Chelsea Football Club can confirm that we have reached agreement with CSKA Moscow for the transfer of Yuri Zhirkov.
The player is in London today and will join Chelsea subject to a medical and agreement of personal terms.
Inter Milan sporting director Marco Branca has arrived in London to finalise the signings of Ricardo Carvalho and Deco from Chelsea.
The two clubs are a small distance apart on the fee and Chelsea's interest in Inter right-back Maicon gives the two sides plenty to talk about.
The Blues are happy to offload Portugal playmaker Deco for the £8million they paid out for him last year. Chelsea also hope to recoup at least half the £20m they paid to Porto for Carvalho five years ago.
Inter's offer for the pair is £8.5m plus Argentina defender Nicolas Burdisso, according to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, but they are open to negotiation.
Former Chelsea boss has made the signing of the 31-year-old Carvalho his priority.
New Stamford Bridge boss Carlo Ancelotti is said to be an admirer of raiding right-back Maicon and the 27-year-old's chances of leaving the San Siro are said to be 50-50.
The Brazil international has four years left on his current contract but realises it may be time to leave and has also attracted interest from Real Madrid.
The meeting with Branca may also bring the opportunity for Chelsea to probe Zlatan Ibrahimovic's availability, though he is likely to be beyond the west London club's clutches.
Meanwhile, reports in Portugal say Mourinho is to divorce his wife Matilde after 20 years of marriage.
Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce that Carlo Ancelotti has agreed to become our new manager.
He has signed a three year contract and will start on July 1, 2009.
Carlo was the outstanding candidate for the job. He has proved over a long period his ability to build teams that challenged for, and have been successful in, major domestic and European competitions.
He also had a highly successful playing career in those competitions and therefore brings unparalleled all round experience to the job.
We are sure everybody at Chelsea will give him a warm welcome and we are all looking forward to working with him.
A Chelsea TV exclusive interview with Carlo Ancelotti is now on www.chelseafc.com. The full interview will be on Chelsea TV tonight at 5pm. To subscribe to CTV go to Sky Channel 421 or call 0844241020"I haven't signed yet but I have agreed for another year," Ballack, 32, told BBC Sport, adding he expected Milan's Carlo Ancelotti to succeed Guus Hiddink as coach next season at Stamford Bridge.
"I haven't worked under him and I don't know him very well but you can see from the work he has done at Milan that he is a successful manager," Ballack said.
"It's not done yet but it looks like he will be coach."
Frank Lampard has become the first to be named Chelsea Player of the Year for a third time.
The 2004 and 2005 winner was again voted the leading performer over the season by the fans. The trophy was handed over by Guus Hiddink to a vice-captain who declared himself 'delighted'.
'It feels great because of the amount of top quality players who have won this award,' Lampard told Chelseafc.com.
'When I came here I never expected to win it three times at all, I just wanted to establish myself, but getting this award and the recognition from your own fans is a huge thing in football. I am absolutely delighted.'
Michael Essien's thunderous left-foot volley at home to Barcelona was voted Chelsea Goal of the Season by the supporters.
It's the second time in the three years this award has been part of the Player of the Year evening that the Ghanaian has won the accolade. In 2007 another rocket at the Bridge, this time at home to Arsenal, gained the most votes. Last season Juliano Belletti's strike v Tottenham was the winner.
The trophy was presented to Essien by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
'It is always good to win something,' Essien told Chelseafc.com. 'We put effort in to win trophies and win personal trophies, so it is great.
'I meant to do it because when I saw the ball coming that was the only option that came to my mind, I tried to take it and I had a bit of luck.
'It is difficult to score those kinds of goals and you need a bit of luck.'
Ashley Cole won the Samsung Players' Player of the Year, an accolade presented by former Player of the Year Charlie Cooke and decided by the staff who work with the first team as well as the squad.
'I'm shocked but it's a great honour and I am very privileged to have got this award,' Cole smiled as he cradled the trophy. 'There are a lot of players who deserved it, but I am happy to collect this award.
'It is always nice to get recognition from anyone but from your players it means a lot more and I feel this year I could have done better, I could have scored a few goals, but I do feel the fittest I have ever felt and playing as best as I have for Chelsea.'
The Young Player of the Year award was in association with adidas and was selected by coaches Paul Clement and Ray Wilkins.
Michael Mancienne who turned 21 this season and returned from loan at Wolves to make his Chelsea first team debut was the winner.
That award was presented by golf legend Colin Montgomerie (above left) and Bob Orsborn (right), many years an important figure in the Chelsea Academy who was once the young JT's landlord and his first Chelsea coach at the age of 14.
Peter Kenyon handed a Special Recognition award, a new honour, to CLIC Sargent, Chelsea's UK charity partner for the past four years. It's a partnership that is coming to an end in its current form but has raised over £2 million for work with children with cancer.
CHELSEA PLAYER OF THE YEAR
1967 Peter Bonetti
1968 Charlie Cooke
1969 David Webb
1970 John Hollins
1971 John Hollins
1972 David Webb
1973 Peter Osgood
1974 Gary Locke
1975 Charlie Cooke
1976 Ray Wilkins
1977 Ray Wilkins
1978 Micky Droy
1979 Tommy Langley
1980 Clive Walker
1981 Petar Borota
1982 Mike Fillery
1983 Joey Jones
1984 Pat Nevin
1985 David Speedie
1986 Eddie Niedzwiecki
1987 Pat Nevin
1988 Tony Dorigo
1989 Graham Roberts
1990 Ken Monkou
1991 Andy Townsend
1992 Paul Elliott
1993 Frank Sinclair
1994 Steve Clarke
1995 Erland Johnsen
1996 Ruud Gullit
1997 Mark Hughes
1998 Dennis Wise
1999 Gianfranco Zola
2000 Dennis Wise
2001 John Terry
2002 Carlo Cudicini
2003 Gianfranco Zola
2004 Frank Lampard
2005 Frank Lampard
2006 John Terry
2007 Michael Essien
2008 Joe Cole
2009 Frank Lampard
CHELSEA YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR
1983 Keith Dublin
1984 Robert Isaac
1985 Gareth Hall
1986 Micky Bodley
1987 Jason Cundy
1988Eddie Cunnington
1989 No award
1990 No award
1991 Andy Myers
1992 Zeke Rowe
1993 Neil Shipperley
1994 Mark Nicholls
1995 Chris McCann
1996 Jody Morris
1997 Nick Crittenden
1998 John Terry
1999 Sam Dalla Bona
2000 Rhys Evans
2001 Leon Knight
2002 Carlton Cole
2003 Robert Huth
2004 Robert Huth
2005 Robert Huth
2006 Lassana Diarra
2007 John Mikel Obi
2008 The U18s Youth team
2009 Michael Mancienne
CHELSEA PLAYER'S PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Samsung and voted by the first team squad, coaching and medical staff
2006 Claude Makelele
2007 Didier Drogba
2008 Ricardo Carvalho
2009 Ashley Cole
CHELSEA GOAL OF THE SEASON
2007 Michael Essien v Arsenal
2008 Juliano Belletti v Tottenham
2009 Michael Essien v Barcelona
