TARGET: Europe's top clubs are chasing Ribery
CHELSEA are set to test Bayern Munich’s resolve
with a £50million bid for Franck Ribery.
The French wing wizard will top new manager Carlo
Ancelotti’s priority list when he officially starts work next
week.
Ancelotti has been given the go-ahead to wage a bidding
war with Real Madrid to try to lure Ribery to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and Ancelotti have
identified Ribery – and not Carlos Tevez – as the man they most
need to achieve the Premier League and European success they
crave.
And despite Bayern’s reluctance to sell, together with
the player’s apparent preference for Madrid and the competition
from Barcelona and Manchester United, Chelsea are preparing to pull
out all the stops to get him.
Even though he has not officially started work yet,
Ancelotti has been busy behind the scenes trying to broker a
deal.
But the Italian, who has insisted that no AC Milan
players will follow him to Chelsea, has so far failed to persuade
the German giants to name a price for Ribery.
Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge insisted last
night: “Ribery is irreplaceable and is not for sale.”
Chelsea will face competition from Manchester City and
Arsenal, who could throw in Nicklas Bendtner as a makeweight in a
deal.
