Premier League - Kenyon: Drogba stays

Eurosport - Mon, 01 Dec 21:07:00 2008

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has insisted that Didier Drogba will not leave the club in January - nor will be any new faces arriving at Stamford Bridge once the transfer window opens.

FOOTBALL Chelsea Drogba - 0

The Ivorian striker's future has been the subject of much speculation after a troubled start to the season was followed by reports of a meeting with representatives of Italian champions Internazionale.

But Kenyon remains adamant Drogba will stay and honour his contract, which runs until the end of next season.

Kenyon told BBC Sport: "Didier's under contract for the next 18 months. He will be going nowhere in January."

He added: "Whether people leave Chelsea is as much down to us as anybody else. I don't know whether he did or he didn't (meet Inter representatives).

"But he's a big player for us and we want him back. He's one of those players who can make a difference."

Drogba has been regularly linked with a move elsewhere with Inter, now led by former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, the current favourites to entice him away from Stamford Bridge.

Reports of a meeting with Inter sporting director Marco Branca and Mourinho's agent Jorge Mendes emerged in the build-up to the Blues' Champions League clash with Bordeaux.

Luiz Felipe Scolari denied he knew anything of the revelations and said: "I do not sleep with Drogba."

Drogba himself has done little to douse the flames of speculation, the striker merely reiterating he had a contract with Chelsea until 2010.

The former Marseille player has endured a difficult season and having missed the start of the campaign through injury he is yet to open his Premier League goals account.

And the 30-year-old is currently serving a three-match ban for throwing a coin back into the crowd during the Blues' Carling Cup defeat to Burnley.

But despite Drogba's problems, Kenyon appears determined to hang on to him, meaning there is little likelihood of Chelsea delving into the transfer market come January.

His regular involvement, along with the return of the likes of Ricardo Carvalho, Michael Essien and Juliano Belletti, will be relied on to help Chelsea's title push in the second half of the season.

"I don't think we will be doing any business in the January transfer window because the type of players we are looking for are not available," said Kenyon.

"Another reason is that we have still got some long-term injuries coming back and in January or February, Chelsea will have more player availability.

"We put our squad together in the summer and we are concentrating on the squad we have and making sure our players get back from injury. On that basis, we think we have got a good enough squad to improve on last season."

Mike Hytner / Eurosport

Comment 6 - 25 of 65

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  1. post 17.my gran could score most of the tap ins that­ nic has scored this season.chelsea are so predictable­ at the moment and we need the big man back up front.im­ not saying they cant play together because nic could­ feed off didi and rip defences apart.yes im a chelsea­ member and cant wait to see it.up the chels

    From marc e, on Mon 1 Dec 6:14PM

  2. Drogba the best when match fit, time for the big stars­ to start giving 100%
    frank is not fireing on all­ cylinders, we miss his goals.
    The defence is not as­ tight as last year
    Roll on the new year and a fully fit­ team
    Dave the rave

    From david m, on Mon 1 Dec 6:04PM

  3. To be fair, I'd sell him.
    He's 30 now so­ he's not getting any younger. He's obviously­ got his mind set on a move to Inter, so why not cash in­ now and get back some of that £24 million they paid for­ him?
    If they want another big strong forward they­ could try and get Adriano as part of the deal. Okay,­ he's had his problems as of late but stick him on a­ decent fitness program and he could do the business for­ Chelsea.

    From vulcanraven01, on Mon 1 Dec 5:55PM

  4. good. He will spend lots of time injured, pulling long­ faces and then getting sent off and banned. Chleski on­ the way to Siberia

    From not printable, on Mon 1 Dec 5:44PM

  5. ..... who-ever sanctioned the sale of SWP but kept­ Malouda and (hasn't got a) Kalou....well, they need­ sacking cos I've been going to Chelsea for over 25­ years and poss with the exception of Alan Mayes, i­ can't remember a bigger pair of duffers wearing­ chelsea blue.Melliott650...good comments.

