Chelsea to bid for Sampdoria striker in January

According to a report in the News of the World this morning, Chelsea have decided to bid £17m for the Sampdoria striker Giampaolo Pazzini in January, after seeing the transfer ban from FIFA suspended until the New Year.

They say that Carlo Ancelotti is looking to the future as Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba are both on the wrong side of 30, and the 25 year-old Pazzini, who has scored seven goals in 11 games for Sampdoria this season, is perfect cover for when Drogba goes to the African Nations Cup.

They don’t say whether Pazzini would be happy to get relegated to the substitutes bench when Drogba gets back!

They say that Chelsea have already have had one bid rejected by Sampdoria, but are still negotiating and are willing to increase their offer.

They also quote Ancelotti as saying last week: “We have to wait before making any move.

“Pazzini is doing really well but if all the players I like were to come to Chelsea, we would have to enlarge the squad.”

Which is strange as i don’t remember him talking about Pazzini before, but it is true that Chelsea are surely going to need another striker when Kalou and Drogba go to Africa in January.