Source: Telegraph
AC Milan: Andrea Pirlo will cost Chelsea £20 million
Carlo Ancelotti, who is set to be named as Chelsea's new manager next week, is keen to take one or two players with him from Milan to Stamford Bridge, with Pirlo his No 1 target.[LNB]And while Ancelotti accepts that it may prove impossible to prevent Kaka from joining Real Madrid, the 49-year-old remains hopeful that Chelsea will launch a formal bid for Pirlo who is the kind of creative play-maker that he feels is lacking at Stamford Bridge.[LNB] Related ArticlesBayern: Ribery staying putTop 10: Cup final songsReal Madrid target Jose Mourinho with Arsene Wenger to stay at ArsenalChelsea and Carlo Ancelotti draw up summer spending plansChelsea hopes of landing Carlo Ancelotti increase as AC Milan coach improves EnglishChelsea target Inter Milans MaiconHowever Pirlo is 30 and with lowering the average age of the squad being one of the major concerns at Chelsea this summer, it is unlikely that the club will be willing to pay the price quoted by Milan.[LNB]Pirlo also has a contract that runs until 2012 and is thought to earn almost £6 million a season.[LNB]Ancelotti is set to take charge of Milan for the last time in Sunday's crucial league meeting away to Fiorentina. However he has left the door open to stay at the club by insisting that he will see out the remainder of the final year of his contract if he is asked to. That is unlikely.[LNB]Chelsea will press ahead with re-building their squad and have already registered interest in signing Carlos Tevez, who is now a free agent from Manchester United, although a transfer fee would have to be agreed with the companies who control his economic rights, plus Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor and CSKA Moscow's Yuri Zhirkov.[LNB]Inter Milan are hoping to sign both Deco and Ricardo Carvalho - who wants to leave having fallen behind Alex as first-choice to partner John Terry in central defence - while Chelsea are open to bids for several other players, including Didier Drogba, even though the striker remains hopeful of agreeing a new contract.[LNB]Chelsea have also registered in interest in Austrian striker Marko Arnautovic but appear likely to lose out to Inter.[LNB]Also of interest is Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery although the club has not, as was claimed on Thursday, lodged a bid of £40 million for the French winger, who is also being tracked by Manchester United and Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid. [LNB]
