Source: Daily_Mail
Benzema bait! Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho offers striker to land Chelsea's Ashley Cole
Real misfit: Benzema could be heading for Chelsea[LNB]Chelsea have been offered Real Madrid misfit Karim Benzema as part of Jose Mourinho's plan to lure Ashley Cole to the Bernabeu. [LNB]Aware that Chelsea are on the look out for another world-class striker after seemingly missing out on Liverpool's Fernando Torres, Real are prepared to offer the £30million-rated Frenchman plus cash for the England left back. [LNB]Cole has told Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti he would be open to a move to reunite with former boss Mourinho due to personal problems. He fits the bill for the Portuguese manager, who is not convinced by his current options, Marcelo and Alvaro Arbeloa, and missed out on new Manchester City signing Aleksandar Kolarov. [LNB]But Mourinho may struggle to prise Cole from Stamford Bridge, with Ancelotti saying earlier this week that the 29-year-old would not be leaving under any circumstances. [LNB]'Ashley Cole is and will remain a Chelsea player,' he said. 'Everyone can forget the idea he will leave this club. There's no price that will make us sell.' [LNB]While that may be the Italian's stance in public, in private he seems to be genuinely concerned about losing Cole and has asked about signing Porto left back Jorge Fucile as a potential replacement. [LNB]Enlarge But Benzema, 22, could prove a shrewd signing for Ancelotti. He commanded a £36m fee when he joined Real from Lyon last season - he chose the Spaniards ahead of Manchester United - but he struggled at the Bernabeu, scoring just eight times and becoming a peripheral figure under Manuel Pellegrini. [LNB]His lack of form saw him miss out on France's World Cup squad - although he has been recalled by new coach Laurent Blanc - and he faces a battle for a starting place at Real with Gonzalo Higuain and Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of him in the pecking order.[LNB] He may be wary that the situation might not be that much easier at Chelsea, where Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka could also block his path. [LNB]While Cole's departure remains a possibility, another Real target, Frank Lampard, looks almost certain to stay. The midfielder, who scored in Chelsea's 2-1 defeat by Hamburg on Wednesday, says being back with the champions has helped him get over the misery of England's World Cup disaster. [LNB]'I've got to be honest, the disappointing summer isn't affecting Chelsea,' he said. 'There is no niggling mental effect from that at all. Of course we're disappointed with England but it's almost a breath of fresh air to return to Chelsea. [LNB]'We won the Double last year and that's a nice feeling. When the England games come then we will approach that but, in terms of Chelsea, it's exciting to be back.' [LNB]The trouble for Lampard and his England colleagues is that the next international is on Wednesday so that feel-good factor will be decidedly short-lived. [LNB]'The rest was about a month which is plenty for me,' he added. 'I have only been back a week and a half so I am not going to be quite there yet. But that's how it is this pre-season and I think a lot of clubs are having the same problem, trying to get those who played in the World Cup ready as quickly as possible. My main concern is to be fit for the first game of the season.' [LNB] Giggs dismisses Liverpool and City, saying Chelsea are United's only threatSign up to our FREE Fantasy Football game - with £40,000 in prize money up for grabsRamires to join Chelsea in £18m deal after Benfica allow Brazilian to leaveKaka knee op scuppers Chelsea's chances of landing brilliant Brazilian[LNB]
