The Independent reports:
‘Chelsea yesterday dismissed the claim of the Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas that they face competition from Manchester United and Arsenal for the signature of Michael Essien and have indicated that owner Roman Abramovich has no intention of entering the negotiations for the Ghanaian midfielder.
‘The longest transfer saga of the summer took another turn yesterday when Aulas claimed that both United and Arsenal had entered the bidding process for the 22-year-old who has already been the subject of one failed bid of £21m from the Premiership champions. The Lyons president has fought long and hard to obtain a price from Chelsea closer to the £32m he believes they offered for Steven Gerrard and has gone to great lengths to undermine chief executive Peter Kenyon.
‘Already Lyon have accused Jose Mourinho of keeping in regular contact with Essien despite the two clubs failing to reach an agreement for the player and Kenyon is even understood to have been abandoned in a restaurant by Aulas after breaking off from the club's tour of America to travel to France to finalise the deal. Yesterday Aulas raised the stakes by claiming that the player was also a serious target for United and Arsenal.
‘He said: "It is tedious to lose one of the best players in Europe but he has not left yet. We can still find a compromise so that he only leaves next year. Chelsea will have to show themselves to be very persuasive for us to let him leave.
‘"Manchester [United] want him just as much. This Essien story does not weary me. Perhaps it will be solved on 1 September and not on 31 July. I have more resistance than some people have imagined. The more Chelsea wait, the more they will be put in difficulty, not just compared to Lyon, but also compared to another English club which has just lost a defensive midfielder."’
Meanwhile the Guardian claim we have signed Ballack, and that he will join next season:
‘Manchester United have put in place a deal that will see Michael Ballack add his considerable presence to the Premiership and replace Roy Keane as the leader of their midfield - but not until the start of the 2006-07 season.
‘Ballack wants to leave Bayern Munich after one final season in the Bundesliga and the preliminary details of a free transfer have been provisionally agreed for him to sign a pre-contract agreement at Old Trafford next January.
‘United believe they have a gentleman's agreement in place and, although that involves an element of risk, Ferguson and his chief executive David Gill have received firm assurances that Old Trafford is Ballack's preferred destination.
‘United can cite two reasons for not trying to bring Ballack to England a year earlier. The first is that Ferguson still believes Keane can be a dominant presence for one more season and that, despite their recent altercation about pre-season training arrangements, he does not go along with the tide of feeling that Keane can no longer hold his own at the highest level.
‘Of greater significance to the Glazer family, however, is the fact that Ballack will be a free agent this time next year whereas it would require a bid of around £8m, if not more, to tempt Bayern to sell their most inspirational player now rather than losing him for nothing in 12 months' time.’
‘It is a calculated gamble on United's part that leaves them vulnerable to Bayern trying to persuade Ballack to sign a new contract. The midfielder, who will be 29 in September, is so highly regarded at the Olympiastadion it is inconceivable that Bayern's management will not make a concerted attempt to keep him at the club.’