Blues close to Malouda deal
Malouda could be close to a switch to Stamford Bridge
Wednesday, 04, Jul 2007 10:54
Chelsea are reportedly close to clinching a deal to bring French winger Florent Malouda to Stamford Bridge.
The Blues have been tracking the 27-year-old for a long time and now appear to have lodged a bid that is close to the valuation of his club Lyon.
The left-sided player has also been linked with a move to European giants Real Madrid, but at this stage switching to the Premiership seems a more likely option.
Malouda had previously claimed he wanted to join Chelsea after talks with Jose Mourinho.
Lyon chairman Jean-Michel Aulas responded to that by claiming that the Blues did not have "the desire or the means" to buy the midfielder.
However, one day on from those comments it appears Chelsea have surprised the Lyon chairman by making a bid reported to be around €18.5million (£12.5million), though the French side are believed to be holding out for €25 million (£16.8 million).
A spokesman for the French champions said: "Chelsea have come back with a strong offer and [Lyon chairman] Jean-Michel Aulas could meet a Chelsea official in the next few hours."
Malouda is reported to have left the club's training ground early on Wednesday prompting speculation that a move was edging nearer.
Lyon striker Sidney Govou said losing Malouda would be a blow but that the club would be able to cope.
"If Malouda goes, Olympique Lyon will have lost the world's best left flank, but there are others waiting in the wings," said Govou.
Malouda has won 30 caps for France scoring three times. Last season for Lyon he played 42 times and bagged 12 goals.