Chelsea ready to make increased offer for Essien

CHELSEA remain favourites to sign Lyon midfielder Michael Essien despite reports from France suggesting that Arsenal are ready to steal the player from under their noses.

Chelsea’s billionaire owner Roman Abramovich is understood to have held further talks with the Lyon chairman Jean-Michel Aulas ahead of an improved bid for the Ghana international.

The French champions have already rejected Chelsea’s bid of £21m for the midfield star and while Aulas has hinted there is interest from two of their Barclays Premiership rivals, the English champions are expected to lodge an increased bid in the next few days, possibly even earlier.