Chelsea Transfer News/Rumours Update – 6 August 2013

 

1. Mata’s comment put an end to his transfer saga:

Was there any doubt Juan Mata would be staying at Chelsea?

The Daily Mirror‘s John Cross reported July 9 Jose Mourinho personally called Fernando Torres and Juan Mata to say they wouldn’t be going anywhere this season.Mourinho later in the month even spoke of the player in glowing terms to Chelsea’sofficial website and said that Mata was in his plans for next season.

Now, Mata has told Harry Pratt of the Daily Star that he’s excited to play under the Special One and invigorated by the break he received after the Confederations Cup:

I met with Jose on my first day in training. I think he’s a great manager who did a really great job the last time he was here.

The break was really good for me. I had time to rest and disconnect from football – but now I am back at Chelsea and really looking forward to the new season.

I’m really excited about it and I’m very happy to be here.

Can we put to bed any idea that Mata will be playing anywhere else in the upcoming season or wants out of the club?

2. Chelsea adamant that Luiz will not go to Barca:

Jose Mourinho plans to make it clear David Luiz is going nowhere and will be a Chelsea cornerstone this season, writes Martin Lipton.

Barcelona are again making noises in relation to the cult-hero defender, with suggestions of a £45million bid for the Brazil international.

Luiz sat out the Londoners’ win over AC Milan in a pre-season friendly in New Jersey, USA, on Sunday, fuelling more rumours.

But the 26-year-old was rested as a precaution after picking up a minor hamstring injury in training and will be back in harness on Saturday for the final game of the trip – against Roma in Washington.

Mourinho wants to squash any talk of Luiz being surplus to requirements and warn Barca off any further attempts to destabilise the defender.

The Special One believes Luiz is integral to his thoughts for the upcoming campaign, having announced in Malaysia last month that the Brazilian “has to play”.

Mourinho has talked up Luiz, who missed the start of pre-season after playing in the Confederations Cup, insisting: “David has come back with us fantastically and we have to use his quality.

“He has big self-confidence and self-esteem, especially when he comes up from the back with the ball.

“Can he improve defensively? Of course. But it is my job to try always to improve players.”

Chelsea’s owner Roman Abramovich – a surprise spectator at the Milan match – is a huge Luiz fan and is not interested in letting the player, bought from Benfica for £21m in 2011, depart.

Unless Barcelona make an outlandish offer, Chelsea would not even entertain the thought of relinquishing the player.

And Mourinho intends to reinforce that message ahead of Wednesday’s game in Miami against Real Madrid, the club he left under a cloud earlier this summer.

3. Rooney bid rejected:

A second bid on Sunday evening from Chelsea for Wayne Rooney, believed to be in the region of £30 million, has been rejected by Manchester United.

Chelsea’s initial bid of £20 million at the end of July was immediately dismissed by David Moyes, who has consistently maintained Rooney will stay with the club. It seems that Jose Mourinho is equally determined to sign the unsettled striker.

“A bid was received yesterday and immediately rejected,” a United spokesman said. “Our position remains that he is not for sale.”

The key moment in the protracted saga could come when Rooney makes his playing return later this week. A poor reaction from fans, following his lukewarm reception at the end of last season, could further harden his resolve to move on.

Rooney has yet to submit a formal transfer request but with four weeks until the transfer window closes there is still plenty of time.

4. Essien says Mourinho hinted at Chelsea return:

Jose Mourinho informed Michael Essien of his return to Chelsea while managing his final match for Real Madrid.

Midfielder Essien spent last season on loan at the Bernabeu and scored in Mourinho’s final match in charge, a 4-2 win over Osasuna, before being informed of his manager’s intentions.

Two days later Mourinho’s return to Stamford Bridge, following an absence of nearly six years, was confirmed.

‘When I scored my last goal for Real Madrid on the last day of the season, I ran over to celebrate with him and was expecting him to congratulate me when I hugged him,’ Essien wrote in his blog on www.chelseafc.com.

‘Instead he leaned over and said: “See you at pre-season training on July 8”. I found that so funny.

‘We are now back together where we belong and where we had so many beautiful years together and I hope we can recreate those magical years.’