'Black Zidane' magic: Chelsea's Gael Kakuta in last
year's Youth Cup final against Manchester City
Frank Arnesen was ready to crack open the champagne when
he returned from Lens two years ago with Gael Kakuta's
signature.
'I've just landed the best kid in France,' Chelsea's
academy chief told his employers in a meeting at Stamford
Bridge.
A kid some observers were already calling the 'Black Zidane'.
For Arnesen, it amounted to quite a coup.
The capture of exactly the kind of player he was
desperate to deliver. The Dane was under pressure, according to
sources at the club. Not least because many of those he had
recruited since joining in a controversial move from Tottenham in
September 2005 were not deemed to be of the necessary
standard.
They were not advancing through the ranks and into the senior
squad, which was something Jose Mourinho spoke of after leaving
Chelsea.
In Kakuta, however, he had uncovered a precious gem. A gifted
young winger who quickly emerged as the star of Chelsea's youth
team and someone, while only 18, who has now been named in Carlo
Ancelotti's Champions League squad. The boy has talent in
abundance.
Quick feet, great vision, blistering pace. 'Kakuta stands out
for his ability,' said Frank Lampard when the youngster first
joined.
'His natural talent for someone who is just 16 is amazing.'
'Arnesen was so pleased with himself,' said one club insider. 'But
it was a big relief for him to get the boy.'
The question now, however, is to what lengths Arnesen went to
get the boy to come to London, and what FIFA mean when they talk
about inducements.
According to reports in France, Kakuta's parents were not keen
for their son to leave home so soon. His mother was against it
until, say those same reports, somebody offered the family a
million euros and the 16-year-old a salary of around £7,000 a
week.
The allegation has been denied by Roger Boli, the player's agent
and former Lens legend who ended his career at Bournemouth.
Chelsea claim Kakuta was not under contract at Lens and,
therefore, deny any wrong-doing. Yet FIFA think they have done
something wrong, and something pretty serious judging by the
severity of the punishment. The announcement took Chelsea by
surprise, given it usually takes FIFA's dispute resolution chamber
two or three months to reach a decision.
The hearing for this case only took place last week. According
to one source, it is partly because the world governing body has
lost patience with Chelsea for what is seen as arrogance over the
way they sometimes conduct transfers. So much so that Sportsmail
understands former employees have been approached in recent months
to assist with their investigation.
The evidence is fairly damning. The controversy that raged over
their pursuit of Ashley Cole. The bizarre circumstances surrounding
John Mikel Obi's capture.
The 'tapping up' of Leeds youngsters Michael Woods and Tom
Taiwo, for which they had to pay £5million in compensation. In a
BBC documentary by their Panorama team in 2006, Arnesen was caught
offering Nathan Porritt, a 15-year-old from Middlesbrough, £150,000
- paid over three years - to join Chelsea
Arnesen was later warned by Lens of the potential consequences
of a similar approach. Responding to reports linking Chelsea to
Kakuta in April 2007, Lens administrative director Francis Collado
said: 'The player is under contract for two more years and, if a
club is attracted, they have to contact us.
'If he is contacted when he's under contract and signs for
another club, the risk is a six month suspension for the player and
a year ban for signing players by the club. These are FIFA rules
and there is no reason for them not to apply to Chelsea.'
Under pressure: Frank Arnesen
The knives appear to be out for Arnesen, and not just at
FIFA. He is at the centre of a power struggle that could seriously
destabilise a club notorious for political
in-fighting.
Promoted to the board in the summer, Arnesen was given a new
title - Sporting Director - and put in charge of all transfer
activity. 'Arnesen continues with his previous roles relating to
the reserves and the academy but now also takes on responsibilities
relating to the co-ordination of first-team activity and supporting
the first team manager,' said a club website statement.
For Peter Kenyon it amounted to another bloody nose. Roman
Abramovich had sacked Luiz Felipe Scolari as manager while Kenyon
was away last season and now he seemed to be taking more
responsibility away from his chief executive.
Arnesen's prominent position at the unveiling of manager
Ancelotti in July told its own story but now, suddenly, he looks
vulnerable. Now Kenyon might be in a position to hit back. Indeed,
only last weekend the chief executive expressed his frustration
over the academy's failure to produce talent.
Arnesen secured the services of Kakuta and he had the authority
to sign off the deal. If Chelsea fail in their appeal and Ancelotti
has to plan for the future without buying another player for 16
months, it could get very messy.
