Tag Archives: boardroom

Arsenal financial figures show 123m in the bank after 17m six-month profit

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Arsenal fans up in arms about unspent 123m cashpot while rivals leave them in the dust

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Protests: Arsenal fans have grown frustrated with a lack of spending compared with high ticket prices

Protests: Arsenal fans have grown frustrated with a lack of spending compared with high ticket prices

The Arsenal Supporters' Trust (AST) said
the figures highlighted the need for the club to spend more money on
team strengthening.

An AST spokesman said: 'These figures
contain few surprises. They show that Arsenal yet again made a profit
from the sale of their best players and that the club has large cash
reserves.

'Arsenal fans have contributed to this financial health through paying some of the highest ticket prices in world football. A further improvement in the club's financial strength is expected when new TV monies and commercial deals come on stream in 2013 and 2014. AST members want to see this money used for more, and better, investment in the team'

'The results also show the club does spend considerable money on wages, approximately 150m per annum. But the football decisions made on player investment, player selection and player wage levels are not delivering a more competitive team.

'The AST believes the club are financially well set to improve on the decline of the last few seasons. The remaining question is whether it has the boardroom leadership and football decision making expertise to make the money count.'

Roman Abramovich does not talk to other chairman and turned down a Wigan pie, says Dave Whelan

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As Abramovich comes under fire from Chelsea fans, Wigan chairman Whelan reveals he doesn't talk, refused a pie, brings his own drinking water and turned up in bulletproof car

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UPDATED:

11:52 GMT, 2 December 2012

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich may be well known for hiring and firing managers – but little else is known about him inside the football world.

The billionaire Russian took over the Stamford Bridge club in 2003, but does little time mingling with his fellow Premier League owners.

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan revealed he has shared just six words with the wealthy Russian back in 2005 and gave a rare glimpse into the cloak-and-dagger world.

Keeping himself to himself: Chelsea's Russian owner Roman Abramovich does not mingle with other chairman

Keeping himself to himself: Chelsea's Russian owner Roman Abramovich does not mingle with other chairman

Whelan and Abramovich’s only meeting came seven years ago when Chelsea travelled to play the Latics.

Abramovich landed by helicopter and drove the few hundred yards to the stadium in a bulletproof limo driven up from London – and then refused a famous Wigan pie on his arrival.

Whelan told the Daily Star Sunday: 'Abramovich had just bought Chelsea and he used to travel then. He came to Wigan in a helicopter and sent three men up on the Wednesday and two more on the Friday.

'I let him land about 300 yards from the ground. I said I would put a car on to pick him up but he had his own sent up from London. Bulletproof.

Sign of affection: Chelsea fans have an Abramovich banner at Stamford Bridge

Sign of affection: Chelsea fans have an Abramovich banner at Stamford Bridge

'It picked him up and brought him to the stadium. He stood in the boardroom and wouldn’t move out of the corner. He wouldn’t have anything at all to eat or drink.

'I offered him a Wigan pie. He wouldn’t have it – he probably thought it had been poisoned.

'He had nothing, not even a glass of water. He brought his own water with him. So he just stood there in the corner.

'He went out to watch the match with six bodyguards around him. Afterwards he came back into the boardroom and said, ‘How long before I can go’

Put out: Wigan Chairman Dave Whelan says he has only shared six words with Abramovich in their years together in the Premier League

Put out: Wigan Chairman Dave Whelan says he has only shared six words with Abramovich in their years together in the Premier League

'I told him he would have to give it ten or 15 minutes to let the crowd go. Then he was back into the bulletproof car and off.

'Now, whenever I go to Chelsea I never see him. He never comes to say hello. Never.

'I do wonder sometimes, ‘We said hello to you at Wigan and offered you a pie. You should come and talk to us. Wish us luck now and again when we go to Chelsea’. It’s strange when you go to a club and don’t see the chairman.’

And Whelan, who himself is a self-made millionaire, says he is not a fan of Abramovich’s ruthless treatment of his managers, with Roberto Di Matteo’s head the latest to roll.

