the central role now being played by Chelsea's owner Roman Abramovich, who has involved himself in the most recent negotiations and wants a swift - and positive - resolution.
Cole's arrival will be met with demands from Wayne Bridge to be allowed to leave the club. He could be made to wait until the January transfer window.
Abramovich was in Cardiff yesterday to see another of his signings, Andrei Shevchenko, score his first goal for the club, although it was not enough to prevent the champions losing the Community Shield to Liverpool through strikes by John Arne Riise and Peter Crouch.
After the match there was a continuation of the spat between the Liverpool manager, Rafael Benitez, and Chelsea's Jose Mourinho. Once again, the two men did not shake hands at the final whistle.
Benitez said he had snubbed Mourinho because of his reaction to defeat in last season's FA Cup semi-final. "For me it's not a problem," Benitez said. "After the FA Cup he decided not to shake hands. This time he was behind me." Mourinho said he had stayed on the pitch but had been ignored.
He also admitted that Liverpool were deserved winners yesterday, but said he was unconcerned as it was a one-off game and "the competition is 10 months".
"I could feel when there was space for individual challenges and 25-metre runs that they were much stronger than us," Mourinho said. "It was quite difficult."
He said this was due to a shorter pre-season training programme. "We have to work. That's what I keep saying. I read a few papers where some of your super specialists laugh when I say we need time. They are funny people and like to write funny things."
Mourinho also defended his recent decision to reduce the size of his squad - and to change their style of play.
"We want to play a different way," he said. "It's obvious and to play that way you need to work tactically and with a sharpness that we don't have at this moment."
He praised Shevchenko but added that he was not given sufficient support. "In the last third he is fantastic," Mourinho said. "An attacking player needs a team behind him. He is an amazing player." Chelsea's other big signing, Michael Ballack, was withdrawn midway through the first half and will have a scan today on a hip injury.
Mourinho, who joined the chorus of complaints about the timing of this week's internationals, would not acknowledge that Liverpool will mount a sustained title challenge.
Benitez was not stirred. "For us it's another trophy which is good for the confidence," he said. "We know it will be different during the season."
He believes he has improved his squad with the pace of Craig Bellamy, Mark Gonzalez and Jermaine Pennant, and felt able to start with the first of those players, plus the likes of Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso, on the bench.
http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/premiership/article1219052.ece 值唔值咁貴呀:o 原帖由 沙9 於 2006-8-1505:14 PM 發表
值唔值咁貴呀:o
英格蘭人係貴d:icon101: 原帖由 沙9 於 2006-8-1505:14 PM 發表
值唔值咁貴呀:o
因為買o個隊叫車路士
我係雲格就賣佢啦.... 賺番筆都好
再去買幾件新仔番黎都仲有錢剩 原帖由 講野無point的人 於 2006-8-1505:28 PM 發表
英格蘭人係貴d:icon101:
:icon125:
車仔買野係貴D:icon101: 原帖由 lhywychk 於 2006-8-1506:24 PM 發表
因為買o個隊叫車路士
我係雲格就賣佢啦.... 賺番筆都好
再去買幾件新仔番黎都仲有錢剩
:icon075:
agree !
佢嘅心都唔喺度, 留都冇用 原帖由 ken809 於 2006-8-1506:24 PM 發表
:icon125:
車仔買野係貴D:icon101:
同巿rival club:icon101::icon101::icon101: A.Cole 值1.6m
英格蘭人x 1.5
2.4m o岩o岩好 :icon101: 原帖由 Siu_Boo 於 2006-8-1509:46 PM 發表
A.Cole 值1.6m
英格蘭人x 1.5
2.4m o岩o岩好 :icon101:
1.6m :eek2:
2.4m :eek: 原帖由 Siu_Boo 於 2006-8-1509:46 PM 發表
A.Cole 值1.6m
英格蘭人x 1.5
2.4m o岩o岩好 :icon101:
:icon101:你做乜幫人1折? 原帖由 Siu_Boo 於 2006-8-1509:46 PM 發表
A.Cole 值1.6m
英格蘭人x 1.5
2.4m o岩o岩好 :icon101:
超值:eek2: 原帖由 Bilo 於 2006-8-1510:55 PM 發表
超值:eek2:
買得過:icon101::icon101::icon101::icon071: 我一路都覺得24m賣ashley cole係抵
就算係20m+布列治都仲有so... 原帖由 熱刺#29戴維斯 於 2006-8-1510:28 PM 發表
:icon101:你做乜幫人1折?
sorry
my mistake
呢排窮 :icon101: 原帖由 Siu_Boo 於 2006-8-1509:46 PM 發表
A.Cole 值1.6m
英格蘭人x 1.5
2.4m o岩o岩好 :icon101:
:icon101: ......
[ 本帖最後由 lunkowater 於 2006-8-1601:20 AM 編輯 ] 原帖由 Liverman 於 2006-8-1600:07 發表
我一路都覺得24m賣ashley cole係抵
就算係20m+布列治都仲有so...
其實我..同意.. 原帖由 Liverman 於 2006-8-1600:07 發表
我一路都覺得24m賣ashley cole係抵
就算係20m+布列治都仲有so...
個面Carrick都18m...
A.Cole無30m都算平 ~
話晒國家隊正選, 仲要我敢講佢o既級數已經係被世界肯定 ~
30m + Gallas ~ :icon101: 原帖由 駿次郎 於 2006-8-1602:03 AM 發表
個面Carrick都18m...
A.Cole無30m都算平 ~
話晒國家隊正選, 仲要我敢講佢o既級數已經係被世界肯定 ~
30m + Gallas ~ :icon101:
30m + Gallas 又過份咗d....:icon088:
不過如果成事我會開心:icon105: 原帖由 Bilo 於 2006-8-1602:06 發表
30m + Gallas 又過份咗d....:icon088:
不過如果成事我會開心:icon105:
都係個句, 唔係針對球隊, 只係針對個市場
Carrick都18m, 有咩無可能:icon101:
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