Hasselbaink likely to stick with Blues

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink looks set to remain a Chelsea player for the rest of this season after the Blues insisted there are no plans to visit Barcelona to hold talks on his future.

Hasselbaink had again been linked with possible interest from Barcelona, with the Spanish club reported to have met Chelsea chief executive Trevor Birch last week at the Nou Camp with a view to reaching a £7m (€10.6m) deal.

However, while Chelsea have not actually denied holding talks with Barcelona over Hasselbaink, Birch has made it clear that he never travelled to Spain – and has no intention of doing so.

He told the Evening Standard: “I neither went to Barcelona nor have I any plans to go.”

With Barcelona also having now stressed they are not planning to sign any players before the transfer window shuts at the end of this month, it is now looking increasingly likely that Hasselbaink will remain at Stamford Bridge.

The 14-day notice period given to Chelsea keeper Mark Bosnich following his positive drugs test expired today, meanwhile, meaning that he is no longer employed by the club.

Bosnich is likely to contest Chelsea’s move but he must first fight a Football Association misconduct charge, with a hearing set to take place in the next couple of weeks.