Winning away: Chelsea's Hernan Crespo scored the only goal of the game as Chelsea beat Wigan 1-0 in 2005

Winning away: Chelsea's Hernan Crespo scored the only goal of the game as Chelsea beat Wigan 1-0 in 2005

Making the trip: Abramovich watches his team at Wigan in 2005 alongside chairman Bruce Buck

Making the trip: Abramovich watches his team at Wigan in 2005 alongside chairman Bruce Buck

He added: 'I do envy the amount of money that the lad has put into Chelsea. But the lad they have sacked for strange reasons, no I’m not envious of that. He had to give Di Matteo a chance. He had no chance at all. Nine managers in nine years Is that what he’s had

'The crowd are frightened to death of having a go at him because they think he might walk away. And then Chelsea would go back to the way they were before.

'He’s put money into Chelsea, no question. And I think he’s put his heart and soul into it, too. But he’s got to realise you can’t win everything in football.

'If that was the case there would be no game. It wouldn’t be a sport.'

John Fashanu: MK Dons and AFC Wimbledon should get along

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Fashanu: I understand the emotions, but let's have some peace and love in the FA Cup

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UPDATED:

20:50 GMT, 1 December 2012

Wimbledon legend John Fashanu has
called for 'peace and love' to break out between bitter rivals MK Dons
and AFC Wimbledon at their FA Cup second-round tie.

Fashanu, a key member of Wimbledon's
FA Cup-winning side in 1988, has defended the existence of MK Dons, a
team dubbed Franchise FC by many Wimbledon fans who accuse them of
'stealing' their old club when, in an unprecedented move in English
football, they were relocated to Milton Keynes and renamed nine years
ago.

Existing fans formed AFC Wimbledon as
a non-League club in 2002 and, while some will boycott the tie
altogether, others will attend the game in contamination suits to
underline their continuing contempt for Milton Keynes, who incorporated
the original 'Dons' nickname into their official name.

Different times: Wimbledon players celebrate their incredible 1988 FA Cup win

Different times: Wimbledon players celebrate their incredible 1988 FA Cup win

AFC's directors will keep away from the MK boardroom, while MK manager Karl Robinson said his scouts have been asked not to attend AFC home games in the build-up to the match.

Yet against this highly charged backdrop, Fashanu has admitted he embraces both clubs and defended his long-time chairman Sam Hammam, who sold Wimbledon to Pete Winkelman, who then moved them 60 miles north.

'I have to tread very carefully because I love the Dons and I love AFC Wimbledon,' said Fashanu. 'If AFC can beat MK it will be hard to know whether to laugh or cry. It's going to be so emotional for anyone and everyone connected to the Crazy Gang.

Legend: John Fashanu in action for Wimbledon

Legend: John Fashanu in action for Wimbledon

'All I hope is that we get to see a brilliant game and that afterwards, no matter who has won or lost, that there might be some peace and love between both clubs.

'MK Dons have a right to be where they are. Hard as it might be for some to stomach, Sam Hammam did what was necessary. He couldn't go any further in Wimbledon, he had hit a brick wall. This was the man who spent millions of his own money to keep Wimbledon going. He bankrolled the club and paid everyone huge salaries given the crowds we used to get.

'Wimbledon were a family club with unity and love for each other. That never changed for me even when they became the MK Dons. I'd never tell the fans what they should do or whether they should boycott the game. Only the individual can make that call. It's understandable people feel this way but it's also a huge shame.'

Fashanu, 50, will watch the contest on television in Nigeria, where he now works in business.

'It is a juggernaut of a tie. They have so much in common and, despite all the problems, will forever be linked in history,' said Fashanu, who will open a 50million football academy in London next weekend. 'It's going to be explosive.'

AFC Wimbledon are currently managed by former player Neal Ardley and now play their football only one division behind League One MK Dons after five promotions in nine seasons.

Much maligned: Former Wimbledon chairman Sam Hammam

Much maligned: Former Wimbledon chairman Sam Hammam

Former Wimbledon director and lifelong fan Peter Miller, who grew up in a flat overlooking the club's original ground at Plough Lane, says those AFC supporters who attend will boycott any supplementary spending on food, drinks, merchandising or programmes.

'I will be there but many who have travelled the length and breadth of the country are boycotting the game,' said Miller. 'A few won't even watch it on television and even the directors are split.

'Such is the resentment against everything the MK Dons represents that our supporters have been asked not to put money into their coffers by buying programmes or using any of their food stalls.'

