Blues to hijack Essien deal
Chelsea are reportedly set to hijack Man Utd's move for Lyon star Michael Essien.
Chelsea are reportedly set to hijack Manchester United's move for Lyon star Michael Essien.Sir Alex Ferguson has been tracking the midfielder for some time and, with Roy Keane's powers on the wane, United had been rumoured to be preparing a summer swoop for the Ghanian star.
Essien is one of the brightest prospects in Ligue 1 and only recently admitted that he was ready for a move to the more competitive Premiership.
Whilst it was expected that United were at the front of the queue, reports in England now suggest that Roman Abramovich is preparing an £18 million package to prise the 22-year-old away from Stade Gerland.
The signing of the player would only underline Chelsea's supremacy over The Red Devils in the transfer market after they beat their rivals to the signing of Dutch wonderkid Arjen Robben last year.
It is known that Blues boss Jose Mourinho is on the lookout for a midfielder to boost the Stamford Bridge ranks and, with his interest in Steven Gerrard apparently cooling, Essien is just the latest star to be linked with a move to the Premiership champions.
Mourinho has also been rumoured to be keeping an eye on Javier Mascherano, Joaquin, Xavi and Manuel Fernandes in a bid to further improve the already outstanding quality of his midfield options.