Kompany will cost Blues €15m

Chelsea have been told they must pay more than £10m (€15m) to prise highly-rated teenage defender Vincent Kompany from Anderlecht – even after allowing him to stay in Belgium for one more season.

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon visited Brussels last month for talks about the 18-year-old defender, who became his country’s second youngest international in February’s friendly against France.

But although reports have indicated that Chelsea have already paid a seven-figure sum to secure first option on Kompany, the Belgian club insists that no deal has yet been struck.

Assistant general manager Robert de Pot warned Chelsea that other clubs, said to include Manchester United as well as leading teams in Spain and Italy, are also interested in the promising centre-back.

He is therefore waiting to hear back from Chelsea whether they wish to continue their policy of signing the best young talents in Europe, having already captured Petr Cech and Arjen Robben for next season.

With Marcel Desailly nearing the end of his career, Chelsea need back-up for John Terry and William Gallas, even if Robert Huth is another emerging young player who is already at the club.

The German was also today told by the Football Association that he will not face disciplinary action after a video review of his clash with Alan Shearer at St James’ Park last weekend.

Anderlecht are meanwhile standing firm on their insistence that Kompany, who signed an improved contract until 2006 last November, will not leave Belgium until the end of next season, a policy with which he is said to be in complete agreement.

Chelsea nevertheless have one advantage – apart from their spending power - as Kompany’s friend, goalkeeper Yves Makaba Makalamby, is already at Stamford Bridge.

De Pot today said: “One month ago, Mr Kenyon came here to talk to us about the possibility of signing Vincent Kompany. We had a good meeting and told him what the conditions would be.

“We said that we wanted the player to remain at Anderlecht for one more season. That is also the wish of the player himself as he doesn’t want to go abroad yet.

“A transfer can be discussed from the end of the 2004-05 season but any club, whether it is Chelsea, Manchester United, AC Milan or Inter Milan, would have to meet our fee.

“That is a big amount but we cannot confirm the figure. It would also be up to the player to decide where – or if – he then wants to go.

“We have heard that there is interest from other clubs but Chelsea are the only club who have come to meet us so far.

“There is no agreement with them yet and we are waiting to hear back from them.”