Trezeguet is Chelsea target

While Juve are determined to retain a player who has averaged a goal every two games since he signed for them for £23m from Monaco three years ago, Chelsea have been given encouragement by the player's representatives that he would be willing to make the switch.

Trezeguet is furious that - despite his contribution to the two Serie A titles and the Champions League runners-up spot achieved since he joined - he remains one of the lowest paid players at the club on £1.5million per season.

Juve indicated they would extend and upgrade his contract last summer, only to renege on the offer at the last moment in favour of striking a new deal with Alessandro del Piero instead for £6.5m a year.

Parity with the Italy international is the demand which has been made by Trezeguet's father Jorge, who is his agent, but so far Juve have failed to open talks on a new deal. Chelsea are willing to better any offer made by his current club.

Ideally, manager Claudio Ranieri would want the player in the January transfer window but Chelsea are prepared to wait until the summer when they will offload Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink by virtue of freedom of contract and make Eidur Gudjohnsen available for transfer.

Trezeguet may be one of five new players Chelsea want over the next seven months, with one other striker, a central defender and a full back for either flank sought in a spree of up to £100m.

The club's acting chief executive Paul Smith surprised the club's directors yesterday, however, when he apparently made public comments about what the recruitment policy will be.

Smith, who will be replaced by former Manchester United chief executive Peter Kenyon next month, was reported to have put forward the name of Ruud van Nistelrooy as a player Chelsea would consider buying.

'If Pele was on the market today for £100m then we'd maybe go for him, but we won't pay £30m for Joe Nobody,' Smith was reported to have said. ' If Ruud van Nistelrooy was priced at £60m and we considered it a good investment, then we would probably pay that. It's not about the fee but about getting good value. We want the right quality and the right value.'

An official statement from the club denying any interest in United's Holland striker quickly followed, causing embarrassment to Smith who is thought to be moving to take up a new role as head of marketing at the club once Kenyon moves in.

Smith, who is given his instructions about transfer business by Abramovich's trusted aides, did admit that a realistic budget was set for each player targeted by the club. He said: 'We do care about the money and it's a misconception that we don't.

'There's not a finite budget but we want to get good value. Roman is a businessman and is determined not to be ripped off. We won't pay the tourist price.'