There you have it. Ballack’s come out and said that while there’s nothing signed, he is set on joining Chelsea this summer. Nothing new, but it sets a clear benchmark for what Man Utd and the other teams have to do in order to shore up their squads. Even if you allow for players like Gudjohnsen (who is probably coveted by United, although that’s doubtful), Crespo (Milan, SWP (City) and Duff (who knows?) to leave, Chelsea still have enough strength to be favorites next season.

And if that wasn’t enough, Shevchenko has jumped on Abramovich’s money train and is talking about leaving Milan. The spin is gentle - his regard for the family comes above everything else and of course, thinking about money at this stage is absurd - but generally ineffective - Chelsea, along with Barcelona, are going to be the team to beat in next year’s Champions League and both Ballack and Shevchenko want to take the shot at that trophy.

And it’s totally not about the money….right.