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Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas |
Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas has refused to rule out further January sales at Chelsea amid reports linking a host of his stars with moves away.
Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda, Salomon Kalou and even Frank Lampard have been tipped to follow Nicolas Anelka - and probably Alex -- out of Stamford Bridge when the transfer window reopens.
And while manager Villas-Boas insisted Chelsea had "no interest' in selling anyone else next month, he admitted it was possible someone could leave.
"If any club comes with an interesting offer, we'll have to consider it,' he said. "But we are proposing is to take on the challenge of the six months ahead with these players.'
Both Malouda and Kalou have been linked with Paris St Germain, who on Friday confirmed former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti as their new manager.
Drogba, who is also a free agent at the end of the season, has already rejected a one-year extension to his Blues deal and he and Kalou are less than two days away from being able to pen a pre-contract agreement with a rival club. Drogba, who was holding out for an additional two years, had declared he would not seek a January move.
But his position has reportedly shifted, with the Ivorian having already been made one lucrative offer to move to China, where three clubs appear to be vying for his signature.
Asked if he was 100% sure Drogba would be at Stamford Bridge when the transfer window closed, Villas-Boas said: "You never know in these cases, because it gets excited in the market, but I would say yes.'
He added: "January arrives and the player is free to start speaking to other people. It's fair to say that he has this advantage on his hands, but his integrity and values will not be questioned if he is picked for the club.'
Villas-Boas claimed none of his players had asked to be allowed to leave in January other than Anelka and Alex, who both had transfer requests accepted.