According to Chelsea's official website, the club has finally agreed a deal with Bolton for French international striker Nicolas Anelka. Anelka will be joining his fifth Premier League team, following stints at Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and, of course, Bolton.
Chelsea Football Club and Bolton Wanderers can confirm that terms have been agreed between the clubs for the transfer of Nicolas Anelka. -Chelsea FC website
Reports suggest the fee was £15 million -- whatever -- and Le Sulk put pen to paper on a four-year contract. By then, Anelka will be 32 and most likely plotting his trade at Cardiff City. Chelsea manager Avram Grant said he hopes to have Anelka, who has scored a superb 11 goals in 22 appearance this season (27 in 53 in two seasons) for the Wanderers, in the squad for tomorrow's home date with Tottenham. When asked about whether or not Anelka's prior reputation would surface in London, Grant responded: "If I was not convinced about that, we would not be trying to bring him here."
Regardless of attitude, the one thing Anelka brings to Chelsea is a cutting edge. Without Didier Drogba, the Blues have struggled heavily in the final third with the likes of Claudio Pizarro & Salomon Kalouuuu failing to impress up front. And though MC Sheva has begun to find some sort of form, he's no where near as potent as the one Le Sulk. With his arrival in West London, Anelka brings not only his effortless finishing but also some much-needed pace to the lineup. Hopefully, he'll continue to produce and not curl up in the fetal position after a considerable pay raise.
Anelka, the real Chocolate Starfish.
In other transfer news, Grant is also working to finalize the transfer of Serbian defender Branislav Ivanovic. Currently a member of Lokomotiv Moscow, Ivanovic is to cost £10m and he hopes to gain international clearance next week.