Gary eyes a January move
CHELSEA have given Gary Cahill the green light to go in January – with Manchester United ready to move in.
Former England defender Cahill has fallen out of favour at Stamford Bridge under new manager Maurizio Sarri. The 32-year-old has made just one substitute appearance in the Premier League all season under the Italian and last month revealed he would have to leave in January if things did not improve.
And Chelsea will not stand in Cahill’s way if the right offer comes in – and the Champions League winner is set to leave on loan in January, with a permanent departure on the cards at the end of the season.
United, Southampton, West Ham, Sheffield Wednesday and his boyhood club Aston Villa are interested in the centre-back, who has been squeezed out by the fine form of Antonio Rudiger and David Luiz. Cahill joined in January 2012 in a £7m deal from Bolton and has won two Premier league titles, the Champions League, the FA Cup and the Europa League. He won 61 caps for England, his final international appearance coming against Belgium in the group stage of this summer’s World Cup.
Cahill last month said he hoped Chelsea would respect his long service to the club by not preventing him joining a rival club, as they did when Petr Cech was allowed to join Arsenal three years ago.
He said: “I’m not a guy who is willing to accept not playing.”
Cahill’s current Chelsea deal runs out at the end of the season.
He is liked by United manager Jose Mourinho, while West Ham had an offer for Cahill rebuffed in the summer.
Gag
Meanwhile, midfielder Mateo Kovacic has joked that Liverpool will not win the Premier League with Dejan Lovren in their side.
Kovacic, a Croatia team-mate of Lovren’s, made the gag at a charity fundraiser where a film was played to commemorate the team’s run to the World Cup Final.
The 24-year-old, on loan at Chelsea from Real Madrid, said: “Liverpool will not be English champion. Why? Well, because they have Dejan Lovren!”
Chelsea sit two points behind Liverpool, who trail league leaders Manchester City by two more.
Out-of-favour Lovren – mocked for claiming he was “one of the best defenders in the world” during the World Cup – has only started three league games this season after returning from the finals with a pelvic injury.