Robben can be big hit in Premiership

PSV Eindhoven chairman Harry van Raaij has insisted that Chelsea’s new £12m (€18m) signing Arjen Robben can make as big an impact on the Barclaycard Premiership as Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Robben today followed in the footsteps of van Nistelrooy and Jaap Stam in making the move from PSV to the Premiership.

However, while his compatriots joined Manchester United, 20-year-old Robben has signed for Chelsea in a long-term deal.

The emerging Holland international, who will arrive at Stamford Bridge this summer, had even visited United’s Carrington training ground amid interest from Alex Ferguson in securing another Dutch capture.

However, van Raaij claimed that United then halved their opening offer for Robben, allowing Chelsea, who recently lost out to Arsenal in the race for emerging Spanish star Jose Reyes, to swoop.

That highlights the growing shift in financial power from Old Trafford to Stamford Bridge, with van Raaij also confirming that Chelsea had bought an option on Brazilian defender Alex.

The PSV chairman said: “We are happy with the transfer price for Arjen as we cannot pay the same salaries as in England, but we are not happy to have lost such an excellent player.

“Arjen and Ruud van Nistelrooy are very different players but they are both excellent players and their characters are certainly comparable.

“Arjen was already playing in the Dutch league by the age of 17. Maybe not in his first year, but in time, he could start to make the same sort of impact as Ruud has done in the Premiership.

“Ruud was 23 or 24 when he went to England but Arjen certainly has the talent to also be a very interesting player in the Premier League.”

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon, who had concluded the deals for van Nistelrooy and Stam while still at Old Trafford, declared: “This is a great signing for Chelsea.

“Arjen is a top quality player who will become a major asset for our club in the years ahead. For his age, he shows great maturity and mental strength to go with his natural footballing skills.

“It’s an excellent example of how Chelsea is appealing to the new wave of European talent and our commitment to bring the best young players to Stamford Bridge as well cultivate the best, young English talent.”

Robben has played both on the left flank and up front for Holland and will provide much-needed back-up to Damien Duff, who has only just returned to the Chelsea side after injury problems.

In 21 appearances this season for PSV, he has found the net seven times, and in his first full season in 2002-03 following his move from FC Groningen, his goal tally was 12.

Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri added: “For me, Arjen Robben will be a fantastic addition to our squad. He is quick, strong, scores goals and makes goals.

“He can do everything. His style is perfect for the Premier League and I am very happy that he wanted to come to us.”

The move for Robben has taken Chelsea’s spending under Roman Abramovich to around £140m (€210.4m) in just eight months, with goalkeeper Petr Cech also set to arrive this summer.

United have clearly been eclipsed as the major financial force in English football, having also missed out on Ronaldinho last summer as they were not prepared to meet the asking price.

As for Robben, van Raaij confirmed: “The point with Manchester United was that they offered us an amount of money and then came back and the amount had been halved.

“Instead, I made the transaction with my friend Peter Kenyon, with whom I also dealt in the transfers of Jaap Stam and Ruud van Nistelrooy, and that made things a lot easier. We trust each other.”

Kenyon’s move to Stamford Bridge has proved one of Abramovich’s most canny signings, with another deal already in place for Brazilian Alex to move to Chelsea in the future after spending two seasons at PSV.

Van Raaij, who played down reports of a formal link-up between the two clubs, confirmed: “We’ve agreed a deal with Chelsea for them to have an option to sign the Brazilian defender Alex, but there are no more deals agreed with them.”

Robben’s arrival puts further pressure on fringe players such as Jesper Gronkjaer, Geremi and Joe Cole, although the England international’s agent dismissed claims that he is set to put in a transfer request.

Agent David Geiss told BBC Sport: “There is no truth in this. There have been no discussions about Joe’s future at Chelsea.”