Didier Drogba would love it if Chelsea managed to complete
the signing of Bayern Munich star Franck Ribery.
The France playmaker is expected to be sold this summer in order
to avoid the scenario of him leaving for free when his contract
expires in 2011.
Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and Manchester City
have all joined Chelsea in showing an interest in Ribery.
The player himself has hinted that the warmer climate in Spain
would be his preference for personal reasons, but Drogba would
still like to see his former rival from French football at Stamford
Bridge.
"I know Franck from my time at Guingamp," Drogba said in The
Sun. "If he comes to Chelsea, I will be happy. He is hungry. I
like hungry players."
Drogba has also revealed that he has reached an agreement with
Frank Lampard over Chelsea's penalty-taking responsibility in the
Premier League champions-elect's last game of the season against
Wigan.
The Ivory Coast international is desperate to beat Wayne Rooney,
of title rivals Manchester United, to the league's top scorer
award, with both players currently level pegging on 26 goals.
"To finish above Rooney in the scorers' table would be the
cherry on the cake," Drogba said.
"Three years ago, I finished above him and we didn't win the
league. There was something missing.
"But if there is a penalty to take, I have already agreed with
Lampard that I will take it."
Drogba believes that the John Terry affair earlier in the season
came close to completely extinguishing Chelsea's title
challenge.
"It was a key moment in our season because it corresponded with
a period where we had lost points, a period where it was less
good," he said. "But we stayed united, like we always do when there
is a storm at the club.
"It is a period which cost us a lot of points. Here in England,
it was enormous. It went from sport to being in the celebrity
pages. The cameras were focused on all sorts of things rather than
football and we lost our focus, unconsciously, which made us drop
points."