Deco is in the Bridge
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Chelsea seal deal for Deco
Portugal playmaker Deco immediately set his sights on Premier League and European glory after joining Chelsea tonight.
The Blues made their move for the 30-year-old midfielder after he was told he did not feature in Barcelona's future plans. The Brazil-born player is the club's first signing since the appointment of Luiz Felipe Scolari as manager and he is believed to have cost around £8million. Deco told Chelsea's website: 'It is good for me to be here and first of all I am very happy to be here. 'I am sure I have come at the right time to do great things and be able to help Chelsea go back to the way it was and come back to being the first one, not only in England but also to win the Champions League that has been their dream for so long.'
Deco's move will see him link up once again with Scolari, his national coach at Euro 2008, and another Portugal team-mate in Jose Bosingwa, who signed for the club earlier in the summer. His exit from the Nou Camp proved to a protracted one due to the Catalans' initial valuation of around £11million for the player, despite his age.
The two-time Champions League-winner had been linked with Inter Milan, where his former Porto boss Jose Mourinho is now manager, but the Italians appear to have been put off by the price. Chelsea, however, seem to have negotiated the fee down to sign Deco on what is thought to be a two-year deal.
New coach Scolari officially starts work at Chelsea tomorrow morning and will undoubtedly be happy with the club's transfer business so far. Deco's arrival significantly boosts a midfield talent pool already boasting the likes of Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack, Michael Essien, Mikel Jon Obi and Claude Makelele. Yet Scolari is likely to have a busy first week ahead of him with top priority likely to be persuading England international Lampard and defender Ricardo Carvalho to stay. Both have attracted interest from Mourinho's Inter and Lampard, with just one year remaining on his contract, recently refused to rule out a move.
Chelsea were planning to hold contract talks with Portugal international Carvalho, who has only just started his holiday due to Euro 2008, but Brazilian defender Alcides says he is returning from his loan spell at PSV Eindhoven to replace him. Alcides has been with the Dutch club for the last 18 months and said: 'PSV wanted me to stay but I have learned that Chelsea want me back. It seems Carvalho is leaving and I am going to replace him.'
Scolari's arrival at Stamford Bridge has been welcomed by former Chelsea manager Ruud Gullit. The Dutch legend, who originally moved to Stamford Bridge as a player in 1995 before becoming player-manager a year later, is now in charge at Los Angeles Galaxy in the United States. 'He is the right choice at the moment,' said Gullit. 'I think he is a passionate coach, he does everything with the heart. 'He tries to win with good football, and he did that with the Brazilian national team and with Portugal, so he knows how to play.'
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scolari, deco......chelsea downfall for sure...back to being an average team from london town.
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Originally posted by redDUST:
scolari, deco......chelsea downfall for sure...back to being an average team from london town.
we shall see.. well at least then having Avarm grant?
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Scolari signs Deco for Chelsea on his first day in the office
Luiz Felipe Scolari begins life as Chelsea's manager this morning having secured his first signing. The Champions League finalists yesterday completed the purchase of the Barcelona midfielder Deco on a two-year contract.
The 30-year-old playmaker has followed his Portugal manager to west London in an £8m deal which may yet have an effect on Frank Lampard's future at Stamford Bridge. The England midfielder is currently on holiday in Italy but with only a year to run on his contract he has been courted by Chelsea's former manager, Jose Mourinho, who is now at Internazionale. Deco's arrival appears to threaten Lampard's place in the team.
The Premier League club had been unsure whether Deco, who was below par in a Barcelona side well adrift of Real Madrid last season, represented value for money but they were persuaded by his fine form at Euro 2008. The midfielder was a key member of Scolari's squad in Austria and Switzerland as Portugal reached the quarter-finals and has long been viewed as the coach's on-pitch lieutenant.
"I am sure I have come [to Chelsea] at the right time to do great things and be able to help Chelsea go back to the way it was and be first, not only in England but also to win the Champions League," said Deco. "That has been their dream for so long. The Premier League is a great league and it is getting better. You could see that at the Champions League final where you had two English teams."
"It is great that we have so many great players here at Chelsea and it is great that there is the competition which is healthy for everybody. This just makes the team better. To have great players in any position just enhances the club. I know it is a new challenge but I am looking forward to it. I know I need a little bit of time to adapt but I am sure I will adapt quite well and quite fast and do my best for the team."
The Brazilian-born midfielder is a two-times European Cup winner, His vision and ability on the ball will be appreciated in the Premier League, with the creativity that was a key factor for Scolari's Portugal team. He joins his national team-mate Jose Bosingwa, a £16m arrival from Porto, at Chelsea and his signature is a small victory for the club over Mourinho. The Inter manager had hoped to be reunited with a player he first coached at Porto, where Deco earned the nickname "Magico". Further struggles appear to lie ahead, however.
Scolari supplied a list of potential signings to the Chelsea chief executive, Peter Kenyon. It was topped by Milan's Kaka. Scolari would still like to meet the likes of Lampard and Ricardo Carvalho to discuss their prospects at the club. Inter have expressed interest in both players.
Chelsea's first-team squad are due back at training next Monday. Chelsea had wanted to keep Lampard but they are aware that, though there has been no formal contact between the clubs, Inter have made their interest known.
Carvalho's future in west London has also, potentially, been complicated by Mourinho's appointment at Inter. Chelsea had intended to open discussions with the player on a new contract when he returned for pre-season training. Asked about his future, the Portugal defender was noncommittal both prior to the Champions League final and at Euro 2008.
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noo lampard don't go =) Lampard + deco = Lich + Root in dota means IMBA lol..
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Originally posted by redDUST:
scolari, deco......chelsea downfall for sure...back to being an average team from london town.
are you sure?deco is one of the best midfielders around. chelsea have no one like him.