    From boozola25, on Mon 1 Dec 4:58PM

  6. DROGBA THE BEST!!! Come on Chelsea! We miss Drogba so­ much:S CHELSEA FC THE BEST!

    From frosmarkos11, on Mon 1 Dec 4:58PM

  7. Essien will be back in the new year for the run in, get­ shot of Ballack ,and stick Deco on the bench to make­ way for Joe Cole. C'mon Chelsea

    From derek, on Mon 1 Dec 4:42PM

  8. david b,it sounds a bit like a Scouser to me or a Manc,­ if they spoke the Queen's English you could­ understand them.

    From derek, on Mon 1 Dec 4:38PM

  9. Post 8
    Anyone understand it? Raptor is a tool !

    From david b, on Mon 1 Dec 4:25PM

  10. "anelka is as good as an ashtray on a motorbike at­ the moment and didi will get straight back into the­ starting lineup"

    I beg to differ, and so does­ Anelka's scoring record this season, 12 goals in­ just 14 games, he has almost equaled Drogba's­ Season tally in 3 of his 4 seasons for us (16) already.

    From RossG, on Mon 1 Dec 4:22PM

  11. I think Drogba has had his nose put out of joint by­ Anelka, there are not many big strong centre forwards­ out there at the moment, I do like Zaki at Wigan he­ mixes it up a bit, Chelsea will see this bad spell­ through, Up the Hammers tonight, give the Mickey­ Mouser's a spanking.

    From derek, on Mon 1 Dec 4:21PM

  12. Those non-Chelsea supporters who write "sell­ Drogba" or "get rid of Drogba" are just­ affraid that if Drog comes back he'll kick­ Manu's or Liverpool's arses.
    C'mon­ Chelsea!!!!

    From alexander, on Mon 1 Dec 4:10PM

  13. didi is the best striker and target man in the prem and­ he will be back to prove all you doubters wrong.you­ dont lose the quality that hes got in a few months out­ of the game.anelka is as good as an ashtray on a­ motorbike at the moment and didi will get straight back­ into the starting lineup when hes back nxt week.up the­ chels

    From marc e, on Mon 1 Dec 3:52PM

  14. Whe the player has the quality of Drogba or Anelka they­ will be tempted towards the big money the big clubs­ with the best squads...as, lets face it...a good­ striker can only be good if the rest of the team are of­ the same standard...alas chelsea have this­ problem...the squad is not up to it...play up you­ hammers tonight!

    From stuartxland, on Mon 1 Dec 3:32PM

  15. He is world class as u will all see on his­ return.....again!!

    From brown.michael26, on Mon 1 Dec 3:30PM

  16. i'm a spurs fan and can only feel for chelsea­ supporters who pay there money at the gate and expect­ to be entertained by there players, shame now days­ these players feel when they should play and if they­ dont feel like it dont bother trying, it just so rife­ in football now for players to show contempt for fans­ and there clubs, only a few players walked off the­ field dejected yesterday, those were the ones geuinely­ gutted to lose, drogba is a good player, when he stays­ on his feet, hope he turns it around and stays in the­ prem, it needs good players

    From melliott650, on Mon 1 Dec 3:11PM

  17. Ronaldo (brazilian) has a good appetite, why dont you­ buy him?

    From United, kids, wife, on Mon 1 Dec 3:08PM

  18. Chelsea have the people in the squad to win games,­ already why would they sell for more players. By the­ second half to season most players will be back from­ injury to get results they deserve

    From Eve, on Mon 1 Dec 3:06PM

  19. But ehhhhhh I came to Chelsea ehhhhhhh to have­ unlimited budget and ehhhhhh buy trophies ehhhhhh now­ people will know ehhhhhhh I cannot manage ehhhhhhh­ worth @#$%

    From raptor.tools, on Mon 1 Dec 3:01PM

  20. no money chelsea ????

    From Chris, on Mon 1 Dec 3:00PM
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