Chelsea to bank £13m for Zhirkov
CHELSEA are poised to rake in £13m by offloading versatile Russia international Yuri Zhirkov to ambitious Anzhi Makhachkala.
The move would help balance the books and free up squad space as the west Londoners prepare a third bid thought to be around £30m for Tottenham’s Luka Modric.
Spurs have resisted Chelsea’s £22m and £27m offers for the Croatia playmaker, but their resolve to keep him appears to be waning.
Assistant manager Kevin Bond yesterday conceded Modric might leave, despite chairman Daniel Levy previously insisting his transfer was not up for discussion.
“You don’t want to lose your best players and he certainly is one of our best players and we desperately don’t want to lose him, but I think everybody has got a price,” said Bond.
“Although the chairman’s adamant he doesn’t want to sell him, if somebody came along and the money turns your head and he did go then we’d have to get on with it.”
Zhirkov has failed to establish himself as a first choice since his £17m move from CSKA Moscow in 2009 and is in the final year of his contract.