Carlo Ancelotti anticipates Andriy
Shevchenko leaving Chelsea before the end of the transfer
window, though Didier Drogba has informed the manager that he will
sign a new three-year contract on his return from the team's
pre-season tour of the United States.
Chelsea travelled to the US with seven recognised strikers in
their 26-man party, including Shevchenko and Claudio Pizarro who
spent last season on loan at Milan and Werder Bremen respectively.
Ancelotti indicated after the 2-0 victory against Seattle Sounders
that he hopes to field two forwards in games in the season. With
the young signing Daniel Sturridge having already impressed in
training and on debut against the MLS side on Saturday, Ancelotti
feels he boasts the firepower to unsettle opponents next term.
Given the options the manager already boasts, Shevchenko is
expected to move on ahead of the new campaign. Dynamo Kiev and
Fenerbahce have expressed interest in securing the Ukrainian, who
has a year to run on his £130,000-a-week contract, with the club to
hold talks with the forward on the team's return to London.
"For now, Shevchenko works with the team and plays with the
team," said Ancelotti. "He's a [Chelsea] player now until 31 August
and then, together, we will make a decision. I speak to Shevchenko
every day and the situation is this: he's with us until 31 August
and then we take a decision together. But I don't know what will
happen as the club has not received any offers."
Ancelotti intends to trim his squad ahead of the new season from
the 27 who have featured in the US – Michael Ballack has returned
home with a toe injury, while Yuri Zhirkov has linked up with the
party – to a more manageable number, although those cuts will not
include the winger Florent Malouda who has signed a new three-year
contract.
"It would be better to have 23 players, but now I want to see
them, people I don't know very well," he said. "There will be less
players [at the start of the season], but 24 or 25 is not a
problem."
Confirmation that Drogba, a player revitalised by Guus Hiddink's
brief tenure last season, intends to remain at Stamford Bridge was
anticipated, but will be welcomed by the management team
nevertheless. The Ivorian was admired by Ancelotti while he was at
Milan and, when fit and focused, remains a potent weapon.
"Drogba is a very important player for us and we want him to
play for Chelsea," said Ancelotti. "I think he's irreplaceable as
no other striker in the world can do the same job. I've spoken with
Drogba and know very well what he wants. I believe in Drogba and
told him this. He told me he's happy to stay."
There is an assumption that Drogba and Nicolas Anelka will be
the first-choice forwards under the Italian, though Sturridge has
already shown flashes to justify Chelsea's efforts in prising him
away from Manchester City, much to Mark Hughes' frustration. The
fee for the striker has still to be decided by a transfer tribunal
– City are seeking up to £10m for a player they nurtured in their
youth academy – but Ancelotti already considers him in his
senior-team plans for the season ahead.
"He's a young player and has good quality and we expect him to
have a very good season," added Ancelotti, who will also see Mikel
John Obi, Ashley Cole and Joe Cole sign new contracts before the
start of the season. "He's [Sturridge] started very well. To score
a goal in the first game [against the Sounders] and that's good for
us and good for him. He will improve and has to improve. He has a
lot of quality as a striker who is quick and intelligent with his
movement for others – I like that. It's important that he improves,
but he's a good striker for Chelsea and will be in the first-team
[squad] this season.
"He's not a star. He's a young player, a very good player. But
it's a good sign that he wants to improve. We have a lot of
strikers at this club, but he is young and we believe in young
players at this club."
Meanwhile, Malouda revealed that, despite signing a new
contract, he will have to adapt to a new system with Ancelotti
preferring a diamond formation up front. "This year he wants to try
the new system with a diamond so I have to adapt myself and that is
why we are training really hard to do what the manager wants,"
Malouda said.