Chelsea miss out as Essien stays with Lyon

GHANAIAN midfielder Michael Essien will be staying with French champions Lyon after the club’s president Jean-Michel Aulas announced the long-running transfer saga with Chelsea had finally ended.

Essien, at 22 years old considered one of the brightest midfield hopes in Europe, had been a Chelsea target all summer and as late as Sunday night both clubs were still see-sawing over a possible transfer.

Aulas declared after Sunday’s deadline - which he gave to Chelsea - that Essien would be staying, only to change his mind minutes later when informed that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich wanted a personal meeting.