Jose Mourinho?s return to Chelsea a step closer after Real Madrid make bid for Paris St-Germain's Carlo Ancelotti
Jose Mourinho?s expected return to Chelsea moved another significant step forward on Monday night when Real Madrid, his current club, made what Paris St-Germain are treating as an official approach for Carlo Ancelotti.
In an interview with
L?Equipe, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said that he had been contacted by Jose Angel Sanchez, the Madrid general manager, with the request to open negotiations with Ancelotti.
It has long been known that Mourinho would almost certainly leave Spain this summer and a move for Ancelotti further paves the way for the self-styled Special One to fulfil his stated desire to return ?where I am loved? at
Chelsea.
?A few days ago, the general manager of Real Madrid contacted me to talk to Ancelotti,? said Al-Khelaifi. ?Very quickly, I told them: ?If you want to have Carlo, you need to know that he has a year left on his contract, so please respect the contract. Today, we do not have the same stature as Real Madrid, but we do deserve the same respect?.
?He apologised and told me he had thought Ancelotti?s contract was expiring but I told him that was wrong. He told me they would take that into account. We want to keep Carlo, everybody loves him here, the players, the supporters and myself.?
Negotiations between Mourinho and Chelsea are nearing completion and there is also now the expectation that Frank Lampard, the club?s new all-time record goal-scorer, will sign a one-year contract extension.
There will be a special presentation to Lampard when Chelsea meet Everton on Sunday at Stamford Bridge in recognition of him surpassing Bobby Tambling as the club?s all-time record goalscorer.
