Chelsea complete the signing of defender Gary Cahill from Bolton

Chelsea have finally secured the signature of Bolton’s Gary Cahill after weeks of protracted talks between the two parties. Bolton had agreed to the transfer fee of £7million at the start of the transfer window, but the deal was delayed due to disagreements between Chelsea and Cahill over the player’s personal terms. There were even suggestions from Chelsea that Cahill was holding out for more money, but with the negotiations ending successfully, Cahill will now earn £80,000 a week over the five year duration of the deal.

The defender seemed ecstatic at having signed for a club of Chelsea’s stature and was quoted by the club’s website as saying, “Chelsea is a massive club, it is a club that looks to win trophies season in season out and it is a big opportunity for me to be a part of that. Opportunities like this you can’t turn down.”

Cahill had struggled to settle down in his early years of competitive football and he had spells at Burnley, Aston Villa and Sheffield United. But since moving to the North-West with Bolton he has grown into one of the better defenders in the Premier League. With his contract running out at the end of the current season, the centre-back was bound to leave the Reebok after having made close to 150 appearances for the Trotters.

Cahill is a great addition to a Chelsea side that has been found wanting at the back all season and has leaked as many as 25 goals. Ever since Alex fell out of favour with Andre Villas-Boas, the Blues have had to switch between Branislav Ivanovic & David Luiz for the spot alongside John Terry. Cahill will bring an aerial presence to the back-line while his pace will be a vital addition too. He has played alongside Terry in the English setup, so he shouldn’t have any problems settling into life at Stamford Bridge. He will also be available to play for the Blues in the FA Cup, since he was left out by Owen Coyle in Bolton’s match against Macclesfield. Roman Abramovich splashed €25m for Luiz at the same time last season and one can only hope that Cahill is a bigger success at Stamford Bridge.

(TheSportsCampus)