CHELSEA are to make a fresh bid for Nicolas Anelka, after it
emerged the £10million-rated striker has a way out of Bolton.
Anelka and Wanderers have a gentlemens agreement he can leave in
January should a Champions League club make a serious offer.
That news is all the encouragement Blues boss Avram Grant needs to
swoop when the transfer window opens in just over eight
weeks.
Grant has been an Anelka fan ever since he was technical director
at Portsmouth before becoming the Chelsea chief.
Anelka signed a new four-year Trotters contract in August but on
condition he could leave if a top-four team showed interest and
were willing to cough up around £10m.
The French ace, 28, is in great form and has scored three goals in
his last five games.
He would be eligible to play in the later rounds of the Champions
League this season, despite having featured in the UEFA Cup with
Wanderers.
That will be key for Chelsea, as Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba
will miss up to eight weeks of club action at the start of 2008
while playing in the African Cup of Nations.
Drogba has already gone public with his wish to leave in the
summer, as he cannot come to terms with the exit of boss Jose
Mourinho.
And £30m flop Andriy Shevchenko also still has to prove
himself.
Chelsea are tracking Lokomotiv Moscow defender Branislav Ivanovic
and midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov as well.
