Chelsea's Champions
League defeat is expected to signal a mass exodus from the club.
With the fall-out from Moscow still to come, Mirror.co.uk takes an
early look at which members of last night's team will be off in the
summer.
Petr
Cech
The goalkeeper has two years left on his current deal, but has
recently been linked with Arsenal - presumably because the Gunners
need a keeper, rather than any likelihood of a move - and an
unnamed “very big European club”. The mystery team are said to
be willing to pay £32m for his services – a story released by
his agent, as coincidence would have it, when contract negotiations
were mooted. Cech himself, however, recently stated that he as “no
plans to leave the club”.
Off in the summer? No. Chelsea need to lose their
keeper like he needs another kick in the head
Michael
Essien
The Ghanaian star has been a victim of his own
versatility this term, all too often plugging gaps in Grant’s back
four rather then being offered the chance to boss games from his
favoured midfield berth. Real Madrid are rumoured to be lining up a
£25m bid, which could test Essien’s commitment to being Chelsea’s
all-rounder.
Off in the summer? Chelsea would be stupid to
sell, but they’ll need to convince the player his days as human
Polyfilla are over.
Ricardo
Carvalho
Another player allegedly targeted by Madrid,
Carvalho would also be a prime target for old boss Jose Mourinho if
– or, rather, when - he returns to management. Furthermore, any new
Chelsea manager looking to rebuild for next season might well
regard Ricardo as an expendable asset.
Off in the summer? Almost certainly should the
Special One get his feet under a new desk before the new season
stars
John
Terry
It remains to be seen just how badly his
Champions League final penalty miss will affect Chelsea’s
previously unshakeable captain, but ‘Mr Chelsea’ himself would have
to suffer a full-on psychological prolapse to countenance leaving
his beloved Blues.
Off in the summer? No. More likely to go to the
looney bin than another team
Ashley
Cole
Has more pressing matters to attend to this
summer – like rescuing his marriage to Cheryl and sticking pins in
a voodoo doll of Claude Makelele – than looking for a new club.
That said, if another club were to offer Ashley an extra £5k a
week, he’d likely be off quicker than you could say, "oops – the
wife’s home earlier than expected. Get out the back window!"
Off in the summer? Nobody’s mad enough to swell
Cole’s coffers further, surely?
Michael
Ballack
The £120k per week midfielder famously
complained that London was too expensive to live in (house prices
in Penge are pretty reasonable, we hear), but having belatedly
established himself as a genuine force in Chelsea’s midfield in the
latter half of last season, it’s unlikely he’ll move on now.
Especially if Frank and Didier do one first.
Off in the summer? The thought of having
free-kicks all to himself next season should be enough to convince
to him to stay
Claude
Makelele
Rumoured to have incurred the wrath of Roman
for speaking out against him, the sparingly-used Claude is lucky he
hasn’t already been transferred to a Siberian salt mine. Currently
the most popular player in the Premier League following his
training session assault on Ashley Cole, there would be no shortage
of takers should he be deemed surplus to requirements next
season.
Off in the summer? Unlikely. Few other clubs could
afford those wages for what basically amounts to ten Champions
League appearances a season.
Frank
Lampard
With those pesky contract negotiations still
not underway (how long does it take to add a few noughts to the end
of a payslip anyway?), rumours of a big-money move to the continent
refuse to go away. He might be minded to have one last crack at
Europe with Chelsea next season, but don’t be surprised to be find
Spanish or Italian phrase books tucked away in his holiday luggage
this summer.
Off in the summer? Yes. Pizzeria proprietors of
Milan, rejoice!
Joe
Cole
It would take a lot to wrench the lad who spent
his boyhood Saturdays stood on the Stamford Bridge terraces
(presumably inbetween training with West Ham and hanging out with
his Arsenal-mad dad) away – and given his poor performances in
recent months, particularly in Moscow, where he spent more time
taking on the officials than he did Wes Brown, there won’t be many
that will be bother.
Off in the summer? No. But he’ll need to
rediscover his form sharpish next season.
Didier
Drogba
The Ivorian’s newly-found Champions League
scapegoat status will be the perfect springboard for a headlong
plunge out of the summer transfer window; a cynic might even
suggest that, given Didier’s recent allusions to tactical bookings,
that he got sent off on purpose… We’re no cynics, but we do
recognise a man packing his bags when we see one.
Off in the summer? He’s probably already gone
now!
Florent
Malouda
After a disappointing season in which the
quality of the Frenchman’s wingeing frequently outshone that of his
football, there’s plenty of Chelsea fans who would not only be
happy if the £12m-move-to-Liverpool rumours turned out to be true,
but who would also gladly give him a lift up to Melwood in the
morning. A new manager brandishing a clean slate could convince
Florent to try harder next term, though.
Off in the summer? Not unless Rafa Benitez
actually does have more money than sense.
Avram
Grant
Having forlornly fallen at the last hurdle in
three major competitions during his first season in charge at
Chelsea, the juries still out on whether the Israeli is a good
manager with rotten luck, or a rotten manager lucky to have a job
at all. Sadly for Avram, presiding Judge Abramovich prefers
old-fashioned black caps to Western niceties like juries…
Off in the summer? Yes. Eilat’s very nice at that
time of year, we hear