Grant wants Kaka and Messi at Chelsea next season
Thursday, 17 Apr 2008 14:16
AC Milan playmaker Kaka could join Chelsea, according to Grant
Chelsea manager Avram Grant has named AC Milan playmaker Kaka and Barcelona winger Lionel Messi as his top transfer targets for this summer.
The Blues boss is under fire from several quarters after his side slumped to a 1-1 draw at home to struggling
Wigan Athletic on Monday night, virtually handing the Premier League title to
Manchester United.
However, the Israeli national has hit back at suggestions he will not be in charge at Stamford Bridge next season by revealing he is already planning a summer of spending to strengthen the team.
"We need to do something. We want to be more consistent and of course I need players who can help with this," Grant told the Daily Star newspaper.
"Will it take a flair player like Kaka or Messi? I will not reject that one of those names will be here.
"Will they come? I think so, yes. This is a big club."
Chelsea's recent record of big-name signings has not been entirely successful.
German captain and star midfielder Michael Ballack has struggled to settle in the team since his move from Bayern Munich in May 2006 and record signing Andriy Shevchenko has been a relative flop since joining the club that same summer.
French international Florent Malouda has shown signs of the form that tempted the Blues to pay Lyon a reported £13 million for his services, but he too has been in and out of the first XI.
And Grant claimed he would look carefully at the style of player on offer in the transfer market before spending, saying he wanted to move away from Chelsea's current defensive style of play.
"It's not about how many players - it's about which player you can bring," he continued.
"We want a different style of football. If a player is good for this, we want to take him.
"I am already planning. We're speaking about it all the time for the long- and short-term."