Chelsea Reject Van Basten Speculation

Chelsea and the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) have moved to deny speculation they have offered the manager's job to anyone other than Avram Grant. Reports today suggested the club had spoken to the Holland coach Marco van Basten about becoming the long-term successor to Jose Mourinho, who left Stamford Bridge last week.

The former director of football, Grant, was installed in the aftermath of the Portuguese's departure and, having lost 2-0 in his first match at Old Trafford, takes the team to Hull in the Carling Cup tonight.

"Contrary to media reports this morning, Chelsea totally refute that the job of manager or first team coach has been offered to any individual other than Avram Grant," read a club statement. "No one at Chelsea has been authorised to speak to any individual about the post, either by the board or the owner. Also any suggestion that any team plans or arrangements have been changed due to representations from players is also totally false. Chelsea is considering its position regarding further action in light of these reports."

KNVB spokeswoman Anja van Ginhoven added that Chelsea had not been in touch about offering Van Basten the job. "Van Basten will talk to the Dutch FA at the end of the year about a new contract or leaving after Euro 2008," she revealed.

Meanwhile, rumours that the Chelsea striker Didier Drogba is a January transfer window target of Real Madrid have been dampened by the Spanish club's director of football Predrag Mijatovic. Drogba, famously tearful about the departure of Mourinho, is thought be unhappy about the appointment of Grant at Stamford Bridge but, according to Mijatovic, his age could be an obstacle in any proposed move to Madrid.

"Drogba is a current Chelsea player and I think it would be difficult to persuade his club to let him go," said Mijatovic. "However, totally independent of the situation at Chelsea you have to accept that he's 29 turning 30 and that needs to be taken into consideration for us."