Crespo is to return to Chelsea for next season
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-07-07 09:25

Chelsea will confirm later today that Hernan Crespo is to return to the club. 

The Argentinian striker spent last season on loan with AC Milan and had wanted to remain in Italy but the two clubs failed to reach agreement over an acceptable transfer fee.

Boy in Blue: Crespo will be at Stamford Bridge next term. (ShaunBotteril/GettyImages)

Chelsea may now abandon their search for a new striker with Crespo and Carlton Cole, on loan with Aston Villa last season, now back in the Jose Mourinho's squad.

Chelsea's first team squad returned to training at Cobham today but Crespo was given extra time off because off the longer Italian season.

Milan have now swooped to sign Christian Vieri on a free transfer from neighbours Inter and Crespo has accepted the fact that he will be returning to Chelsea next term.

His agent, Fernando Hidalgo said: ``Hernan will play the next season with Chelsea. He wants to have as good a season as he had last year at Milan.'' Chelsea will confirm Crespo's return to the club on a permanent basis and after scouring the world for striking talent over the past few weeks, they may now settle for what they have got.

Their top targets Adriano and David Trezeguet look set to remain with Inter and Juventus respectively.

Madrid-based pair Fernando Torres and Michael Owen are now thought to be next on Mourinho's hit-list, but the return of Crespo is likely to mean that Chelsea's need for a new front-man is not as pressing as it was and it is understood that Mourinho may settle for a strikeforce that includes Didier Drogba, Eidur Gudjohnsen, Cole and Crespo.

Meanwhile the club remain relaxed about their search for a midfielder despite having their ￡32 million offer for Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard rejected.

Gerrard announced a sensational u-turn this morning after apparently declaring he would be leaving the club yesterday.

The England international re-assessed his position overnight and has now decided to stay at Anfield to the delight of chief executive Rick Parry and manager Rafa Benitez.

However, Chelsea are unconcerned by Gerrard's change of mind as it was understood the club only moved quickly to submit a bid when they learned that talks between Gerrard and Liverpool had broken down over the weekend.

It was an opportunity that the Barclays Premiership champions found to good to resist and although their offer was rejected they did not increase their bid yesterday and no further talks were held between the two clubs last night.

Indeed, Chelsea's transfer policy this season has been to identify a number of different targets and while Gerrard was among them, the club only moved in with an offer once they learned of the breakdown in discussions on Merseyside.

Chelsea were planning to wait 24 hours before re-assessing the position regarding Gerrard but he took the matter out of their hands by issuing his about-turn and declaring he would stay with the club he led to Champions League glory last season.

Chelsea will now continue to focus on bringing in a top class midfielder with Manchester City's Shaun Wright-Phillips and Lyon's Michael Essien the top ranked candidates.

However, it is understood that, contrary to reports in today's media, Chelsea have not made an official bid for Wright-Phillips.

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