Chelsea Transfer News/Rumours – 19 January 2013

1) Terry to start v Arsenal : 

Chelsea captain John Terry could make his first start since November in Sunday’s home Premier League clash with Arsenal after interim boss Rafael Benitez called for “players with character” on the pitch. The centre bank has been dogged by a knee problem but is in line to return as third-placed Chelsea bid to get their Premier League campaign back on track after a lacklustre 2-2 home draw with Southampton when Terry was a substitute. If Benitez thought the pressure was off him after Chelsea target Pep Guardiola was announced as the next Bayern Munich coach on Wednesday, he had a quick shock a few hours later when the Londoners let a two-goal lead slip against the strugglers. “(Terry) was training with the team and he was fine. There was no problem so we will see after tomorrow’s session,” Benitez told a news conference on Friday.

2) Lampard to LA Galaxy? : 

Chelsea veteran midfielder Frank Lampard has agreed to terms with the LA Galaxy and will join the MLS champions at the end of the season, according to a Goal.com report.

“It’s all but done,” the source told Goal.com.

The Galaxy reportedly targeted Kaka as the team’s Designated Player after David Beckham’s exit, until no deal could be done with the Brazilian midfielder. The team switched its focus to acquiring Lampard who was reportedly considering multiple offers from Premier League teams and a Chinese team. The end of Lampard’s 12 years with Chelsea grew evident as the season progressed.

3) Klopp to snub Chelsea : 

Chelsea faces a snub if it approaches Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp about taking over the Premier League club, the Daily Telegraph said.
Klopp, who’s led Dortmund to two straight Bundesliga titles, is more interested in becoming Germany coach, the Telegraph said. Current national team coach Joachim Low’s contract expires after next year’s World Cup and there’s feeling Klopp has become the obvious successor, the newspaper said.

4) Barca courting £10m Courtois ~ The Sun

CHELSEA are preparing for a £10million Barcelona raid on keeper Thibaut Courtois. The young Belgian has taken the Spanish League by storm during his 18 months on loan at Atletico Madrid. Now Barca have identified Courtois as a potential Nou Camp replacement for Victor Valdes.

Courtois, 20, has yet to play for the Blues since signing in an £8m move from Genk in July 2011. And he has made it clear he want

Other News : 

1. Chelsea favorites to sign Iago Alpas :

That form has made Aspas a man in demand and Chelsea are understood to lead the race to sign him in a £10million deal after Reading manager Brian McDermott admitted his club have been priced out of the market.

“I would be surprised if anyone could do that deal. It’s an expensive deal and a difficult one for anyone to do,” McDermott said. “I’ve seen him play, our scouts have seen him play and he has had a couple of really good seasons.

“We know him – but it’s a very difficult deal to do. Celta Vigo are a big club. The money that they are talking about on this player (Aspas) is a fortune. There would have to be some structuring to do on that – but we’ve never done a deal like that.”

Chelsea are likely to face competition for his signature from Spain’s leading clubs including Real Madrid, with manager Jose Mourinho tracking the Spaniard.

2. Barcelona join race for Ashley Cole :

Marca claims Barca president Sandro Rosell has asked to be ‘kept in the loop’ over the England international’s future plans, with reports last week claiming the 32-year-old is open to a switch away from the Premier League.

And, whilst Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Anzhi have also been linked with a move, Metro claims the Nou Camp is Cole’s preferred destination. A Chelsea player since 2006, Cole is out of contract at the end of the season, with the paper claiming a contract extension will not be placed in-front of the player.

And, with Tito Vilanova accessing his options in the left-back position, according to the report, Cole appears to be a logical target for the La Liga leaders.  However, the player’s wages are a stumbling block, with Barcelona unlikely to match his current wages in west London – reported to be £120,000-a-week.

The 99-cap international is free to discuss terms with Barcelona this month, and would be eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement with the club if an agreement could be reached.

3. McEachran seen as Lampard’s replacement :

Former Chelsea caretaker manager Ray Wilkins believes the club should look to their youth team in search of a replacement for midfielder Frank Lampard, who looks set to leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.