Ron Gourlay: Didier Drogba will be a Chelsea player next year

Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay has clearly said that the club’s Ivorian striker Didier Drogba is not for sale and would stay at the club, dismissing reports linking the player with a move to Manchester City.

Recently, Drogba’s agent said that City had shown interest in his client and there could be a ‘surprise’ move before the transfer window closes. There were many who could not just rule out the possibility of Drogba’s transfer to City as his agent indicated, considering City’s spending spree and financial capability.

Didier Drogba, though at 32, has been in impressive form. Last season, the Ivory Coast international was instrumental behind Chelsea’s triumph in Premier League and was the highest scorer of the season. Naturally, Chelsea would not like someone of Drogba’s quality to leave with the Blues looking to strengthen their squad in their attempt to defend the title.

Drogba joined the Blues in 2004 in a move away from French club Marseille. Since then, he has been one of the most reliable and consistent performers of the West London club.

During his 7 seasons with Chelsea so far, Drogba scored 131 goals in 260 appearances in all competitions, and thus, becoming the 7^th highest goal scorer in the history of Chelsea. At Chelsea, he already won 3 Premier League, 3 FA Cup, 2 League Cup and 2 Community Shield titles.

Meanwhile, Mr. Gourlay has indicated that the club would arrange funds, if coach Carlo Ancelotti thinks his squad needs reinforcement. However, he has also said that new players could arrive at the Stamford Bridge only at the right price. So, it could be an indication that Chelsea would not go for Liverpool striker Fernando Torres with a bucket full of money.

Didier Drogba Wants to Stay at Chelsea

(This entry was originally published on Wednesday, March 25th, 2009)

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba now wants to stay at Stamford Bridge, though he was reportedly linked with a number of clubs in January transfer window. However, the Ivorian striker has got his form back very recently under Chelsea’s new manager Guus Hiddink. In fact, he has been in excellent scoring form at this moment. Drogba’s current deal with Chelsea will come to an end at the end of the ongoing season. So, it is a big question if Drogba makes a move away from Chelsea next summer.

Well, Didier Drogba has been very successful with the club and has played an instrumental role behind Chelsea successes under manager Jose Mourinho who left the club last season following a fall out with the club owner. Drogba’s agent Thierno Seydi has recently expressed that his client would consider any contract extension offer from Chelsea and would take the final decision at the end of the season. As Drogba is getting success under Hiddink, it is expected that the Ivorian would like to stay at the club for few more years.

Related article:

timesonline

Didier Drogba Fined £100,000 for Making Controversial Comment

(This entry was originally published on Thursday, January 1st, 2009)

The future of Didier Drogba at Chelsea continues to become uncertain as the Ivorian striker was handed a £100,000 fine after the player had criticized the club for not providing enough help to him when he felt lonely and lacked motivation following the death of his grandmother. Chelsea took no time to respond to his comment in the press, handing him a fine worth his one week wage. The club also asked for an explanation of his comment. Moreover, some of his Chelsea teammates also expressed their disappointments at his comment. Even, reports have it in the media that some of the Chelsea players have requested his transfer in January transfer window.

Since the departure of former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho, Didier Drogba was heavily linked with a move away from Chelsea. Even after joining Inter Milan, Mourinho also expressed his wish to reunite with his former student in Italy. However, few weeks ago, Mourinho also dismissed the talk of Drogba joining Inter Milan in January transfer window. Moreover, Drogba himself was also quoted in the media that the player wanted to finish his career at Chelsea and he is very much happy with Chelsea’s new coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Related article:

Goal.com

Jose Mourinho: Zero Percent Chance of Signing Didier Drogba by Inter Milan

(This entry was originally published in this blog December 2008 and it is based on the information of that time.)

Since the departure of Jose Mourinho from Chelsea, striker Didier Drogba was linked with a move away from Chelsea. After Mourinho joined Inter Milan as the coach, Drogba was also linked with a move to Inter Milan. However, it seems all these things have been ended now. Recently, former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho said that there was no chance Didier Drogba could make a move to Inter Milan in January transfer window at this moment. However, the Inter Milan manager termed Drogba as one of his men and said that the door of his club is always open for Drogba. Reports have it in the media that Drogba talked with Inter Milan officials last month for a possible move to Italy.

IHT reported:

“If one day Didier has a clear situation in his life with his club — which is a club I love — and he is on his way out and I am Inter coach, Gamba Osaka coach, Red Bulls coach or whatever coach, everyone knows he’s one of my men,” Mourinho told Sky Sports on Thursday.

“He’s one of my men. Whatever club I am at the door is always open for him, but he’s a Chelsea player, a very good player, and at the moment there’s zero percent chance of him coming to Inter in January.”

There are reports out in the media suggest that Chelsea might put Didier Drogba in their bid to bring Adriano in January transfer window. However, Jose Mourinho ruled out this report too. Drogba is definitely not at his best at this moment after coming back to action recovering his injury this season. On the other hand, Adriano is also struggling with injury for the last one year and has been at his best yet this season. Now, let us see if the reported swap linking Drogba and Adriano comes into existence in January transfer window.

Didier Drogba Not Linked with Inter Milan, Claims Agent

(This entry was originally posted in this blog on December 4, 2008 and the information is based on that time.)

Chelsea’s Ivorian striker Didier Drogba has once again become the newspaper headline for wrong reason. This time, rumors out in the media suggested that the striker was going to leave Chelae in order to join his former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan. However, Drogba’s agent Thierno Seydi has recently made it clear that the Didier Drogba has no link with Inter Milan yet and the player has not met anyone from Inter Milan.

Fansfc reported:

“Officially, I tell you firmly, Didier never met anyone from Inter,” Seydi told Le 10 Sport.
“It is disrespectful to say that. His priority is to give his best for Chelsea. He is absolutely not unhappy. To talk about a transfer is just not topical, despite everything you hear and read - there is nothing.”

Moreover, a few weeks earlier, Didier Drogba said that he would like to finish his career at Chelsea. He also added that he was very happy with the new coach Luiz Felipe Scolari who wanted Drogba to stay at the club after his arrival at the North London club during last summer. Following the departure of Jose Mourinho, Drogba publicly talked in favor of his former coach and it was pretty much certain that he was not happy with Mourinho leaving the club. That became an issue during Summer transfer window when many linked Drogba with a move to Inter Milan, the current destination of Jose Mourinho.

Well, as of now, Didier Drogba wants to stay at the club. However, things change pretty quickly in the transfer market. So, let us just wait and see for how long the striker would stay at the London based club.