Ronaldinho Chelsea snub

Manchester United have already had an offer for the player rejected, which was thought to have put Real Madrid in the driving seat.

It is believed that Madrid have currently made the biggest bid, with the Spaniards proposing to allow Ronaldinho to spend next season on loan at PSG as part of the deal. The asking price is reckoned to have passed £20million, when at the start of the summer it was suggested Ronaldinho might be available for half that price.

Perhaps working to PSG's advantage is that Abramovich is now chasing the world's elite players.

Chelsea, meanwhile, were so desperate to keep hold of Gianfranco Zola they considered buying his new club Cagliari to enable the Italian to return to Stamford Bridge.

Zola made a verbal agreement to join the Sardinian club before Roman Abramovich's takeover last week and Chelsea's new owners moved immediately to change his mind.

The 37-year-old striker confirmed yesterday that he had been offered improved terms to stay at Stamford Bridge but it is understood that the club's efforts went much further than simply offering to increase his wages.

When Zola told Chelsea that he would remain true to his word a representative of Abramovich contacted Cagliari to offer a transfer fee for his services.

After offers of £1.25m and £2m were rejected Chelsea inquired how much it would cost to buy the Serie B side as a nursery club, but the approach failed.

A source close to the player said: "Chelsea made two separate offers to Cagliari and even offered to buy the club to get back Gianfranco, but were laughed out of town.

"Only Chelsea would offer £2m for a 37-year-old player."

Zola's agent Fulvio Marrucco refused to comment on the exact nature of the proposed package but revealed that Chelsea did everything they could to win back his client. He said: "Chelsea were desperate-to keep him and would have done almost anything to get a deal."

Unconfirmed reports, meanwhile, claim that manager Claudio Ranieri is considering his future over fears that Abramovich wants to meddle in team selection.

The Russian billionaire revealed at the weekend that involvement in team affairs is "what all the pleasure is about", a disclosure that has not gone down well with Ranieri.

The Italian is reported as saying: "I don't permit interference on the technical side and if something like that were to happen my departure is a sure thing.

"The arrival of Roman Abramovich won't influence my work. Directors have not done so before and nor do I think they will now.

"I've never been told what to do with the team each weekend by a director at any stage of my career. I wouldn't allow that to happen."