Hiddink was Chelsea's first choice as manager, says agent

zocoss SG

In demand: Villas-Boas is jetting into London after Chelsea agreed to match the £13m buyout clause in his contract

Chelsea are reported to be closing in on a sensational deal to appoint Andres Villas-Boas.

The Porto manager has a £13.2million release clause in his contract, which Blues owner Roman Abramovich is believed to be ready to activate.

Reports in Portugal suggest Villas-Boas is now on his way to London to discuss taking over from sacked Carlo Ancelotti.

The 33-year-old is widely regarded as the next Jose Mourinho given the similarities in his incredible rise with Porto. Villas-Boas also worked in Mourinho's backroom team during his spell at Stamford Bridge.

Inter Milan were also interested in luring Villas-Boas but they have refused to pay his huge release fee.

Porto president Pinta da Costa has already admitted he is resigned to eventually losing his star manager.

He said: 'Villas-Boas has a contract and a clause of €15m. If someone deposits €15million into our account and he wants to go, we can not do anything because it is something that is contractually specified.'

Lessons from the top: Villa-Boas learned from Jose Mourinho and is set to do the same from Guus Hiddink

It is not yet clear whether Villas-Boas has been targeted to work alongside Guus Hiddink, who has been at the centre of a tug-of-war between Chelsea and his current employers Turkey.

However, Hiddink may well assume a sporting director role with Villas-Boas in charge of coaching and team selection at the Barclays Premier League runners-up.

zocoss SG

That is the astonishing cost of the release clause to take Villas-Boas, 33, from Porto - a record for any football manager transfer.

And Blues owner Rom could fork out another £26.5m for the Portuguese club's striker Falcao.

Porto defender Alvaro Perreira admitted last night: "Andre Villas-Boas went to Chelsea. Abramovich took our manager.

"We have to thank the coach for all the work and trophies won with us."

Villas-Boas, who learned his trade under Sir Bobby Robson and Jose Mourinho, took charge at Porto last summer.

He led them to four trophies in one season - the Europa League plus the Portuguese League, Cup and Super Cup.

Colombian Falcao, who has two years left on his contract, was a key member of that side.

He scored a record 17 goals in Europe, including the winner in the final against Braga.

Claudio Mossi, a Falcao agent, said last night: "If Villas-Boas is the new coach of Chelsea it is normal for players that are closest to follow him."

Falcao is a huge admirer of Villas-Boas and said: "It's thanks to him that every player felt relevant and he kept us all motivated. This was decisive."

Falcao joined Porto in 2009 and has an astonishing 41 goals in just 50 appearances.

Rock^Star SG

Wah lau eh.

Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1) SG

with a wealthy owner

i wont be surprised

AEW5001 SG

i sarpok RA to become owner cum manager.

charlize SG

In fashion now to hire young 30-something managers instead of 60 year old senior citizens?

After seeing what Guardiola did with Barca, RA wants to join in the fun?

Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1) SG

i sarpok RA to become owner cum manager.

ask RA go become Tampines Rovers owner

sure we see Many exp players come S-Leauge

zocoss SG

Chelsea moved a step closer to landing their primary managerial target when Porto confirmed Andre Villas-Boas intended to resign his post at the Portuguese champions.

Villas-Boas, who at just 33 years of age will become the youngest manager in the Barclays Premier League should he complete a switch to west London, told Porto he would meet the 15million euro release clause in his contract himself, paving the way for him to replace Carlo Ancelotti at Stamford Bridge.

Porto made a statement to the Portuguese Securities Market Commission which read: "FC Porto was notified of the intention of Andre Villas-Boas to resign from his contract with the club by triggering the release clause immediately.

"The contract will be terminated once the required amount is paid."

Villas-Boas, who led Porto to the domestic double and Europa League success last season, has worked for Chelsea before as part of Jose Mourinho's backroom staff and speaks good English.

If he does succeed Ancelotti - the Italian was sacked at the end of last season - one of his first moves could be to sign Porto's star striker Falcao, the £25m-rated Colombian having impressed as the Dragons won the Europa League final at Dublin's Aviva Stadium, where the 25-year-old netted the only goal against Braga.

With Chelsea having stepped up their pursuit of the former Academica boss, question marks now surround the future of Guus Hiddink.

The Dutchman, who enjoyed a successful spell as caretaker boss of Chelsea in 2009, was thought to be in line for a return to Stamford Bridge, although reports have suggested he would prefer to remain as a coach and not move upstairs into a sporting director role.

