TRANSFER NEWS:CHELSEA HAVE agreed a fee of €27 million with Benfica to buy Brazil midfielder Ramires and they intend to push him through a medical before confirming his signing by the end of the week.
But there remains some concern at Stamford Bridge over whether the 23-year-old will qualify for a work permit at the first time of asking.
The regulations state a player must have appeared in 75 per cent of his country’s internationals over the past two years, and Ramires falls short of this requirement.
Chelsea may have to appeal to obtain a permit under the special-circumstances ruling.
Ramires appeared for Brazil at the World Cup finals in South Africa, catching the eye in the last-16 victory over Chile, and he is rated as one the continent’s most promising young players.
His arrival would mean Carlo Ancelotti, the Chelsea manager, has to get rid of one of the 17 senior overseas players in his squad to comply with the Premier League’s new rules.
The odd man out is likely to be the midfielder Deco, who is tipped to move to Fluminense in his native Brazil.
“The new rule is the same as the one in the Champions League, so we are not surprised,” Ancelotti said. “It’s a rule that can help to improve the academies at all the clubs. I’m happy because it’s important for our academy; we have good players there. They need to stay with the squad and they will have more chances this year. I don’t think we’ll have a difficulty in putting a squad together, even with this rule.”
It is unlikely Ramires will be a Chelsea player in time for Sunday’s Community Shield against Manchester United and Ancelotti said his first-choice goalkeeper, Petr Cech, will not be fit for the fixture at Wembley. The Czech international will not have recovered from a torn calf muscle.
Ancelotti hopes Cech will be ready for the opening game of the season, at home to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday week, but he will have to play either Henrique Hilario or Ross Turnbull against United, both of whom have looked shaky in pre-season.
The defender Alex, who also has a calf injury, should be fit for the West Brom match.
Didier Drogba is set to play his first minutes of the pre-season against Hamburg today, following his return to training after a minor operation on a groin.
The Ivory Coast international carried the problem, which has been referred to as a “sportsman’s hernia”, in the final matches of last season.
Ancelotti intends to play his Community Shield line-up against Hamburg.
Meanwhile, Portsmouth’s hopes of a swift lifting of their transfer embargo were derailed yesterday. The British Revenue Customs’ opening arguments to justify their challenge to the company voluntary arrangement that administrators hope will permit the Championship club to exit administration occupied an entire day in the high court. Insiders do not expect a conclusion until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest.
Guardian Service
