Chelsea in Chase for Pereira

Porto full-back Alvaro Pereira is being linked with a move to Chelsea according to reports in Portugal.The Stamford Bridge outfit have been linked with a move for the player but they are not alone in their interest according to the players agent.
Napoli and Paris St-Germain are also said to be interested in the Uruguay international but as yet there are no official offers on the table.His agent Flavio Perchmen is quoted as saying: "We are waiting to find out if there is any offer."We think everything will go well and that he can leave the club, but right now we do not have any concrete offer."Blues boss Roberto Di Matteo is still looking to add to his squad over the summer.

Agent rules out Chelsea move

Chelsea have been told to forget about signing Christian Maggio as the Napoli defender is not for sale, according to his agent. The wing back has impressed for the Italian outfit this season and Chelsea have been strongly linked with a move as Roman Abramovich plans changes in the summer. However, a move looks to be out of the question at this stage after the player recently penned a long-term contract and plans to honour it, according to his agent Massimo Briaschi. Maggio has even thought about seeing his career out in Naples and has no desire to move to Chelsea. "Chelsea interested in Maggio? There is no news there," Briaschi revealed. "Christian extended his contract at Napoli until 2017 and that says it all. There is, and there won't be, any news on this. "It is clear that Christian wants to stay here, maybe until the end of his career. If he didn't, he would have tried to run down his contract with Napoli."

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Villas-Boas defends team selection after Napoli defeat

Andre Villas-Boas insisted Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole did not start Chelsea's Champions League clash at Napoli for footballing reasons after watching his side lurch to another defeat. England stars Lampard and Cole were reportedly angry at being left out of the line-up for last night's last-16 first leg, fuelling speculation of a growing rift between Blues boss Villas-Boas and members of his squad. Villas-Boas admitted Lampard and Cole disagreed with his decision and that debate over his relationship with senior players - as well as the security of his job - was inevitable. He said: "I think there's a normal creation of opinion from different parties, from the media and the fans, and from exactly the people who matter in the business - the owner and the manager. "Whatever perspective comes out, that really doesn't matter to me." He added: "I had a conversation with Ashley and Frank. "The players that they are and the players with the experience they have, they felt they could have helped the team. That's perfectly understandable. "Of course, they were disappointed but they were decisions they have to accept and move on." Villas-Boas described Lampard's omission from yet another big game as tactical and Cole's as the result of not being fully fit following a calf problem. He added: "Whatever explanation I give you, in the end it would be a fantastic explanation if we'd won the game. "Any explanation is now useless given the result of the game, so there's no point." Villas-Boas admitted "speculation" over his own future would intensify after a fifth successive match without a win. The Portuguese has repeatedly insisted he enjoys the "full" backing of Roman Abramovich but the billionaire Blues owner's confidence in his young manager would have taken yet another hit last night. Chelsea produced their latest defensive horror show to lose 3-1 in Italy and leave themselves in real danger of crashing out. Villas-Boas admitted his side once again missed injured captain John Terry, who is set to undergo a procedure on the knee injury that has plagued him in 2012 and will be out for up to six weeks. That will see him miss up to three Champions League matches, possibly two in the FA Cup and several crucial Premier League games. Informed a two-goal first-leg deficit had been overturned only three times in Champions League history, Villas-Boas was defiant. "I want us to be the fourth team," he said. Goalkeeper Petr Cech said: "It will be tough but we will fight till we die." He added of Villas-Boas: "We know he keeps working hard for us. He prepares every game with 100% commitment and we appreciate it as players. "But if you have players on the pitch making mistakes, he can't help it." Napoli boss Walter Mazzarri was taking nothing for granted. "Chelsea, on their ground, they can easily score two goals," he said. "So, we need to go there with the right mentality. "It's just a shame we didn't make it 4-1. We had opportunities with (Ezequiel) Lavezzi, (Edinson) Cavani, (Christian) Maggio, and we should've taken them."

Manchester City Planning Napoli Raid

Marek Hamsik

Manchester City first-team coach Fausto Salsano has revealed the club are tracking Napoli duo Marek Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi. Hamsik and Lavezzi are thought to be on City's wanted list as possible replacements for the unsettled Carlos Tevez. City boss Roberto Mancini has previously admitted he was keen on signing Hamsik while in charge of Inter Milan, while Lavezzi has caught the eye of several clubs after impressing for Napoli over the last few seasons. The duo impressed during Napoli's recent 1-1 draw with City in the Champions League and Mancini's right-hand man Salsano admits both players are on City's radar. "They are two players who we like because our objective at City is to do great things and win," Salsano told Radio Crc. "Hamsik has become an important player with the right experience, while Lavezzi is devastating and can hurt people in one on one situations."

Manchester United Have a £35m Back Up Plan

Man United are ready to make a bid for Napoli playmaker Marek Hamsik if they fail to complete moves to sign Wesley Sneijder from Inter Milan.Hamsik has long been a target for Sir Alex Ferguson and the Slovakian international has been repeatedly linked with a move away from Napoli this summer and AC Milan have shown an interest in the 23 year old who has been a huge success in Serie A.The former Brescia man has progressed year on year during his seven seasons in Italy and is now considered one of the best foreign players on show in the Italian top tier but the talented goal scoring attacking midfielder has stated that if an offer from a ‘big club’ was forthcoming then he, and Napoli, would consider it. The Naples side have placed a €40m (£35.1m) valuation on Hamsik but Ferguson may well be ready to pay the price if they fail in their pursuit of Sneijder .
The Old Trafford boss sees the capture of a goal scoring midfield threat as the final piece of his summer signing puzzle and is ideally looking for a player that fulfill the kind of role Paul Scholes filled during his Man United pomp. Ferguson’s current central midfield options offer different attributes but the likes of Michael Carrick, Anderson, and Darren Fletcher are not hugely creative hence the Man United manager’s very public interest in Sneijder and Nasri.
Hamsik has scored 47 goals in four seasons at the Stadio San Paolo and has been an invaluable link between midfield and attack, helping Walter Mazzarri’s side clinch a Champions League spot for the coming season.