Scolari signs Deco for Chelsea on his first day in the
office
Luiz Felipe Scolari begins life as Chelsea's manager
this morning having secured his first signing. The Champions League
finalists yesterday completed the purchase of the Barcelona
midfielder Deco on a two-year contract.
The 30-year-old playmaker has followed his Portugal manager to
west London in an £8m deal which may yet have an effect on Frank
Lampard's future at Stamford Bridge. The England midfielder is
currently on holiday in Italy but with only a year to run on his
contract he has been courted by Chelsea's former manager, Jose
Mourinho, who is now at Internazionale. Deco's arrival appears to
threaten Lampard's place in the team.
The Premier League club had been unsure whether Deco, who was
below par in a Barcelona side well adrift of Real Madrid last
season, represented value for money but they were persuaded by his
fine form at Euro 2008. The midfielder was a key member of
Scolari's squad in Austria and Switzerland as Portugal reached the
quarter-finals and has long been viewed as the coach's on-pitch
lieutenant.
"I am sure I have come [to Chelsea] at the right time to do
great things and be able to help Chelsea go back to the way it was
and be first, not only in England but also to win the Champions
League," said Deco. "That has been their dream for so long. The
Premier League is a great league and it is getting better. You
could see that at the Champions League final where you had two
English teams."
"It is great that we have so many great players here at Chelsea
and it is great that there is the competition which is healthy for
everybody. This just makes the team better. To have great players
in any position just enhances the club. I know it is a new
challenge but I am looking forward to it. I know I need a little
bit of time to adapt but I am sure I will adapt quite well and
quite fast and do my best for the team."
The Brazilian-born midfielder is a two-times European Cup
winner, His vision and ability on the ball will be appreciated in
the Premier League, with the creativity that was a key factor for
Scolari's Portugal team. He joins his national team-mate Jose
Bosingwa, a £16m arrival from Porto, at Chelsea and his signature
is a small victory for the club over Mourinho. The Inter manager
had hoped to be reunited with a player he first coached at Porto,
where Deco earned the nickname "Magico". Further struggles appear
to lie ahead, however.
Scolari supplied a list of potential signings to the Chelsea
chief executive, Peter Kenyon. It was topped by Milan's Kaka.
Scolari would still like to meet the likes of Lampard and Ricardo
Carvalho to discuss their prospects at the club. Inter have
expressed interest in both players.
Chelsea's first-team squad are due back at training next Monday.
Chelsea had wanted to keep Lampard but they are aware that, though
there has been no formal contact between the clubs, Inter have made
their interest known.
Carvalho's future in west London has also, potentially, been
complicated by Mourinho's appointment at Inter. Chelsea had
intended to open discussions with the player on a new contract when
he returned for pre-season training. Asked about his future, the
Portugal defender was noncommittal both prior to the Champions
League final and at Euro 2008.
