Anelka won’t go on the cheap, Megson tells Blues

BOLTON manager Gary Megson insisted yesterday that Chelsea will not land transfer target Nicolas Anelka on the cheap.

The Blues have had their initial £11 million offer rejected and are unlikely to increase it considerably.

Chelsea manager Avram Grant is hoping the deal will be completed by the weekend but defiant Megson claims Bolton should hold out for a better offer and are in no rush to sell the talented Frenchman.

Megson said: “If Nic goes, it has to be for the right value. There are few Anelkas about and very few at the kind of money that they are talking about.

“Any deal has to suit three parties: the buying club, the selling club and the player but, from our point of view, what is unequivocal is that we all want Nic to stay.

“The situation has not moved on in terms of anything between the two clubs. Nic was in yesterday and we have spoken about it and agreed there is not a massive amount either he or I can do.

“It is between the two clubs and whether they can get an agreement. I am still hopeful that they cannot.”

Anelka has made it clear to Bolton that he wants to join Chelsea and play in the Champions League once more.

But Wanderers want at least £15m for his services and Chelsea may look elsewhere if Bolton refuse to budge.

Anelka has three and a half years left to run on his contract and Bolton are hopeful that Chelsea’s striking crisis may force them to increase their offer.

Chelsea face Tottenham at Stamford Bridge at the weekend with the possibility of Claudio Pizarro being their only fit senior striker again because Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou are on international duty at the African Nations’ Cup with Ivory Coast and Andriy Shevchenko is still injured.

Meanwhile, Everton captain Phil Neville has accused foreign players of bringing a dangerous brand of tackling to English football.

Neville was on the receiving end of a Mikel John Obi lunge during the first leg of their Carling Cup semi-final which earned the Chelsea player a red card in the 55th minute.

Chelsea’s 10 men eventually won the first leg tie 2-1 but Neville said: “I think he went for the ball. It was probably with his studs showing, but foreigners tend to tackle like that.

“I don’t think it was with any malice, but you cannot do that. That is the type of tackle we want out of our game.”