What's in a name: The MK Dons' stadium

What's in a name: The MK Dons' stadium

Pete Winkelman, the MK Dons chairman, has admitted that he is 'not proud' of the way football came to Milton Keynes, having done the original deal, built the new stadium and developed the surrounding land.

But he insisted the club would not relinquish their 'Dons' name.

'I do understand that on this special occasion, this historic occasion, this first meeting, that AFC Wimbledon officials would rather sit with their own supporters,' he said. 'If there is a replay, I will do the same.

'But I was disappointed to hear about the boycott, I hope that doesn't happen. Boycotting your team or leaving your team alone is perhaps the worst way of voicing your disapproval of what went on.

On the up: AFC Wimbledon celebrate promotion from the Blue Square Premier League

On the up: AFC Wimbledon celebrate promotion from the Blue Square Premier League

'I've been very clear about this. I'm a custodian of the club and the only way our name could ever change is if our supporters demanded it. I take responsibility for the club getting here, but now it's here it's actually the responsibility of all of us. And I think it's incredibly clear, and clear in every conversation I have, that we are the MK Dons, we're going to stay the MK Dons, and in the future we're going to be the MK Dons.'

Although there is a tradition for sports clubs to change location for business reasons in America, the story of the Dons remains unique in English football.

Former player Wally Downes, now assistant manager at West Ham, said: 'I am not looking forward to the game. It's AFC Wimbledon against Franchise FC. MK Dons are in a position they didn't earn, they didn't even inherit it, they just bought it. Of the two teams, one is a proper football club and one is a fraud club. I can see why AFC fans would boycott the game.'

West Ham will punish minority – David Gold

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We will investigate from top to bottom and the minority will be punished

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UPDATED:

22:40 GMT, 26 November 2012

Like many of the people around me in the directors’ box at White Hart Lane I didn’t hear or see any of the reported inappropriate behaviour during Sunday’s game with Tottenham. If I had then I’m sure I would have been mortified.

We have a clear stance towards any kind of discriminatory behaviour at West Ham — it will simply not be tolerated.

David Sullivan and I are leading an investigation from the top of the club to establish exactly what happened.

Warning: David Gold promised action will be taken by West Ham

Warning: David Gold promised action will be taken by West Ham

If we can identify any individuals who have acted inappropriately they will be sought out and banned by the club as part of our zero-tolerance policy.

We genuinely believe we have some of the best supporters in the country and we will not let a minority of fans — no matter how small — affect the reputation of our great club.

We are a club that promotes tolerance and inclusion of people from all backgrounds, race and religion.

Just a quick look around our boardroom table would tell you that.

I am very proud of my Jewish heritage and have always been made to feel welcome at West Ham since I started watching them as a young boy back in the 1950s.

Disgraceful: West Ham fans allegedly sang ant-Semitic songs on Sunday

Disgraceful: West Ham fans allegedly sang ant-Semitic songs on Sunday

That wasn’t always the case growing up in the East End and I know first-hand how difficult dealing with prejudice can be, which is why I feel so passionately about promoting inclusion in society today.

At West Ham we feel very passionately that every supporter should be made welcome at the Boleyn Ground, whatever their race, religion or nationality and we are keen for our club to carry on taking the lead in promoting tolerance and inclusion of people from all backgrounds and cultures.

We must not let the tens of thousands of supporters who follow our club in exactly the right way be overlooked by Sunday’s events.

Dave King to invest in Rangers

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EXCLUSIVE: Return of the King! He's got cash for a place on Rangers board

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UPDATED:

22:30 GMT, 16 November 2012

Dave King has revealed plans to plough fresh cash into Rangers — just months after seeing a previous investment of 20million go down the drain.

The former Ibrox director won a six-year court battle with the South African Revenue Service to have a freeze on his British assets revoked last week, leaving the Johannesburg-based businessman free to invest in the UK.

And, despite the continuing fight to clear his name on 322 charges of tax evasion in South Africa, Glasgow-born King has set his sights on a return to the Ibrox boardroom, insisting there are now no issues over his ‘fit and proper’ person status.

Return: Dave King plans to invest in Rangers

Return: Dave King plans to invest in Rangers

His lingering concerns over chief executive Charles Green’s profit-based business plan mean the 57-year-old will sit out the current 20m share issue. Impressed by Walter Smith’s recruitment to the Ibrox board, however, King says he is almost ready to talk, telling Sportsmail: ‘I am certainly inclined to invest in Rangers again. I lost 20m through Rangers but I can absolutely see a scenario where I would like to return to the Rangers boardroom one day soon.

