Chelsea Get Wright-phillips

[Bluffer]

Do Chelsea really want to have a first team squad of 60?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/e...rem/4621425.stm

Manchester City and Chelsea have reached agreement over a £21m transfer fee for Shaun Wright-Phillips.

The Blues saw a £20m bid for the 23-year-old winger rejected on Friday.

The England international will fly with Chelsea on Tuesday for their pre-season tour of the US, provided he passes a medical and agrees personal terms.

"As a result of Shaun's request to speak to Chelsea we have conducted a series of complex negotiations with Chelsea," said a City spokesman.

Chelsea confirmed that the two clubs had reached agreement, and that Wright-Phillips would have a medical at the club.

"The transfer is now subject to the agreement of personal terms and the successful completion of a medical," said a statement on their official website.

On Saturday City boss Stuart Pearce had insisted Wright-Phillips would not be sold on the cheap. "His advisers need to be acutely aware we need to get our valuation for him.

"I'm disappointed he's made this decision but I respect the wish to play where he feels there's a great chance to further his career.

"It would be very difficult to sell the football club above what Chelsea can realise in the next 20 years."

Wright-Phillips was withdrawn from the City squad that travelled to Thailand on Sunday for the FA Premier League Asia Trophy.

He played for City in their friendly at Tranmere on Friday but withdrew from the side to play at Macclesfield on Saturday.

He claimed he was feeling unwell and as was being driven home he telephoned chairman John Wardle to inform him of his desire to speak to Chelsea.

Wright-Phillips previously insisted he wanted to stay at City and the club have always made it clear they wanted to keep their prized asset.

Pearce added: "I am a little bit frustrated with him but not annoyed. I know him inside out and he is a smashing player to manage.

"He will be a massive asset to any football club he represents whether that is Manchester City for another 10 years or somebody else.

"I don't think he is the finished article yet, he can only get better. As someone to work with, he is fantastic and my opinion on that is not going to change."

Wright-Phillips joined City in the summer of 1998 having been a trainee at Nottingham Forest and has played almost 150 games for the club.

Arsenal were also thought to be keen to sign him but are unlikely to be able to compete with the spending power of the Stamford Bridge outfit.

Wright-Phillips was City's joint top scorer with 11 goals last season and also made his England debut which saw him score against the Ukraine after coming on as a substitute.

Chelsea were set to swoop for Steven Gerrard before the midfielder signed a new deal with Liverpool and have also made a bid for Lyon's Michael Essien.

[lampard10]

It's quite amazing really. Chelsea,Chelski, Il Chels,Le Chelsea, Team Italia as they have been known for the last decade, have always been slagged off as having all foreigners in their team. Now they are trying to get the cream of English football under one roof what now? Chelsea, team of useless Englishmen? Grow up the lot of you. I know that the average football supporter in England is not exactly world reknown for having a lot of brainpower, which is borne out by some of the ridiculous postings here, but I've said this so many times. Having a majority of any countries players performing week in week out for the same team, can only be advantageous ( sorry, good) for the Country concerned. OK, lets face it, all this talk about money is only petty jealousy. For over ten years Sir Alex has had untold spending power, so much that he was buying players so other clubs could not have them, and sidelining them for weeks at a time. Now another team has arisen with a wad of cash, who does the most whinging about money? You've guessed it Manchester United. But not their managment. No, all the whinging comes from their supporters, who, for many years had the best money could buy.

As Bob Dylan so emphatically put it " The Times They Are A'Changing"

[Shivek]

Chelsea never need Shaun coz they have Duff in the right and Robben in the left, so now where wud they use Shaun?

[Sarpedon]

SWP will be used as backup for Robben and Duff. They were both injured at different times during last season so now they have an adequate replacement! I think some players will be leaving Chelsea though with the world cup so close...Joe Cole, Wayne Bridge, Glen Johnson...these will be looking for for regualr first team football for sure.

SWP is a great player and this only makes Chelsea clear favourites to retaining the premiership. Wqith Arsenal selling Vieira they will struggle and even more so if they decide to see Pires too.

[lampard10]

SWP will be used as backup for Robben and Duff. They were both injured at different times during last season so now they have an adequate replacement! I think some players will be leaving Chelsea though with the world cup so close...Joe Cole, Wayne Bridge, Glen Johnson...these will be looking for for regualr first team football for sure.

SWP is a great player and this only makes Chelsea clear favourites to retaining the premiership. Wqith Arsenal selling Vieira they will struggle and even more so if they decide to see Pires too.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I can't see Joe Cole going. Mohrino has put the finishing touches to a fine player. He owes him big for that. Wayne Bridge will be a regular when he is fit again. That leaves Johnson. He WILL be a good player given the chance, but if he leaves Chelsea he might end up on the has-beens pile. I think most of them know Mohrinos long term plans, even if some of us are not sure. The big question for the future I think is can he handle England and Chelsea at the same time?

