Essien Signs Five Year Deal

Michael Essien handed Chelsea another major boost by signing up for another five years in a deal worth around £80,000-a week, according to the Daily Mail.
Essien, who joined from Lyon for £24.4m three years ago, committed his future to Chelsea until 2013 despite interest from Real Madrid and Inter Milan this summer.
The 25-year-old only signed a five-year contract last year, but such is Chelsea's determination to keep him that they made him an improved offer.
Essien, established as one of the best midfielders in the world during his time at Stamford Bridge, is now looking to help the club bounce back from the disappointments of last season, failing to win a trophy for the first time in four years.
The deal for Essien is a strong message of intent from the Blues and makes him the third player to have agreed new terms in a week after Wayne Bridge and Petr Cech.
The Ghana international, who is set to play in Chelsea's first game of their pre-season tour in Asia against Chinese side Guangzhou Pharmaceutical tomorrow, is now looking forward to competing for his place in Chelsea's midfield.
With Frank Lampard, Deco, Michael Ballack, John Obi Mikel as well as Essien in contention, Manager Luiz Felip Scolari has quite a choice.
Essien is happy that Deco, who joined from Barcelona this summer for £7.9m, has arrived and believes it will improve his game.
He said: "When the competition gets keener it brings out the best in players. Last season we signed new players and people thought I could lose my place. But I fought and stayed to maintain it."

Maka Moves On To PSG

Claude Makelele has moved on a free transfer to Paris Saint Germain.

After five years at the Bridge the player who made the midfield holding position his own, many pundits calling it 'the Makelele role', has moved back to France to see out his illustrious career.

His contribution to the Blues success should not be underestimated and it is uncertain to what effect Mikel or Essien can step into his vacant role. Remember that Real Madrid had a couple of seasons of underachievement when he left for the Bridge.

Thanks for your contribution Maka and the best of luck for the future.

Kaka Keen On Blues Move

Kaka's advisor, Diogo Kotscho, insists that the Brazilian is desperate to join Chelsea, according to skysports.com.
The Milan playmaker has long been touted as a potential summer transfer target for the Blues, with reports now suggesting that discussions have taken place between the two clubs in regards to a possible £80million switch.
The 26-year-old was always seen as being an unobtainable object of desire, with the Rossoneri unwilling to lose a player who provides their greatest creative influence.
However, with Ronaldinho having now been unveiled at San Siro and with their financial difficulties well-publicised, the Italian giants appear willing to enter into negotiations with potential suitors.
Should the World Player of the Year move to Stamford Bridge he would be reunited with Luiz Felipe Scolari, the man who handed him his international debut as a 20-year-old back in 2002 and included him a Brazil squad which went on to lift the World Cup later that year.
Any deal seems certain to break the world record transfer fee, which currently stands at £46million, but Kotscho is confident that a deal can be done which will allow Kaka to take on a new challenge in the Premier League next season.

"Real Madrid offered 90 million euros (£71million) last summer and Milan did not even think about the bid," Kaka's personal assistant told The Guardian.
"This time is different. This is the first time we feel that a deal will definitely happen.
"Because of the situation Milan are in at the moment, the deal is good for all parties involved.
"The move would represent a significant increase in Kaka's salary, on top of the 10 per cent transfer fee that goes straight to the player anyway - some 15 million euros (£12million).
"Chelsea are the club to be at right now. They are building a team to win everything."

Ben Haim Off To Eastlands

Tal Ben Haim will bring his miserable 12 months at Chelsea to an end next week and join Manchester City for a fee £5million, according to the Mail online.
He has agreed a four-year contract worth around £40,000-a-week and is looking forward to a new challenge.
Ben Haim, 26, joined on a free transfer from Bolton last summer, but struggled for form at the start of the campaign and barely featured once Jose Mourinho was replaced by Avram Grant as manager in September.

He made just 13 appearances and was fined two weeks’ wages after criticising fellow Israeli Grant.
He said: 'If I knew Grant was going to be the coach I would have signed for another club. It was Mourinho who brought me here and no one except he and I know the conversation we had when he tried to sign me.

'The fact is while Mourinho was the coach, I played most of the games and people who know me know I would not have come here to be a reserve. I knew nothing good would come for me with Grant as Chelsea coach.'
Ben Haim has been training with the squad but will miss next week’s pre-season tour of China.
Right-back Juliano Belletti, is wanted by Benfica on loan.
Belletti joined from Barcelona for £4m but the arrival of Jose Bosingwa for £16.2m in May means he is surplus to requirements.

Bos Keen To Oppose Gamst

New Chelsea defender Jose Bosingwa says that the player he is relishing facing the most next season is Blackburn's Morten Gamst Pedersen, according to Teamtalk.com.
Bosingwa was introduced to the press at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday after finalising his £16.2million move from Porto.
And the Portugal right-back is eager to pit his wits against Norwegian Pedersen.
He said: "The Premier League is a very strong league and has many good players, but it will be great to play against Pedersen from Blackburn.
"Obviously it will be a pleasure to play against clubs with fellow Portuguese players but I like the way Pedersen plays.
"He's very fast and likes to bring others into the game. He crosses the ball very quickly. I like his style."
Bosingwa was also linked with a move to Manchester United this summer, but insists the only club he held talks with were the Blues.
He added: "I came to the club that showed more interest in me and I heard about United only in the press and I came to the right club who came to speak to me.
"I knew there was interest from other clubs but never spoke to United or any other club."
It means he'll be playing against Cristiano Ronaldo rather than with him, should the Portugal winger remain at Old Trafford rather than move to Real Madrid.
"It's good for the English league to have him here but it's not my decision," Bosingwa said.
"Usually we train in the same team so I don't have to face him in training!"