Chelsea in £27m move for Real's Robinho

Chelsea have bid £27million for Real Madrid winger Robinho, according to reports in Spain.

New manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has targeted the 24-year-old to help bring to Stamford Bridge the flair that owner Roman Abramovich wants.

Scolari knows Robinho well as he was emerging as a young talent in Brazil during his reign as coach.

The player's agent, Wagner Ribeiro, claimed he met chief executive Peter Kenyon for talks in May, although it was seen at the time as a bid to try to get a better contract out of Real.

And despite Robinho confirming he has received an offer from Chelsea he admits his first choice is to stay at the Bernabeu, as long as they improve his £30,000-a-week wages. Real would want around £35m for the player as they try and raise funds to secure Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United.

Meanwhile, Chelsea have failed to persuade Ricardo Carvalho to stay according to the player lined up to replace him. Brazilian defender Alcides, who has been on loan at PSV Eindhoven for the last 18 months, is set to report for pre-season training next week and he insists it's because Carvalho is leaving the club.

Carvalho has been strongly linked with a move to Inter Milan, where he would be reunited with former manager Jose Mourinho.

Chelsea were planning to hold contract talks with the Portugal international, who has only just started his summer break due to his involvement in Euro 2008, in a few weeks but Alcides claims the club have already given up.