Chelsea 'set to make £33m bid for Sergio Ramos'
Chelsea are reportedly ready to make a huge bid for Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos. According to Spanish newspaper Marca, the English Premier League giants are set to make an offer of around £33m for the 2010 FIFA World Cup winner.
It is said that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is looking to make a marquee summer signing after a move for Brazilian starlet Neymar fell through and has pinpointed the 24-year-old Ramos as his new target.
Should a deal go through for the versatile Ramos — who can play either in the middle of the defensive line or as a right-back — it is likely that he will be offered a five-year deal with wages of around £8.2m (ten million euros) per season.
Quiet in transfer market
Chelsea have been relatively quiet in the transfer market this season having signed just two players, both midfielders to help fill the void left by the departed Joe Cole, Michel Ballack and Deco. Israel international Yossi Benayoun arrived from Liverpool while the club also brought in Brazilian international Ramires who was signed from Benfica. The club also sold centre-back Ricardo Carvalho to Madrid.
However, any move for Ramos may be doomed to failure. Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has pinpointed his defence as the area of the team which needs most strengthening and will be eager to hang to Ramos, who is arguably the best defender at the Bernebau.
On the other hand, Mourinho has also spoke of his wish to sign another striker to act as competition for Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema. With his transfer kitty depleted after the summer arrivals of Carvalho, Sergio Canales, Angel di Maria, Pedro Leon and Germany World Cup stars Sami Khedira and Mesut Ozil, the coach will need to sell before he can buy. The mammoth fee that Ramos would command would help Mourinho snap up an established striker such as Emmanuel Adebayor or Edin Dzeko.
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