Blues confirm Zhirkov deal

07 July 2009 18:14
Chelsea have confirmed they have completed the signing of Yuri Zhirkov from CSKA Moscow on a three-year contract. The Russia wing-back underwent his medical at the Premier League club's Cobham training ground on Tuesday and has successfully passed the assessment. Chelsea said on Monday they hade agreed a fee for Zhirkov, rumoured to be in the region of £18million, and the deal has now been finalised ahead of vital pre-season fixtures. The 25-year-old is looking forward to life in West London as the Blues target UEFA Champions League success under new boss Carlo Ancelotti. "Any footballer would be happy to sign a contract with Chelsea, and at any time," Zhirkov told the club's official website. "I have been received very well here, and have been shown the base at the Cobham training ground, everything is super." Zhirkov admits he needs to learn the English language after receiving help from Czech Republic goalkeeper Petr Cech. But he is excited about following in the footsteps of former Chelsea and Russia players Dmitri Kharine and Alexei Smertin. "Of course it is good when some of the players speak Russian, even today Petr Cech translated some bits and pieces, and I understand some words in English. Now I hope to learn English too," Zhirkov added. "I always used to watch English football on the TV and know about Dmitri Kharine and Alexei Smertin at Chelsea."

Source: SKY_Sports