Posted June 9, 200816 yr Chelsea have been warned they'll have to pay a British record transfer fee to sign Franck Ribery from Bayern Munich.The French midfielder has emerged as one of the club's top transfer targets this summer but owner Roman Abramovich will have to part with £31million to prise him from the Bundesliga champions, according to the Daily Mail. Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon is believed to have already made contact with Bayern although a decision over Ribery's proposed switch to Stamford Bridge but a decision won't be made until France's participation at Euro 2008 is over. Jurgen Klinsmann, the new coach at the Allianz Arena, is desperate to keep German football's Player of the Year at the club for their assault on European success next season but the lure of the Premier League could be too great. Ribery, who has a pivotal role to play for France in Austria and Switzerland right now, moved to Bayern last summer for £16m from Marseille but now his value has doubled after his superb displays for both club and country. Chelsea will now need to pay just over the £30.8m they spent on Andriy Shevchenko two seasons ago, but it's understood they are prepared to do it.
June 9, 200816 yr If we do, I will be p*ssed off. We had our chance to take a gamble and sign him last season. We didn't, Bayern did, and they made a good decision. Ditto Torres. We need to take a similar risk with a young, hungry player with lots to prove, and stop sniffing round other teams stars - it looks a bit pathetic to be honest. Surely our scouting network isn't that bad??? And that's ignoring the business model of 'wait till they're a year older and then pay double', which is equally genius.
June 9, 200816 yr Agree with Tim, how about signing a player BEFORE he moves to a big club. This is why players like Gomez, Huntelaar and Van Der Vaart etc need signing before others come sniffing. Next season we'll be offering £200 for Ronaldo.
June 9, 200816 yr 100% agree with Tim and Gem but would love to see Ribery in a blue shirt. He is simply genius...
June 9, 200816 yr God please no. I thought with Maniche we had reached a new low in signing the ugliest players, but with Ribéry it would be lower than low. Not that looks matter of course. Right, Gem?
June 9, 200816 yr God please no. I thought with Maniche we had reached a new low in signing the ugliest players, but with Ribéry it would be lower than low. We gotta challenge the Mancs on all fronts, don't we?
June 9, 200816 yr God please no. I thought with Maniche we had reached a new low in signing the ugliest players, but with Ribéry it would be lower than low. Not that looks matter of course. Right, Gem? Oh no doubt, I am totally about the footballing talent rather than how they rank in the looks department. Did I sound believable just then?
June 9, 200816 yr I think that at some stage this summer, by the looks of things, we are going to spend 30+ million on someone. And, if we are going to throw around that kind of money, it might as well be for someone like Ribery, who is the closest thing you could get to guaranteed success. I would much rather see us blow 30-35 mil on someone like him than blow 20-30 mil on the likes of Robinho, Dos Santos or Quaresma, who might be skillful, but haven't produced the goods in multiple leagues and on the international scene like Ribery (or Ronaldinho) have.
June 10, 200816 yr Next season we'll be offering £200 for Ronaldo. You must mean the Brazilian Ronaldo who can't walk! Cheers, Butch
June 10, 200816 yr Next season we'll be offering £200 for Ronaldo. You must mean the Brazilian Ronaldo who can't walk! That reminds me of when Chesterfield (I think) made it through to the FA cup semis a few years ago. Their top goalscorer was signed for something like "100 pounds plus a bag of footballs".
June 10, 200816 yr You won't get Ribery from us, no way. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.j ... che110.xml
June 10, 200816 yr "I signed a four-year contract when I arrived at Bayern a year ago and there is a good chance I will fulfil it" Sounds like someone is leaving the door open...
June 10, 200816 yr He was rubbish last night! I was going to post something similar... with most teams playing with 10 men behind the ball against Chelsea i.e. like Romania did France... he was useless. However, everyone is allowed an off game... just so happens the entire French squad had an off day.
June 10, 200816 yr He was rubbish last night! I was going to post something similar... with most teams playing with 10 men behind the ball against Chelsea i.e. like Romania did France... he was useless. However, everyone is allowed an off game... just so happens the entire French squad had an off day. By that logic they were on vacation in 2002
June 10, 200816 yr would have prefered him to Malouda - he was cheaper then aswell - no point paying silly money for him now. We've missed out, just like we did with Tevez and Torres, ironically for someone we paid 30m+ for instead
