Of all the varied strikers on Chelsea's sweep through Asia, none has a more uncertain future than Nicolas Anelka.
The £50million spent on Fernando Torres is as good an assurance as anything in football that he will play. Chelsea are not going to waste the huge leap Daniel Sturridge has made at Bolton, while Didier Drogba is still an icon. This week sources in France linked Anelka with a move to New York or Los Angeles to take a Henry or a Beckham-sized pension from the game.
Anelka, however, insisted today he is ready to remain in London and fight for a place, even if there are easier offers elsewhere.
"I am still here and still very pleased to be with Chelsea," he said. "I like a challenge. It is all part of the game and when you play at a club like Chelsea you have to be ready to meet the challenge from wherever it comes. Every single member of this squad will have to fight to play and I am ready to fight."
For a man who has been most noted for his moodiness, there were a few smiles today. Anelka is a high-profile Muslim footballer visiting a Muslim country where his popularity is assured. Here, he was at the Chelsea Blue Pitch outside the Malaysian capital, one of the permanent facilities the club have built across Asia to encourage grassroots football.
"I'm happy here - perhaps you are seeing who I really am," he said ahead of Chelsea's opening match of their tour against a Malaysia XI tomorrow. "When I first came to England nobody really knew who I was or what I was about. I was always happy on the pitch, believe me. The most important thing for me is to enjoy my football and I have tried to do that. I have actually enjoyed my football at every club I've been to but I have loved my time at Chelsea."
How much he loved it when hearing that Roman Abramovich had spent all that money to bring in Torres might be open to question. All footballers have egos but those of a centre-forward are bigger than most. The Frenchman did not enjoy a prolific season domestically - scoring just six Premier League goals, which was one less than he managed in the Champions League.
Torres, he believes, will be a better, more assured footballer this season, not least because the striker is now more at home at Stamford Bridge than the strangely uncertain player who left Liverpool in January.
"The problem last season was that Fernando was a new player and it is difficult when you come from another team and then play in a style you are not used to," said Anelka. "Now he is getting used to how we perform he has scored one goal in pre-season already. Fernando looked sharp and I think everything will be okay for him."
Despite some heavy spending, particularly at Manchester United and Liverpool, Anelka is relaxed about the strength of the squad that Andre Villas-Boas inherited from Carlo Ancelotti.
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"I don't think we need to strengthen the squad if we are going to win the Champions League," said the 32-year-old. "We have a good squad already. We are strong everywhere and I do not detect any real weaknesses.
"When I look at the new season you see the same faces. Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool like always. Whenever you do pre-season you have the same sense of excitement that you can win the title. You always believe it and I think we have a very good squad to do it.
"Spurs may be outsiders but our biggest challenge will be the same as it has always been - Manchester United. They won the title and have bought some good players so they will be our biggest challengers. But we will be ready for them I can assure you."
