CHELSEA have upped their bid for Spurs defender Pascal Chimbonda to £12million after being priced out of a move for Daniel Alves. Blues boss Jose Mourinho was snubbed in a £10m offer for the French right-back last month but has tested the resolve of Tottenham chief Martin Jol with an increased bid.Mourinho was trying to hijack Liverpool’s bid for Brazilian full-back Alves but has been put off by Seville’s £20m asking price. Chelsea were only prepared to stretch to £13m for Alves, who is likely to move to Anfield.
Chimbonda was a £4.5m signing from Wigan last summer and Jol wants to hang on to the player, despite a large potential profit. Mourinho is desperate for a right-back even though Glen Johnson will return to Stamford Bridge after a season-long loan at Portsmouth.
The Blues boss has lost faith in his fellow Portuguese Paulo Ferreira as a first-choice right-back. France midfielder Florent Malouda fuelled reports he could be joining Chelsea in a £12.5m deal after he left Lyon’s training camp yesterday.
