Le Sulk is back as Anelka digs heels in over
Chelsea move
Chelsea may abandon Anelka after Bolton
raise his price
Nicholas Anelka's reputation as Le Sulk could seal his move from
Bolton to Chelsea.
Chelsea have grown impatient at the apparent impasse they have
reached with Bolton Wanderers over the transfer of Nicolas Anelka,
with the London club warning they will turn to alternative targets
if a compromise is not reached before the weekend.
Bolton rejected Chelsea's opening bid of £11m for the France
international earlier this week with the Wanderers chairman, Phil
Gartside, hoping to raise £15m via the sale of their leading
goalscorer. Both clubs had privately anticipated an agreement being
reached on a revised fee by now, though Bolton are yet to yield in
their valuation of the 28-year-old, with Chelsea reluctant to raise
their initial offer by such a significant amount.
Anelka, who met the Bolton manager, Gary Megson, earlier in the
week to reiterate his desire to move to Stamford Bridge, remains in
limbo with talks apparently at a deadlock, though he will be
alarmed that Chelsea might switch targets. "He really wants to go
to Chelsea," said the striker's agent, Doug Pingisi. "Nicolas is
staying calm. He hopes everything will be finalised this week
because he has been waiting for an opportunity like this for years.
"He appreciates the fact that he is at the top of the list of
players wanted by Chelsea. For Nico, it is very important he finds
a club that will allow him to express himself at the highest level.
Chelsea are a club that are still involved in every competition,
particularly the Champions League."
Avram Grant hopes to complete the £10m signing of the Lokomotiv
Moscow defender Branislav Ivanovic next week once international
clearance has been granted, with his options likely to be bolstered
by the return of Petr Cech and Frank Lampard.
