Blues slam transfer window shut
A number of Chelsea’s fringe players have been linked with possible moves to Premiership rivals since the January window opened. But Clarke, helping to prepare Jose Mourinho’s side for their third round FA Cup tie against League Two side Scunthorpe today, insists no one is for sale.
Left-back Celestine Babayaro, who joined Newcastle, will remain the only player to leave the club and Clarke made it clear any other offers will be rejected.
Clarke said: “There’s no one going out. We’ve said consistently that no one is going out during the transfer window. Obviously the case of Babayaro was slightly different. Baba, for his services to the club over the years, deserved the opportunity to leave during the window.
“As far as I’m aware we’ve had no other offers but there’s no one for sale. It doesn’t matter if they make offers or not.”
Chelsea added to their squad with the signing of Jiri Jarosik from CSKA Moscow for £3m on Thursday and he will make his debut today against Scunthorpe at some stage during the tie.
Chelsea will set out on the quest for glory in their fourth competition of the season today and Clarke will be doing his best to ensure their multi-million pound stars do not become victims of a massive FA Cup shock.
Clarke knows all about Scunthorpe’s fighting tradition, albeit in the League Cup, as he was a member of the Chelsea side dumped out of that competition in the late 1980s.
That two-legged defeat is a reminder that Chelsea cannot afford to take the threat from Brian Laws’ promotion-chasing outfit lightly.
Clarke added: “We won’t treat them lightly. I’ve tried to tell the players about that game. I was embarrassed we did not win over the two legs.
“We felt we could pull it back at home as we had just been relegated to the old Second Division and were going well in the league.
“But it was a big upset for us and a timely reminder for our players that cup upsets can happen.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
