Blues determined to keep want-away Gallas

CHELSEA face the prospect of rebuilding their defence during the summer despite underlining their determination to keep centre-half William Gallas at Stamford Bridge.

Gallas has made it clear he wants to quit the club but Chelsea, who have offered the French defender a new four-year contract, are in no mood to allow him to walk away.

Chelsea are determined to hold the player to his current contract, which still has one year left to run, and in doing so run the risk of letting him leave for nothing next summer.

Jose Mourinho has made no secret of his admiration for Gallas but his penchant for playing him at both right and left-back instead of his more orthodox central defensive position has forced the French international to seek pastures new.

With doubts over the future of defender Ricardo Carvalho, Mourinho may now be forced to completely review his transfer targets over the summer months.

Mourinho was aiming to bring three players in – a left-back, a midfielder (Michael Ballack) and a striker.

Gallas, who joined Chelsea from Marseille in 2001, announced his decision to quit London in an interview with L’Equipe newspaper. The 28-year-old said: “My decision has been taken and is definitive, I want to leave Chelsea. I want to experience another challenge. I’ve been with Chelsea for five years. I want to experience another league.”

AC Milan are now favourites to land the player and although Chelsea insist they will not encourage offers for him, they may have to listen in order to preserve the harmony within the camp next season.

Gallas added: “The directors of Milan are interested in me, and I am interested in the idea of going to play over there.”

Meanwhile, Ballack has confirmed he will be leaving Bayern this summer and has “no doubt” he will be joining Chelsea. The 29-year-old midfielder told German Pay-TV channel Premiere: “The time has come for me to make this move.

“When I came to Bayern (in 2002), general manager Uli Hoeness told me ‘when you’re 29, you can still move abroad’.

“I turned down an offer from Real Madrid at the time, which was very attractive.”

Chelsea’s offer – reportedly worth £130,000 a week – is now too good to turn down and Ballack admits he has “no doubt” he will be playing at Stamford Bridge next year, although he revealed “nothing has yet been signed.”