Iceman

Looks like he has been given the No.16 CFC squad number. Admittedly Wilkpedia but it does look likely in this instance: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franco_Di_Santo Here's a little bit of video footage on him: http://www.recontragolazo.com/?p=660

arf :-))

Yuk. What awful pics for a Friday....

It's about time you guys stop falling over every word. Yes, we can all read the internet.. Everyone - enjoy reading about rumours and everything about Chelsea right now - yes it is exciting, wow its been 18mths since any real transfer activity happened at our club and now things are really happening. I'm going to enjoy the ride. Hope you all do too ... :-)

Heard a rumour that David Gill is in Holland to tie up a deal for Huntelaar.

Here's an update: http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=549827 Di Santo Looks Forward To Drogba Partnership New Chelsea recruit Franco Di Santo has described the thought of playing alongside Didier Drogba as "something out of another world" as he gets set to leave for London at the end of the week. Chelsea paid £3.4 million to the Chilean club Audax Italiano to secure the services of Di Santo and he is all set to leave his homeland of Argentina to join up with his new team-mates over the weekend. In a good early sign for Chelsea fans, Di Santo laughed off suggestions that the weather would be an issue for him once he makes the move to London. "For me I like the cold and rain, so in that aspect there is no problem. If I want to prevail I must adapt to how it is," he told Olé. He was then asked whether he can believe the speed of his rise of fame, to which he stated that it has come as a major surprise to him to reach so many milestones early in his career. "No, for not all. In the year and a bit I have been playing so much has happened. I played in the Copa Libertadores and I played for the Under-20 national team in the South American tournament in Paraguay. "In just a very short time, I have achieved things that few have. This makes me very happy... It seems like it was just yesterday when, at 14 years old, I went by myself to the other side of the Mountain range (Chile) with this dream." Di Santo was obviously excited about the prospect of moving to Chelsea and linking up with the world-renowned players who are already at the club, whom he hopes to learn from and improve his game. "I have the idea to go to learn. It is going to be a dream for me to be next to Drogba, Kalou, Lampard, Wright-Phillips, Shevchenko and Anelka, that they bought recently. "I am going to watch how they play and if I am called on to be part of the team, I will be prepared to give my maximum and do what I do best. I will fulfil whatever the manager Avram Grant requests of me; that is if I understand it (laughs)." Finally, Di Santo suggested that he will just be privileged to play alongside the likes of Drogba at Chelsea and hopes one day to achieve the same success and be able to give something back to his home town. "I always speak with my father, Jorge. To be in clothes, changing next to Drogba will be something out of another world. I am going to help him tie his laces (laughs). I must become used to being around these players since now they will be my teammates. "I hope to reach those heights, although I have a way to go... I do not wish to disappoint those who have trusted in me, especially the people of Mendoza. I want to help the unemployed where I was born and football in my province," he concluded.

To be honest, it would make no sense at all for Ronaldinho to join in this transfer window as he can't play any further part in the Champions League this season. Would he give up that this season? And would Chelsea want to fork out for such an expensive acquisition now if he can't play in the knock-out stages. I very much doubt he or CFC would. If there is indeed any interest in acquiring the player, then it will be the Summer. Still stand by my thoughts of last night that it will be either one of Dos Santos, Eto'o or Iniesta, although I think the latter is plain wishful thinking :-)

As I mentioned in another thread the other week, I think Robben will end up at Man Utd.

I think it'll be either Eto'o, Santos or Iniesta. The latter I can dream about but can't see that happening in a million years :-(( The other two maybe... Eto'o - Well maybe that was what Drogba was referring to when he said get your chequebook out in his latest interview today at ANC about how he wants to play alongside Eto'o. Everyone assuming Drogba is trying to engineer a move to Barca with those comments. But it could be cryptic and his comments were with regards to Eto'o coming to SB, instead of he himself going to Barca. ??!! Dos Santos - On CTV paper talk programme tonight, Ian McGaffry from the Sun said that Dos Santos will come to Chelsea from Barca (he has been jabbering on about that for months). Anyway the latest according to him tonight is that Giovanni dos Santos met with Grant, Ramos & Fergie in the UK on a 3 day stint at the end of December. Ramos has since bid for him (I think about £7m) and is trying to persuade him to join Tottenham instead of us, saying he will play more regularly for them instead of us. Fergie has not put in a bid at all yet but we have also put in a bid allegedly (not sure what amount). To sum up, the journalist has said that Rijkaard told Dos Santos that he would be better off joining us. Eidur does not think he is ready yet.... Ronaldinho - well if any of those comments today from the AC Milan chief are true, then Ronnie is earmarked for Chelsea for the Summer, not now allegedly.

