Sturridge off to Chelsea

[Shaggy]

Chelsea are to sign teenage striker Daniel Sturridge from big-spending Premier League rivals Manchester City.

The fee for the 19-year-old will be decided by a tribunal with the two clubs unable to agree on a deal.

Sturridge will be out of contract at the end of June and has refused a new contract offer at Eastlands.

However, Chelsea will be liable to pay a fee as the player is under the age of 24 and therefore can not move for nothing under the Bosman ruling.

City boss Mark Hughes had been keen to keep Sturridge but would not meet what he believed to be excessive wage demands.

Hughes earlier told BBC Radio Manchester: "We have made an offer which is a good offer for Daniel at this stage of his career and that was refused a couple of weeks back."

The England Under-20 international has scored six goals from 12 starts and 19 substitute appearances for City.

City are looking to get a 'development fee' of around £10m for Sturridge, although Chelsea's valuation is thought to be somewhat lower at an estimated £3m.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/8067000.stm

[Craig_H]

Bizarre one this. Well actually it isnt really. His ambitions start and end at making as much money as possible. First team football is obviously no concern to the idiotic little tit.

[Red_Polo]

Tribunal fee. Ouch.

Ah well not like the cunts need the money!

[JohnDoe]

Bizarre one this. Well actually it isnt really. His ambitions start and end at making as much money as possible. First team football is obviously no concern to the idiotic little tit.

Actually he has a better chance of breaking into the Chelsea line up than City's, who have about 45 strikers.

[Craig_H]

Actually he has a better chance of breaking into the Chelsea line up than City's, who have about 45 strikers.

In terms of numbers yeah, but he aint gonna be getting ahead of Drogba or Anelka either.

[JohnDoe]

In terms of numbers yeah, but he aint gonna be getting ahead of Drogba or Anelka either.

Drogba and Anelka are both over 30, he'll get his chance there. On the other hand, you've got new signings in Tevez, Santa Cruz as well as Bellamy, Caicedo and whoever else they have there, AND they're chasing Eto'o.

I think he's doing the right thing for his career.

[Craig_H]

I think he was going to stay at City until they didnt offer him megabucks - if he was moving for first team football and his career, he wouldnt have been in contract negotiations with City at all.

[JohnDoe]

I think he was going to stay at City until they didnt offer him megabucks - if he was moving for first team football and his career, he wouldnt have been in contract negotiations with City at all.

I actually agree, he's probably just being a greedy cunt, but in hindsight it will end up being a good move for him.

[Craig_H]

I'd probably go along with that, assuming he has the patience to stick it out at Chelsea long enough because he certainly wont be dislodging Anelka or Drogba for a good while.

Shame really, i'd have liked him at Anfield and he could have proven a useful signing as backup for Nando.

[-V-]

He was never going to get a game at Citeh and he isn't going to get one at Chelsea either. But if you in his shoes you would probably take the big contract, even if the move didnt work out some other prem team will pick him up

[Deano]

He'll be playing someone like Norwich in a few years - Another Francis Jeffers ?

[Parm]

Bizarre one this. Well actually it isnt really. His ambitions start and end at making as much money as possible. First team football is obviously no concern to the idiotic little tit.

guess he has gone from the frying pan and into the fire, cant see how his situation will be any different at Chelski