The initial reports that Gary Cahill wanted around £ 100,000 a week has not been proved untrue, as the England international has signed a contract worth around £ 80,000 per week. He has signed a five-year contract with the club, and it is surely a massive investment on the part of Chelsea, as they could cost around £ 30 million in total during the length of his contract.
“Chelsea is a massive club that looks to win trophies season in, season out. This is the right move for me at the right time. It is a big opportunity for me to be a part of that. Opportunities like this you can’t turn down,” he said after signing the deal.
A niggling issue is the fact that Chelsea paid £ 7 million for a player whose contract runs out in the summer. Chelsea could have got him for nothing in the summer, but have in fact ended up paying 50% of his transfer value. Surely, this sounds like bad business for Chelsea.
However, homegrown players certainly do not come cheap and the fact that he is only 26 years old sweetens the deal further. Chelsea seem to have made this investment on the assumption that Brazilian defender Alex would be sold in the next couple of weeks. QPR, however, seem to be the only club interested in the 29-year-old.
Our neighbours seem to have tabled a £ 3.5 million bid, which could prove interesting if they step it up to £ 5 million. Based on this transfer fee, Chelsea would be spending only £ 2 million on a player who is also much younger.
Cahill is also a tennis fan, and there is no doubt that he will be looking forward to the 2012 Australian Open. He would be watching live Australian Open as a Chelsea player for the first time.
