Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko's return to AC Milan is
being held up by his £30.8million price tag. Shevchenko is keen to
go back to Italy after a difficult first season in the Premiership
but his original transfer fee is a huge stumbling
block.
Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has said that Shevchenko is
staying and the club would not consider the sale without recouping
most of their outlay. But head coach Jose Mourinho appears to be
planning for life without him and reports in Italy claim the
Ukrainian was in Milan yesterday to meet vice-president Adriano
Galliani.
The official said: "I know how to forgive betrayal. "I just hope
that before Sheva gets back on the plane he does not speak to Inter
president Massimo Moratti. With the right conditions, we are ready
to buy him back. The only problem is the price."
Shevchenko sent friends at AC Milan text messages after their
Champions League victory over Liverpool last week and claimed the
win "made me happy for so many reasons". One of them may be the
prize money and television revenue from the club's run in the
competition which is expected to exceed £25m.
Mourinho would not be sorry to see the 30-year-old go and has
criticised his contribution. After failing to complete a hat-trick
of Premiership titles he is preparing to revert to a formation with
wingers and one central striker.
