Chelsea Continues Midfield Shake-up
English Premier League (EPL) champions Chelsea are set to complete another step in the revamp of their midfield as they are on the verge of signing Ramires Santos do Nascimento from Benfica, according to reports. BBC Sport said that the London club have had a bid of £17 million accepted by the Portuguese league champions for the 23-year-old, who is set to undergo a medical exam at Stamford Bridge.
Barring any problems with the test, Ramires is expected to sign a four-year deal with Carlo Ancelotti’s side by the end of the week.
Following the departure of Joe Cole after his contract expired, Chelsea were left without a natural wide player to fill the berth on the right of midfield. Portuguese international Deco and German midfielder Michael Ballack have also left the club this summer, leaving Ancelotti having to find new players to bolster his options in the middle of the park. The manager has already signed Yossi Benayoun, who can play anywhere in the middle of the park, from EPL rivals Liverpool, while Ramires, who featured for Brazil at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, has been pinpointed as an ideal target to become an important cog in Ancelotti’s robust midfield machine.
Ramires featured prominently during his country’s African adventure, but was ruled out of his country’s quarter-final exit to the Netherlands through suspension. He made his debut for Brazil in 2009 in a World Cup qualifying game against Uruguay, which his team won 4-0. He also helped his country retain the FIFA Confederations Cup last summer and has made 16 appearances for the senior Brazil side. He scored both of his international goals in a 5-1 friendly victory over Tanzania in June.
Although he only joined Benfica last summer from Cruzeiro, Ramires enjoyed a stellar 2009-10 season as he helped his club win both the league title and the Portuguese league cup. His lightning-quick pace and outstanding stamina saw him become a fan favourite as he made 43 appearances and scored five goals.
Mooted move for Kaka
Chelsea are also being heavily linked with a move for Brazil superstar Kaka, who is presently at Real Madrid. After his first season with the La Liga giants was hampered by injury and poor form, manager Jose Mourinho is reportedly ready to sell the midfielder so he can use the funds from the transfer to make new signings. Ancelotti previously worked with the player, who was born Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, at AC Milan and is credited with turning him into one of the world’s top footballers.
The Blues have also been linked with moves for several other midfield players this summer. They are said to have a strong long-held interest in signing France international winger Franck Ribery from German Bundesliga outfit Bayern Munich. His quick feet and accurate crossing have seen him become a fan favourite at Bayern, where he plays alongside former Chelsea star Arjen Robben. However, Ribery is facing legal accusations at present and that could prove a hammer blow to any hopes Chelsea may have of striking a deal for the player.
Chelsea are also reported to be interested in acquiring the services of Bayern’s Bastian Schweinsteiger. The 26-year-old was a key part of the Germany team, which finished third at this summer’s World Cup, with his range and accuracy of passing undoubtedly catching the eye of the EPL champions. With captain Philip Lahm left out of the team for the third-place playoff, Schweinsteiger was named skipper for the match. His strong displays saw hi short-listed for the Golden Boot award, given to the best player of the tournament as voted by FIFA.
Chelsea continue midfield shake-up
English Premier League champions Chelsea are set to complete another step in the revamp of their midfield as they are on the verge of signing Ramires Santos do Nascimento from Benfica, according to reports. BBC Sport said that the London club have had a bid of £17m accepted by the Portuguese league champions for the 23-year-old, who is set to undergo a medical exam at Stamford Bridge.
Barring any problems with the test, Ramires is expected to sign a four-year deal with Carlo Ancelotti’s side by the end of the week.
Following the departure of Joe Cole after his contract expired, Chelsea are at present without a natural wide player to fill the berth on the right of midfield. Portuguese international Deco and German midfielder Michael Ballack have also left the club this summer, leaving Ancelotti having to find new players to bolster his options in the middle of the park. The manager has already signed Yossi Benayoun, who can play anywhere in the middle of the park, from EPL rivals Liverpool while Ramires, who featured for Brazil at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, has been pinpointed as an ideal target to become an important cog in Ancelotti’s robust midfield machine.
Ramires featured prominently during his country’s African adventure, but was ruled out of his country’s quarter-final exit to the Netherlands through suspension. He made his debut for Brazil in 2009 in a World Cup qualifying game against Uruguay, which his team won 4-0. He also helped his country retain the FIFA Confederations Cup last summer and has made 16 appearances for the senior Brazil side. He scored both of his international goals in a 5-1 friendly victory over Tanzania in June.
Although he only joined Benfica last summer from Cruzeiro, Ramires enjoyed a stellar 2009-10 season as he helped his club win both the league title and the Portuguese league cup. His lightning-quick pace and outstanding stamina saw him become a fan favourite as he made 43 appearances and scored five goals.
Chelsea are also being heavily linked with a move for Brazil superstar Kaka, who is presently at Real Madrid. After his first season with the La Liga giants was hampered by injury and poor form, manager Jose Mourinho is reportedly ready to sell the midfielder so he can use the funds from the transfer to make new signings. Ancelotti previously worked with the player, who was born Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, at AC Milan and is credited with turning him into one of the world’s top footballers.
The Blues have also been linked with moves for several other midfield players this summer. They are said to have a strong long-held interest in signing France international winger Franck Ribery from German Bundesliga outfit Bayern Munich. His quick feet and accurate crossing have seen him become a fan favourite at Bayern, where he plays alongside former Chelsea star Arjen Robben. However, Ribery is facing legal accusations at present and that could prove a hammer blow to any hopes Chelsea may have of striking a deal for the player.
Chelsea are also reported to be interested in acquiring the services of Bayern’s Bastian Schweinsteiger. The 26-year-old was a key part of the Germany team which finished third at this summer’s World Cup, with his range and accuracy of passing undoubtedly catching the eye of the EPL champions. With captain Philip Lahm left out of the team for the third-place play-off, Schweinsteiger was named skipper for the match. His strong displays saw his shortlisted for the Golden Boot award, given to the best player of the tournament as voted by FIFA.
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