No Chelsea plans for Fergie, says Bates

Chelsea chairman Ken Bates has dismissed suggestions that Sir Alex Ferguson was approached to manage Chelsea by insisting: “We wouldn’t try to sign a 61-year-old”.

The report that Ferguson was headhunted to replace Claudio Ranieri by the London club following the arrival of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich surfaced this week.

But Bates maintains there is no plan to replace Ranieri, far less instal Ferguson in his place.

Bates told ITV1’s On the Ball: “That would be unfair to Claudio Ranieri. Without being unkind, we wouldn’t try to sign a 61-year-old.”

Ferguson has already pointed out that he is unlikely to be tempted south anyway.

He told the Manchester Evening News: “I am manager of Manchester United and it would be something absolutely catastrophic for me to leave the club. My whole life is Manchester United.

“When you become manager of this club you get woven into the fabric of the place.”