‘Any substantial investment I made in the club would incorporate that caveat. If I was going to come in with substantial sums of money then I would expect to be on the board as well.

‘I still have some concerns about the business model adopted by Charles Green. But investing in Rangers is a situation I would like to look at again towards the end of this season.

‘Clearly Charles Green might have something to say about that. And the time is not now for me to come back because Charles has a business plan which I don’t quite agree with.

‘But I would regard myself as a potential investor going forward.

‘As Rangers progress through the leagues they will need another type of investor.

Follow the leader: Ally McCoist takes charge of Rangers training

Follow the leader: Ally McCoist takes charge of Rangers training

‘The reality is that once Rangers are back in the Premier League, fans will expect them to automatically start challenging for the title and start competing in Europe again — which is what we all want.

‘But that will require extra capital in a couple of years’ time. And it will be then that people like myself will come into the equation. Because I would be willing to put money into the club on a non-profit basis.’

King put 20m into Rangers during David Murray’s tenure and lost every penny when the oldco club was plunged towards financial oblivion by former owner Craig Whyte.

Concerns over Green’s profit motive prompted his brief dalliance with the Blue Knights takeover group in the summer, as former manager Smith was fronting another splinter group funded by businessman Jim McColl.

Impressed by Green’s ability to bring Smith on side, however, King’s stance towards the current regime has softened.

‘All credit to Charles for being able to do that,’ he said. ‘It’s a great thing because it says that Charles must be getting the club going in the right direction.’

Limbering up: Rangers train ahead of their clash with East Stirling

Limbering up: Rangers train ahead of their clash with East Stirling

King was also deterred from investing in Green’s Sevco consortium by a restraining order imposed by the Crown Office on behalf of SARS.

Before having the order lifted, however, King also had 37 counts of fraud and racketeering dropped in his adopted land and insists there are now no impediments to an Ibrox return.

‘I wrote to the SFA at the end of last year when I was looking to be involved in one of the consortiums, telling them of the allegations against me and asking if this might cloud their judgment in terms of my ability to be a fit and proper person at Rangers

‘Their response was that because it was only allegations they would take representations from my legal team and if they could convince them I had a strong case then there would be no issue.

‘Now that has gone away. My assets have been freed and it’s just not an issue any more.’

Manchester City and Liverpool worry for Theo Walcott as Juventus enter bids

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EXCLUSIVE: City and Liverpool on alert as Conte orders Juventus to bid for Walcott

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UPDATED:

11:17 GMT, 23 October 2012

Juventus are ready to challenge Liverpool and Manchester City for Theo Walcott after Antonio Conte urged his bosses to enter the bidding for the Arsenal forward.

Sportsmail understands Conte is a huge admirer of Walcott’s pacey, direct style and has earmarked a role for him on the right of a front three at the Juventus Stadium.

Wanted man: Theo Walcott is the final year of his contract with Arsenal

Wanted man: Theo Walcott is the final year of his contract with Arsenal

Alerted by the deadlock over contract
talks at The Emirates, Juve have been monitoring Walcott’s form for the
best part of a year and closely following movements from other
interested parties.

Conte is convinced the 23-year old England flyer is the answer to his search for a right-sided attacker and has put him ahead of Manchester United winger Nani on his list of priorities.

The Juve coach is confident of pipping Arsenal for Fernando Llorente, after drawing up a provisional contract for the Athletic Bilbao striker worth 145,000 a week, and wants Walcott to operate on the right of him.

As Serie A leaders and reigning champions, he believes a revitalised Juventus may appeal to Walcott, who turned down Arsenal’s five-year 75,000-a-week offer in August and is now in the final 12 months of his current contract.

He is thought to be looking for 100,000 a
week, which would be well within range for Juventus, given the terms
promised to Llorente.

Get him: Juventus coach Antonio Conte wants to strengthen his ranks with Walcott as well as Fernando Llorente, who himself is being tracked by Arsenal

Get him: Juventus coach Antonio Conte wants to strengthen his ranks with Walcott as well as Fernando Llorente, who himself is being tracked by Arsenal

Get him: Juventus coach Antonio Conte wants to strengthen his ranks with Walcott as well as Fernando Llorente, who himself is being tracked by Arsenal

The one ray of hope for Liverpool is a suggestion that Conte’s enthusiasm for recruiting Walcott may not be shared within the Turin club’s boardroom, following close scrutiny of scouting reports on performance levels that have varied over the past 12 months.