It's all official on the Chelsea website as well now :-))

Ivanovic deal agreed. On the official CFC website and now on Sky breaking news banner :-)

Huh Star? The Russian press are saying that he has been given his work permit yesterday: From Sport-Express http://news.sport-express.ru/online/nte ... 17804.html The Babel Fish translated version: London law court permitted giving out long-term British working visa to 23- summer defender of "locomotive" and team Serbia Branislavu to Ivanovich. On Tuesday in first half of day the football player will pass medical examination, after which will be placed the signature under the 5- summer contract with "Chelsea", reported "se" in company ProSports Management, which carries out the passage of a Serbian into the London club.

for tomorrow's game? Chelsea's request was being considered but haven't heard if it was successful. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/ ... 129117.ece http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/S ... ?ID=137004

Thank you Star - any news on Huntelaar or are Man Utd getting him?

For god's sake. Anelka shirt sales and a place in the CC final would make the £3m deficit up in no time, then there is the added TV cash for a CC Final, seat sales at Wembley and possibly the cash prize for winning the damn thing. Plus 3 points this weekend is paramount if it means a top 4 finish for the lucrative CL stages (and there is an added £800,000 per finishing position in the league). It doesn't take a brain surgeon really!

I have no confidence in Kenyon or anyone at Chelsea at handling transfers. Hutchinson and Trevor Birch were superb masters at it. We lost the chance of winning the PL and CL last season because we did not get any reinforcements in January and this season is heading the same way, except this time we are far from the leading pack in the PL. If Roman has lost interest, then he should sell up to someone who is interested in our very club.

Rumours that Chelsea have earmarked him for next Summer may be wide of the mark. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sp ... 674711.ece The fact that we are having no success in this transfer market makes me no more confident of landing any top targets in the Summer. We'll stand by and watch Berbatov and Huntelaar go to the Mancs in the Summer and Benzema to Real Madrid or Arsenal, while we will be lumped with ageing mercenaries like Ronaldinho or some unheard of Russian player.

Update on Ivanovic- signing should be announced hopefully on Monday once his work permit has been approved. Hopefully his permit will be okay. He gets married this weekend. http://www.sport-express.ru/art.shtml?152070 Using the google translater the article in English reads as follows - quite a loose tranlation but you get the gist. "CHELSI" SURE IN ADDRESSING POLOZHITELNOM "IVANOVICHA CASES" January 14, the London-based court will consider issuing long-term work visa British 23 - Daylight counsel "Locomotive" and the national team of Serbia Branislavu Ivanovic. The case must be resolved through the courts precisely because in the last two years is not a football player held 75 per cent of matches for the national team (youth - do not count), as required by British labour laws. However, as reported yesterday by "SE" at the headquarters of the London Club, "Chelsea" confident that the matter will be resolved positively because of "exceptional talent" player, who last year became vice-European champion in the youth team of Serbia, and this evrosezone spent almost all matches for his country's national team first. The company ProSports Management engaged in the transition Serbs in Chelsea, confirmed this information. Recall that the January 12, as previously wrote "SE", Ivanovic will play in Belgrade wedding with his bride Natasha, on 14 - the first in London will sign a personal contract with Chelsea. "

Kenyon in Manchester tonight to tie up deal for Anelka in the morning allegedly. The Bolton chairman only returned from a winter break this morning. http://cfcuk.net/story.php?id=100539 Above article taken from The Observer.

Star - what on earth is the latest? Assume Bolton have since upped the price after all was initially agreed....?

Tomorrow's Times reporting that Anelka has demanded a move from Bolton. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/ ... 162501.ece Good man. Showing some ambition at last. £12.5m is more like it if agreed. Would suit all parties, and is a signal we are no longer prepared to be ripped off.

We are nearly a third the way through the transfer window and all our Africans have left now.

Ha, ha. Must be a hoax then. Ah, I was excited for a bit. On a side note, even if it was £13.5m, would still be a good price for a winger

Hmmm :-)). Look in the International Career section: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Silva International career He made his international debut for the Spain national football team in the 1-0 friendly defeat to Romania on 15 November 2006. He also appeared in Spain's 1-0 victory over England. Silva continues to play for the national team after showing good contributions in his first games. His latest appearance for the national team was in Spain's 3-2 friendly victory over Greece on 22 August 2007, scoring 2 goals in the process. On the 7th of January David Silva with Pini Zahavi agreed a 5 years deal with Chelsea Football Club. He officially Joins the West London Club on the 10th of January. The fee is believed to be £13.5 Million Euros.

Doubt very much Roman will deal with Mascherano's owners. Too much history there.