Mourinho ready to call Marseilles' bluff over Drogba transfer fee

CHELSEA'S new head coach Jose Mourinho may be ready to call Marseilles' bluff over striker Didier Drogba by advising Roman Abramovich to present the French club with a take-it-or-leave-it ultimatum.

Chelsea have so far offered just over £18 million for the Ivory Coast striker who is being tagged "the new Thierry Henry" in France.

Hard-up Marseilles, who paid just over £4 million for the player a year ago, have rejected that bid and put a new valuation of £27 million on Drogba - believing that Russian oil billionaire Abramovich will eventually reach down into his deep pockets for the asking price.