[Sarpedon]

Will Joe Cole be in the team over Makalele, Tiago, Smertin, Lampard, Duff, Robben and now SWP? I cant see it myself. (well probably ahead of Tiago and Smertin) Will Wayne Bridge really be a regular with the new signing of Del Horno?

I guess Mourinho is making sure he has a quality squad and this includes the backup with the CL games coming up and there will be loads more internationals too leading up to the WC.

Chelsea are going to unbeatable this season it looks like! Especially if they do manage to get that striker that is proving so elusive so far.

[fw1]

Will Joe Cole be in the team over Makalele, Tiago, Smertin, Lampard, Duff, Robben and now SWP? I cant see it myself. (well probably ahead of Tiago and Smertin) Will Wayne Bridge really be a regular with the new signing of Del Horno?

I guess Mourinho is making sure he has a quality squad and this includes the backup with the CL games coming up and there will be loads more internationals too leading up to the WC.

Chelsea are going to unbeatable this season it looks like! Especially if they do manage to get that striker that is proving so elusive so far.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

With the world cup coming next year I hope he does give the English players a good run in the team. I'd hate to see any of them go to the path Scot Parker has gone down.

As for Chelsea being unbeatable next season, yes I'd say so, though I'm not sure Mourinho can get himself into too much more trouble before it begins to affect the team/team spirit adversely.

[Sarpedon]

Parker may well make the England squad for the world cup if he has a good season at Newcastle, thats mnore of a chance than he would have had if he had stayed at Chelsea. Will be interesting to see how their season pans out since i think Souness has got to be one of the favourites for the chop...strengthened an already pretty good midfield and then sold defenders and strikers which are the areas he needed to strengthen. We shall see..

I think Cole will be the one most affected, not only with the amount of players who will be competing with him directly for the place in the first 11 but also since he did some on leaps and bounds last season. Hold tight since Essien could well be on the way to Stamford Bridge.

[fw1]

Yes, that might make an interesting poll. I am also of the belief that Souness will be the first to go.

[mrbojangles]

I'm a Man City fan and i am absolutely gutted about this but what can we do? Every player has a price and Chelsea have paid it. We are in about £60m of debt so this helps us out. Shaun is a fantastic player and i wish him all the best at Chelsea and i am sure when he returns next season every City fan will give him a standing ovation. The thing that i'm really worried about now, is the rumour that we are chasing Andy Cole. I've slagged that lazy, useless w##ker off for all of his career and i won't stop if he comes here. What the &lt;deleted&gt; is Pearcey playing at?

[Sarpedon]

He made a couple of good signings in Parker and Emre so their midfield is pretty strong (Jenas, Dyer) but who do thay have upfront? Shearer and ? In defence Bramble is out with an injury, didnt they see Andy O'Brien and Hughes?

Souness needs a good start to the season otherwise he is out i reckon.

[bartender100]

At least he's buying British,thats why I prefer Chelsea they have a backbone of British players.

Just stay away from Norwich's Dean Ashton,he will cost somebody more than 20 million one day.

[ProfessorFart]

I was a bit gutted Gerrard and Beckham never went to Chelsea. Imagine how good the England midfield would have been in the World Cup after a season playing together for Chelsea!

[Sarpedon]

Tottenham Hotpsur seem to be buying up the best of british at the moment. Robinson, King, Carrick, Defoe, Routledge, Kelly, Reid. We will have one of the youngest squads in the premiership next season. I just hope they dont go and buy Andy Johnson from Palace...

[Bredbury Blue]

I'm a Man City fan and i am absolutely gutted about this but what can we do?  The thing that i'm really worried about now, is the rumour that we are chasing Andy Cole. I've slagged that lazy, useless w##ker off for all of his career and i won't stop if he comes here. What the &lt;deleted&gt; is Pearcey playing at? 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So Mr BJ changed your mind in Cole yet?

[Shivek]

This is an old topic already.

[mrbojangles]

I'm a Man City fan and i am absolutely gutted about this but what can we do?  The thing that i'm really worried about now, is the rumour that we are chasing Andy Cole. I've slagged that lazy, useless w##ker off for all of his career and i won't stop if he comes here. What the &lt;deleted&gt; is Pearcey playing at? 

So Mr BJ changed your mind in Cole yet?

Sometimes we Quote things and they come back to bite you, eh

What where your thoughts Bredbury, honestly, when you heard that he might be coming? I thought he was past it (another McManaman) but he's proving me wrong and i hope he proves me even more wrong

[Bredbury Blue]

Mr BJ, Honestly. Well bearing in mind I only heard the day before he arrived, as a Blue I wasn’t happy that a Red was joining us and as a player I hadn’t been very impressed with his form at Blackburn and Fulham, so yeah I’m with you on your original posting; Coley looks the biz though doesn’t he. And to any one reading this who doesn’t understand your comment on McMananaman, he was absolute bobbins!

Shivek, Sorry we’re boring you, this subject might be old to you, but should you go on any Man City website you’ll see that the Sweep to Chelski brouhaha still is very much alive and kicking.