His agent today threw up an alternative by refusing to dismiss a link with Inter Milan, who themselves had been interested in Villas-Boas.

The coaching role at the San Siro is likely to be vacated by Leonardo shortly, with the former AC Milan boss poised to become Paris St Germain's new sporting director.

Inter have been frustrated in their attempts to recruit Sinisa Mihajlovic, Marcelo Bielsa and now Villas-Boas but Cees van Nieuwenhuizen said Hiddink, currently in charge of the Turkish national side, "would evaluate" Inter's offer should the Nerazzurri reach an agreement with his current employers.

"We have never spoken to (Inter president Massimo) Moratti," Van Nieuwenhuizen told the Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper.

"Hiddink has a contract with the Turkish federation and therefore before any talks can begin, Moratti must contact the (Turkish) federation and say he is interested in Guus.

"He is contracted until 2012 so, for the time being, there is no possibility that he can coach Inter.

"If Inter reached an agreement with Turkey? Well at that point Hiddink would certainly evaluate the Nerazzurri offer but he is a professional and he has never broken a contract in his whole career."

Andre Villas-Boas Factfile

1977: Born in Porto on October 17.

1993: Invited to work as a trainee with FC Porto's youth-team coaches by manager Sir Bobby Robson.

1994: Achieves UEFA C coaching licence in Scotland.

2000: Takes charge of the British Virgin Islands for two international matches. Both end in defeat.

2002: Becomes part of Jose Mourinho's backroom staff at Porto.

2004: Follows Mourinho to Chelsea.

2008: Moves with Mourinho to Inter Milan.

2009: Appointed manager of Academica in October, with club bottom of the table and without a win. Villas-Boas guides them to an 11th-place finish and a Portuguese League Cup semi-final.

2010: June 2 - Appointed manager of boyhood club Porto.

August 7 - Wins Portuguese Supercup with 2-0 victory over Benfica.

2011: April 3 - Leads Porto to their 25th league title, finishing with the biggest ever winning margin over second place (21 points).

May 18 - Porto win Europa League with a 1-0 triumph over fellow Portuguese side Braga.

May 22 - Guides Porto to a trophy treble with a comprehensive 6-2 win over Vitoria de Guimaraes in Portuguese Cup final.

June 21 - Porto confirm Villas-Boas has tendered his resignation and his contract will be terminated once his 15million euros release clause has been paid.

zocoss SG

Neymar is a £40m target for Chelsea

ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS will take over as Chelsea manager in the next 24 hours and is targeting an incredible £80million worth of new players to join his blue revolution.

He was in London last night and is expected to be confirmed by tomorrow as Roman Abramovich’s seventh manager of the past seven seasons. Andre Villas-Boas, 33, wants to bring £26million Colombian striker Radamel Falcao with him from Porto – and also highly rated £14m midfielder Joao Moutinho.

And last night super agent Pini Zahavi was in Sao Paulo with Chelsea representatives ready to make a new £40m offer for Santos teenager Neymar.

Santos take on Penarol of Uruguay tonight in the second leg of the Copa Libertadores final in Sao Paulo, having drawn 0-0 in the first game in Montevideo.

Chelsea have already had a £30m bid for Brazilian Neymar turned down, but are ready to make an improved offer.

The new arrivals would throw doubt over several of Chelsea’s stars.

That includes strikers Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka, but also midfielders Michael Essien and John Obi Mikel. Villas-Boas left Porto yesterday after Chelsea agreed to pay them £13.2m compensation.

Previous favourite Guus Hiddink will be seeing out his contract with Turkey.

Chelsea are hoping to make an official announcement about their new manager soon, with Villas-Boas likely to bring in two of his Porto assistants.

Rock^Star SG

There'll be a really good fight next season.

zocoss SG

The new man: Andre Villas-Boas holds the Chelsea shirt aloft

Chelsea are celebrating the arrival of Andre Villas-Boas as the club's new manager on a three-year deal.

The Porto boss follows in the footsteps of his old boss Jose Mourinho after the Blues paid his £13.2million release fee.

A Chelsea statement issued on Wednesday morning hailed his appointment - and its wording appeared to deliver a snub to the initial favourite for the post, Guus Hiddink.

It read: 'Andre was the outstanding candidate for the job. He is one of the most talented young managers in football today and has already achieved much in a relatively short space of time.

'His ambition, drive and determination matches that of Chelsea and we are confident Andre's leadership of the team will result in greater successes in major domestic and European competitions.

