John Terry tells Chelsea to sign Gary Cahill

11 April 2012

Chelsea are stepping up their bid to sign Bolton defender Gary Cahill after he was given the seal of approval by captain John Terry.

The club look set to sell Alex this summer with Bayern Munich and Real Madrid both trying to sign him in a deal worth £9million.

Standard Sport understands Cahill is their first choice to replace him having been recommended to the club by Terry. Chelsea want another English defender at the back having grown increasingly concerned by the kind of goals they conceded last season, especially from set-pieces.

It is believed Terry was asked his opinion on who he thought were the best young English defenders in the League and Cahill was at the top of his list.

The 25-year-old has just one year left on his contract, although Bolton are still demanding £17m for his signature, especially as Chelsea face strong competition from Arsenal and Tottenham.

Chelsea, who are also monitoring Manchester City's Micah Richards, will still want to sign Cahill even if Alex ends up staying at the club so that they have more options in the back four.

It is understood he will be made third choice in the pecking order and be given the chance to either play alongside Terry or come into replace him when manager Andre Villas-Boas wants to give him a rest as well as covering for any injuries.

Cahill's potential arrival throws up question marks over David Luiz's role in the side but Villas-Boas is considering playing him as a holding midfielder this season.

Luiz made a massive impact following his arrival from Benfica for £25m in January, however he struggled to adapt to certain aspects of the English game and made high-profile mistakes.

It is thought the Brazil international might be better off playing in front of the back four for the time being, where his impressive technique on the ball will still prove a valuable asset.

Villas-Boas will still have the option of employing him in defence but there is a feeling that playing him in midfield will improve the timing of his tackles and he can cement a place at centre- half later in his Chelsea career.

The need for more options in midfield have increased following confirmation that Michael Essien is out for up to six months with a serious knee injury.

Chelsea have already stepped up their bid for Spurs star Luka Modric and made an improved offer of £27m, as was first revealed by Standard Sport yesterday. Spurs have yet to comment on the bid but are believed to have turned it down and expect the midfielder to travel on their pre-season tour to South Africa tomorrow.

Modric has stated in three interviews in recent weeks that he is determined to leave and complete a "dream" move to Chelsea, who can offer him Champions League football.

But the club are adamant that all their first-team squad will fly to the country, where they are scheduled to play against Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates. Spurs' first match is on Saturday.

Modric's representative Nikki Arthur Vuksan confirmed: "Of course Luka will be going to South Africa."

Unsettled Niko Kranjcar, meanwhile, thinks his future at Spurs will depend on Modric.

The midfielder said: "If Tottenham sell Luka, they will certainly keep me. However, if Luka stays, I will probably be loaned out."

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