Paris St Germain are also keen and could, along with Juventus, open talks on a pre-contract agreement in January.

Craig Levein backed by SFA over Steven Fletcher

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SFA offer backing to Levein over Fletcher stand-off ahead of World Cup qualifiers

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UPDATED:

21:39 GMT, 1 October 2012

SFA president Campbell Ogilvie has offered his support to Craig Levein and insisted the Hampden hierarchy should not seek to heal the rift with Steven Fletcher.

The 14million Sunderland striker netted his fifth Premiership goal of the season on Saturday to keep the issue of his Scotland exclusion to the fore ahead of Tuesday’s squad announcement for the vital World Cup qualifiers in Wales and Belgium.

There have been calls for the SFA to try to broker a peace deal between Fletcher and Levein after the disappointing draws with Serbia and Macedonia.

Prolific: Fletcher has made a brilliant start to his Sunderland career

Prolific: Fletcher has made a brilliant start to his Sunderland career

Under pressure: Levein

Under pressure: Levein

Ogilvie, however, insisted it was
entirely down to the national manager. A former executive at Hearts
under the notoriously meddlesome Vladimir Romanov, he is wary of
crossing demarcation lines.

‘There’s been a lot of speculation about this but, really, for me, it’s the manager’s prerogative,’ said Ogilvie. ‘He is employed to pick the players he thinks should be in the squad and I don’t believe the Board should be interfering.

‘From my involvement at club level when there has been speculation about boardroom involvement in team selection, I’m clear it has to be down to the manager.’

Fletcher’s agent, Scott Fisher, has claimed a third party acting on behalf of the SFA tried to set up a meeting with Levein 12 months ago – but that nothing further was heard.

‘I don’t know: I wasn’t party to that meeting,’ said Ogilvie. ‘As far as I’m concerned – and I’m aware of the media comments – the manager is employed to pick the team he believes can do the job for him. That’s it.

‘We’re two games into the campaign and there are still eight games to go. So we’ve all got to get behind the manager and the squad.

‘When the draw came out, it was apparent this was one of the hardest sections – if not the hardest.’

Asked if failure to reach Brazil would be unacceptable, Ogilvie said: ‘I’m not going to start speculating about “what-if” scenarios after two matches. We’re totally behind the manager and the team going into the third game.’

Stop selling! Former Arsenal captain questions Wenger"s transfer policy

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Stop selling! Arsenal legend Adams slams Wenger's transfer policy

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UPDATED:

13:55 GMT, 18 September 2012

Former Arsenal captain Tony Adams admits it is 'hard to take' seeing his old club continue to sell their best players – and questioned if that policy can see them compete again for trophies.

The 45-year-old spent almost 20 seasons at Highbury, winning the Double twice under Arsene Wenger.

Adams believes allowing the likes of Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas, Alex Song and captain Robin van Persie to move to rival teams goes against everything they were trying to build for the future, claiming it made them nothing more than a 'feeder club'.

Glory days: Wenger (left) and Adams (right) celebrate winning the Double back in 2002

Glory days: Wenger (left) and Adams (right) celebrate winning the Double in 2002

Speaking in the London Evening Standard, Adams said: 'It sends out all the wrong messages for me, being a selling club.

'Piece by piece for seven years, it chips away at your credibility. Selling your best players is part of that.

'I very much see Arsenal as the biggest club in the world, so I can't understand why anybody would want to play anywhere else – but I can understand it was very different for me.

'I had people in the boardroom who were very ambitious and wanted to win like me – that's easy then, your contract goes in front of you and you sign it because you are all pulling in the same direction.

'Robin wants to win and he thinks that he can win things with Manchester United and he can't with Arsenal. That is hard to take.

'I am looking at it not as an ex-player or pundit, but as a fan and giving what the fans are thinking and feeling.'

Jumping ship: Van Persie left the club for Man United in the summer

Jumping ship: Van Persie left the club for Man United in the summer

Adams former defensive partner Steve Bould has moved into the Arsenal dugout as assistant manager this season following the retirement of Pat Rice.

