Chelsea eye Ribery deal as Deco heads for exit

Chelsea have made a 43.7-million-pound (50 million euros) bid to sign France winger Franck Ribery from Bayern Munich, according to reports in England on Thursday.

Ribery has been recommended to Chelsea by AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti, who is the favourite to take charge at Stamford Bridge once Guus Hiddink resumes his full-time role as Russia coach next month.

The Independent newspaper claims Chelsea’s chief executive Peter Kenyon has sanctioned the offer for former Marseille star Ribery, which includes an annual net salary of 4.7 million pounds (5.5 million euros).

The transfer fee would be just short of the world record 46 million pounds (52.7 million euros) paid by Real Madrid for Ribery’s former France team-mate Zinedine Zidane.

However, Ribery is said to earn seven million euros a year in Germany and wants a salary closer to that before he agrees to move to west London.

He is likely to have other suitors, with Manchester United and Real Madrid both reported to be interested in signing him.

Meanwhile, Blues midfielder Deco has revealed he is in talks with Inter Milan.

The Portugal playmaker moved to Chelsea last year from Barcelona, but struggled to make an impact under Luiz Felipe Scolari and was then left out entirely by Hiddink.

Deco is ready to quit the club and would welcome the opportunity to work with Jose Mourinho again, having previously played under the Inter coach during their days at Porto.

“I can confirm I’m talking with Inter,” Deco said in The Sun. “I didn’t get to play much this year at Chelsea and a move to Italy would be a very good solution.

“To be coached by Mourinho again would be very interesting. But I don’t want to go into details, because it’s not me who’s dealing with the matter.”