'Andre will bring his coaching experience back to a club he is already very familiar with, having previously worked here for three years.

'He has always been highly regarded at Chelsea and everyone here looks forward to welcoming him back and working with him.'

Villas-Boas, who previously served Chelsea as an assistant to Mourinho, is expected now to set his sights on bringing with him to Stamford Bridge some of his most prized possessions at Porto.

London calling: Porto's Colombia international Radamel Falcao is also keen on a switch to west London

He'll cost you: Joao Moutinho is a target for Villas-Boas, but Porto want £35.5m for the midfielder

It is understood he wants striker Falcao and midfielder Joao Moutinho, two key members of the side he guided to a European and domestic treble this season. Porto president Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa immediately put a price on their heads last night, valuing Falcao at £26.5m and Moutinho at £35.5m.

Villas-Boas could also move for two members of his coaching staff - fitness coach Jose Maria Rocha and opposition scout Daniel Sousa.

Chelsea secured the 33-year-old after payment of his £13.2million release clause was completed - while he continued to relax on holiday.

The Portuguese will not travel to London but remain on his summer break, although he may be joined today by a Chelsea delegation sent out to complete formalities. The plan is to introduce him officially next month, once he has spent a few days working with the players in training.

Rapid progress in securing Villas-Boas was made on Tuesday, with Porto promoting their assistant coach, Vitor Pereira, to the role of manager and informing the Portuguese stock exchange that the release clause had been paid and that their contract with Villas-Boas had been terminated.

Y_Shun SG

youngest manager...

Rock^Star SG

Very very impressive. I don't the game has ever seen a younger manager of such pedigree. But but....when falcao comes, torres, drogba and anelka how? They either are terrifying or terrible. And bye bye sturridge.....

zocoss SG

The new man: Andre Villas-Boas holds the Chelsea shirt aloft

The new man: Andre Villas-Boas holds the Chelsea shirt aloft

ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS last night declared that he will deliver six years of success at Chelsea.

New boss Andre Villas-Boas, 33, appointed yesterday by Roman Abramovich with a £6.2million-a-year, three-year contract, is determined to outlast his predecessors.

Chelsea have given Porto £13.2m in compensation and could snap up their £26m striker Falcao, who wants to leave, and £14m midfielder Joao Moutinho, as well as Santos’ Brazilian teenager Neymar.

He said: “Let’s reflect on what has happened, and what we can achieve in the next six years. We aim to keep winning. I am confident I can respond to Chelsea’s expectations. I am confident that people will like it.”

dragg SG

chelsea will be the same unless they overhaul the team.

another 500 million?

charlize SG

Smart.

Say 6 years so that he will have 6 years of employment.

zocoss SG

• Dutchman wants to honour his contract with Turkey
• Roman Abramovich forced to turn to André Villas-Boas

Guus Hiddink

Guus Hiddink and not André Villas-Boas was Roman Abramovich's first choice to become Chelsea's new manager, according to the Dutchman's agent, Cees van Nieuwenhuizen. The Portuguese coach was appointed last week by Chelsea, with a £13.3m fee paid to Porto to secure the 33-year-old's release.

Van Nieuwenhuizen, whose version of events is disputed by senior Chelsea sources, said that Hiddink was approached first, but that his client's determination to honour his contract as Turkey's coach prevented him from returning to Stamford Bridge. Van Nieuwenhuizen said: "He has never broken a contract."

Hiddink told Abramovich he intended to stay loyal to Turkey until qualification for next summer's European Championship was achieved, and Chelsea respected his wishes "because of the good relationship Guus has with Abramovich", according to Nieuwenhuizen.

"Every now and then they talk, they see each other, and Guus would say: 'I have a contract so it's no use considering a position for me at Chelsea.' I think Abramovich has respected that position."

Given the nature of that relationship and Hiddink's success in winning the FA Cup when he took over as Chelsea's caretaker manager in 2009 after Luiz Felipe Scolari was sacked, was it particularly difficult for Hiddink to turn the club down?

"No. When he signed with Turkey he realised he would be in this position in principle through at least to the European Championship, so he's a professional," Van Nieuwenhuizen said. The agent added that the 64-year-old was well-used to being linked with prestigious club positions. "Massimo Moratti [Internazionale's president] also mentioned last week that he wanted Guus Hiddink. And Guus has already been connected in the past a couple of times, related to big clubs, not only Chelsea."

However, Van Nieuwenhuizen does not believe Hiddink will retire after his work with Turkey is done.