Chelsea's Grant closing in on Anelka
Chelsea boss Avram Grant hopes to sign Bolton striker Nicolas Anelka before Saturday's FA Cup third round tie against Queens Park Rangers.
Grant, whose team visit Fulham this lunchtime, is determined to sign the Frenchman after a threemonth pursuit and he hopes Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon can conclude the deal before the weekend.
Missing: Avram Grant needs to bolster his strike force
Bolton are demanding around £11million but Chelsea hope to keep the fee below £10m.
Chelsea are aiming to sign two strikers in the transfer window, with Reading's Kevin Doyle a surprise target. He has a contract until 2010 but Chelsea have the financial muscle to persuade Reading to part with the Republic of Ireland striker.
The priority, however, is the firepower of Anelka, who has scored 11 times for Bolton this season.
Didier Drogba has not played for a month and, after convalescing following a knee injury, is likely to go to the African Nations Cup.
Capital gain? Anelka is on Grant's wish-list
Drogba's replacements, Andriy Shevchenko and Claudio Pizarro, have delivered mixed results.
Midfielder Frank Lampard is still two weeks away from a return after suffering a calf strain and there are further concerns over the fitness of John Terry.
The Chelsea skipper broke three bones in his foot during the 1-0 defeat against Arsenal last month and still cannot put any pressure on the injured foot.
