Marca: Chelsea offer Pepe €5m-a-season to lure defender from Real Madrid '
It is not just the English papers that make up rumours on Sundays. Marca today lead their coverage with the claim that new Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas wants to sign Real Madrid defender Pepe.
Chelsea are reportedly willing to pay big money for Pepe with Roman Abramovich offering five million euros-a-season on a five-year contract to lure the Portugal international defender to Stamford Bridge.
Pepe had agreed a new four-year-deal worth four million euros-a-season at Real Madrid but had not put pen to paper before leaving for his summer holidays.
In truth, whilst this is a juicy rumour likely to be lapped up with “exclusives” on Monday in the English press, it is hugely unlikely that Pepe would leave Real Madrid and questionable whether Chelsea will even sign big money defensive players this summer.
He is one of Jose Mourinho’s most trusted lieutenants at the Bernabeu, is an uncompromising defender and was given the key task of shackling Lionel Messi in the marathon run of Clasicos at the back end of 2011/2012. Pepe’s sending off in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final with Barcelona was arguably the key moment of the tie.
It seems very likely that this rumour was planted in Marca by Pepe’s agent to speed up the signing of his new deal. Rumours linking Manchester United with Barcelona’s Thiago Alacantara achieved the same purpose last week.
New Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas is also unlikely to be spending lavishly on defenders with the likes of John Terry and David Luiz available and expected to start the season as first choice centre back pairing. Especially with Branislav Ivanovic and Alex, both highly capable defenders, also available.
The Blues will likely be on the look out for full backs, creative midfielders and perhaps a striker to get the best out of misfiring mega signing Fernando Torres.
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