Now that Real Madrid have dropped out of the running for Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribery, todays Guardian thinks that Chelsea are now the club most likely to take advantage.
Their report said: Chelsea’s hopes of securing Franck Ribéry from Bayern Munich as their marquee signing of the summer were given a timely boost last night when Real Madrid, the unsettled France international’s other principal suitors, admitted a deal for the winger may prove to be one expensive transfer too many.
Ribéry wants to leave the Bundesliga club ahead of the new season, stating that a move to the Bernabéu to follow Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema would be his preference. Real had hoped to add the Frenchman to their glittering attacking ranks but their general director, Jorge Valdano, indicated that, having spent almost £170m already this summer, even they may be priced out of a move for the winger as well as their other remaining target, Liverpool’s Xabi Alonso.
If it came down to a straight choice between pursuing Ribéry or Alonso, Valdano suggested Real’s focus would fix on Merseyside, although, encouragingly for Rafael Benítez, he did not sound hopeful a deal could be done for the Spain midfielder either. “Xabi Alonso is a priority if he fits into our budget, but that does not seem to be the case,” said Valdano, who has been quoted around £35m by Liverpool for Alonso. “We are very far away from the figures that Liverpool have presented. As for Ribéry, the asking price is a figure that is out of place. It is the same thing as them saying that they do not want to sell him. But, after the great players who have arrived already, we aren’t in a hurry.”
Chelsea have earmarked Real’s Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder, who is available for transfer, as an alternative target should they receive no encouragement that Ribéry would entertain a move to west London, yet they retain hopes that the Frenchman can be prised from Bayern. Carlo Ancelotti described the winger as “a great, great player” at his inaugural press conference on Monday and still hopes to add “creative” personnel to his ranks ahead of the new campaign, with Ribéry the priority.
Is this article giving Chelsea fans some hope, despite Ribery saying that he qould move to Madrid or nowhere?
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Tags: Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Ribery