The Gunners have since conceded only once in their four unbeaten Barclays Premier League games.

Adams, though, feels Arsenal's impetus will always be on the attack.

'The problem for me in the last seven years is the defensive vulnerabilities as a team – the goalkeeper, the back four, even the central midfield players, the mentality of the team,' he said.

'I don't think they are a team that are set up to do what Chelsea did last year in the Champions League and I don't think Arsene wants to.

'I don't want to put these current players down because they are fantastic, but we used to train constantly with [manager] George [Graham].

Case for the defence: Adams feels Wenger and Bould (left) must improve Arsenal's defending

Case for the defence: Adams feels Wenger and Bould (left) must improve Arsenal's defending

'We worked at it. We went out there and did it every minute, morning and afternoon. It used to drive us insane but on a Saturday you would know it inside out.

'Year in, year out the team with the best defence win the league and we saw the team with the best defence win the Champions League, so it makes you wonder why a lot of teams aren't focusing more on defending.

'It's a European thing. I have said it to Arsene – 'your full-backs are playing like wingers'. Teams were exploiting it at the Emirates and it was a massive flaw.

'Arsene would say, “I know”. I think he recognises that's a problem. Whether he does anything about it…'

Former Portsmouth boss Adams is working in Azerbaijan as an advisor to Gabala FC, whom he also briefly managed last season, and will start a stint as a TV pundit for Tuesday night's Champions League Group B opener in Montpellier.

French assignment: Arsenal face Montpellier on Tuesday night

French assignment: Arsenal face Montpellier on Tuesday night

While Adams expects the French champions to offer little trouble for the Gunners, he feels the European Cup remains out of their reach.

'I expect them to score goals, but they cannot win the Champions League with their current mentality,' he said.

'I hope they prove me wrong, but against the better teams I think they will fall short again.

'I am not alone here – I think most of the Arsenal fans would agree with me.

'Strange things happen, like Chelsea winning with not the greatest team in the world, but they did have the whole team fighting to keep clean sheets.

'To actually think you are going to play Barcelona or Real Madrid off the pitch… I don't think this team are good enough to do that.'

Didier Drogba future still in doubt, says Shanghai Shenhua

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Shenhua given two-week cash deadline with chaos still surrounding Drogba's future

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UPDATED:

11:12 GMT, 17 September 2012

The future of Didier Drogba continues to lurch from one crisis to another with the Ivorian's club admitting that he and Nicolas Anelka could still be forced out over a boardroom battle.

The former Chelsea man only moved to Shanghai Shenhua in the summer but his time has been blighted by a financial row among shareholders.

Drogba, who earns 250,000 per week, starred in the weekend win over Liaoning Whowin having been his backing by manager Sergio Batista who insisted things had been resolved.

Up for grabs: Didier Drogba still doesn't know what the future holds

Up for grabs: Didier Drogba still doesn't know what the future holds

However, the billionaire businessman behind the vast investment refuted the claims of a deal and local media reported the tycoon had threatened to withhold the salaries of foreign players.

On a social network site, Zhu Jun wrote: 'Now, I made a difficult decision to believe you one more time, one last time! And this time I have a deadline: two weeks,'

It is claimed that following his initial purchase and investment for 28.5 per cent stake in the club, Zhu was due a rise to 70 per cent based on continued funds being able.

Shanghai Youth Daily newspaper carried a quote on from an unnamed source, saying: 'If this issue is not resolved satisfactorily, from October Zhu Jun might take action.

'If the issue of Drogba's salary is still not effectively handled, he might again book a ticket home.'

Shenhua are ninth in Chinese Super League.

Arsenal want former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba

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Arsenal want to prise striker Drogba away from Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua

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UPDATED:

06:23 GMT, 12 September 2012

Arsenal are ready to offer Didier Drogba an escape from his China crisis

The 34-year-old former Chelsea
striker has been caught up in a boardroom power struggle just three months
after signing a 200,000 a week contract with Shanghai Shenhua.

Unsettled: Striker Drogba Didier

Unsettled: Striker Drogba Didier

The Gunners, desperate to fill the void left by Robin van Persie, have made enquiries with the Chinese club to see if there is a way of bringing Drogba back to London, reports The Sun.

Liverpool and Real Madrid are also ready to pounce if Drogba indicates he wants to leave.