Then again, it might also mean that even though Ancelotti is NOT to join Chelsea, Abramovich has taken free advice and is trying to sign him anyway – many Chelsea fans would hope that this is the case.The figures being quoted are eye-opening. The report states that negotiations started some weeks ago and that the French midfielder wants £6m a year. Chelsea apparently have offered an annual net salary of €5.5m (£4.7m) but Ribery wants €7m (£6m) and this is proving to be a serious sticking point.

Manchester United are also supposedly after Ribéry although this seems to depend on the future of Ronaldo who no appears to want to stay at Old Trafford. Ferguson´s offer is said to be even higher than Chelsea’s – a whopping €70m (£62.5m) - but the funds from a deal with Real Madrid for Ronaldo would have made sure they would have been able to outbid any other club for Ribery´s services.
The current world transfer record is the £46m paid by Real Madrid for Zinedine Zidane in 2001.
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