Chelsea: Chelsea...

Claudio Ranieri is still in a job for now after meeting Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon.

The Italian had feared Tuesday's summit at Stamford Bridge was to tell him he was being removed as coach of the west London club.

He had even been expecting to meet the club's billionaire owner Roman Abramovich but the Russian had other business commitments and decided at the last minute not to attend.

And in a surprise development, rather than discussing Ranieri's future, Kenyon simply wanted to discuss possible transfer dealings during the summer.

Chelsea's hopes of signing Andriy Shevchenko are over after he agreed a new deal with AC Milan. AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko has signed a four-year contract extension which will keep him with the Italian champions until the end of the 2008/09 season.

Chelsea's out-of-contract defender Mario Melchiot has revealed he has received 12 offers to leave Stamford Bridge.
The Dutch international is available on a free transfer after seeing out his contract in West London.

Melchiot is attracting the interest of a host of clubs including five from The Premiership and seven from Spain and Italy.

Porto playmaker Deco is hoping to continue his association with Jose Mourinho if the Champions League-winning coach is installed as the new boss of Chelsea.

Mourinho is expected to arrive at Stamford Bridge next week and Deco has revealed he would like to join his coach in London.

The 26-year-old told The Sun: "Of course I'd like to go to Chelsea as he's a coach I know well. He's won everything here and now has other ambitions.

"I've a preference for the English league because of the way the play."

Porto midfielder Costinha has joined team-mate Deco in expressing a desire to follow Jose Mourinho to Chelsea. Champions League-winning coach Mourinho is expected to be named as Claudio Ranieri's successor next week and Costinha is hoping to be one of his first signings.

Luis van Gaal has hinted that he may team up with Jose Mourinho at Chelsea.

Mourinho has been tipped to take over from Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri in the close season.

Dutchman van Gaal, who is currently technical director with Ajax in Amsterdam, worked with Mourinho at Barcelona from 1997 to 2000.

"I know Chelsea and I have spoken to people at Chelsea," van Gaal told the News of the World. "It is a great club and a great club to work for, and I work well with Jose. He is a close friend."

Van Gaal, who has been at Ajax for one season, added: "Normally I never walk away from a contract but there can always be a reason that I do for the first time in my life."

Claudio Ranieri was out as Chelsea's manager Monday despite guiding his team to the European Cup semifinals and a second-place finish behind unbeaten Arsenal in the Premier League.

Porto have confirmed they have freed coach Jose Mourinho from his contract after talks with Chelsea.

The newly-crowned European champions issued a statement on their website www.fcporto.pt confirming that Mourinho would leave the club.

He is now to be unveiled as the London club's new manager on Wednesday.

The statement read: "The board of Porto announces on Tuesday that it has reached an agreement with Chelsea to rescind the contract of its coach Jose Mourinho.

"Within the terms of the agreement is that the two clubs will have a cooperation agreement for the next five years."

The Barclays Premiership club have called a press conference at Stamford Bridge for 1000BST where the former Porto manager will be officially unveiled as Claudio Ranieri's successor.

Chelsea's Argentinian international midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron is to join Serie A side Inter Milan on loan for a year.

Veron, who previously played in Italy with Lazio, struggled to command a place in the Chelsea first team last season because of injury.

Chelsea have signed Porto defender Paulo Ferreira, according to radio reports in Portugal.

TSF radio are reporting that Porto chairman Jorge Pinto da Costa has said the Portugal right-back will join his former manager Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge.

Ferreira, 25, is currently with the Portugal squad preparing for Euro 2004.

They'll probably win everything. Bastards!

It actually looks like a decent manager they have got and he isn't going to take any crap. I think the players are going to be in for a shock and he said he wants to slim the squad down to at least 24 players so the big axe will fall in the summer.

Chelsea have announced that they have reached a settlement with former manager Claudio Ranieri over the remainder of his contract, leaving him free to join Valencia.
The Italian was relieved of his duties as Chelsea manager on Bank Holiday Monday, and soon replaced by former Porto boss Jose Mourinho.

Ranieri still had three years left on his contract at Stamford Bridge, but a clause in his deal stated that he would not be paid in full if he took up another position within the remaining period.

The wrangle threatened to put a hold on Ranieri's return into management, but the Blues now say that they have come to an agreement over the payment.

Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink's agent has invited Celtic to make an official approach for the Chelsea striker.

The Dutch international still has one year left to run on his Stamford Bridge contract but it is believed he is on Martin O'Neill's summer shopping list.

The 32-year-old has yet to speak to new Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho about a new deal or his long-term future but he is expected to fall further down their pecking order.

O'Neill is looking for a high-profile replacement for Henrik Larsson and Hasselbaink could be a short-term option.

His agent Humphry Nijman told the said: "Celtic have never approached us officially but unofficially I have heard that there might be an interest there.

Chelsea maintain there was "no formal offer" made to Ronaldinho despite the Brazilian claiming he turned down a move to Stamford Bridge. Ronaldinho has signed a new deal with Barcelona which sees the transfer clause in his contract rise to 100million, with Chelsea reported to be tracking the forward.

Czech Republic star Pavel Nedved has revealed he turned down a lucrative offer from Chelsea to stay at Juventus. The skilful midfielder insists he has no plans to quit Juve where he has two years to run on his contract.

Chelsea have been tracking Nedved for some time as they look to continue their plans to sign the world's biggest stars, but he has always resisted their overtures.

The 31-year-old admitted he could have made more money at Chelsea, but that he was planning to end his career in Turin.

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has reportedly flown to Lisbon in an attempt to prise Portuguese midfielder Deco away from Porto and reunite him with Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge.

Deco, a key ingredient in the Porto's triumphant Champions League campaign and currently playing in Euro 2004 with Portugal, is a favourite of new Chelsea boss Mourinho.

Chelsea have set up a move for right-back Paulo Ferreira from Porto and Record, a Portuguese sports paper, claims Kenyon revealed as he left the stadium after England's 2-1 defeat to France that the Blues want Deco.

Porto ace Deco claims that he has agreed to follow Jose Mourinho to Chelsea and looks set to sign for the Blues after Euro 2004.

The Portugal midfielder - who featured in the host nation's 2-0 win over Russia on Wednesday night - has revealed that talks with the Premiership big spenders are at an advanced stage and he expects to tie up a deal after the European Championship.

Mourinho is keen to bring some of his former Porto stars to west London and he has already agreed a deal for full-back Paulo Ferreira.

Marseille's new general manager has claimed that Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly could return to the Ligue 1 club if he can raise the money.

In his column in the l'Est Republicain newspaper, Pape Diouf suggested that Desailly is keen on a move back to the club, where he won the European Cup in 1993.

Frank Lampard would like fellow England midfielder Steven Gerrard to join him at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea are understood to be closing in on a £31m deal for Liverpool's skipper after chief Rick Parry revealed Gerrard is considering his Anfield future.