Chelsea consider raising stakes in Emerson bid

CHELSEA are considering whether to raise their offer for midfielder Emerson after Roma revealed they had already refused a £17.5 million bid from the Blues for the Brazil captain.

Claudio Ranieri needs an influential midfield spark for his new-look team, with Frank Lampard and Emmanuel Petit, whose pre-season training has been interrupted by injury, now his only recognised central midfielders.

Ranieri has been tracking Manchester United’s Juan Sebastian Veron but he is also interested in Emerson, whose place in Brazil’s midfield at the World Cup was taken at the last minute by Gilberto Silva when he sustained a freak training ground injury.