Chelsea in £20m Ramires raid! Champions bid for Brazilian World Cup midfielder Chelsea have made a £20million move for Benfica's Brazilian World Cup star Ramires.
The Barclays Premier League champions want to head off interest from Bayern Munich and Barcelona and hope a deal can be agreed quickly for the man affectionately known as the 'Blue Kenyan' in Brazil.
Manchester City were reported to have also shown interest in the 23-year-old, but his representatives say they have had no contact and that Ramires sees Chelsea as a 'dream move'.
Chelsea have also bid £17m for Brazilian wonderkid Neymar, but his club Santos want nearer £30m.
The 18-year-old is known to be interested in the transfer, and may force his owners' hand on the matter. Ramires , full name Ramires Santos do Nascimento, has had an impressive first season with Benfica, winning a league and cup double, and shooting to fame at the World Cup after a surprise call from coach Dunga.
His dogged displays and hard-running from a right midfield position caught the eye. Dunga said he was sorely missed after a booking in the fiesty group match with Portugal ruled him out of Brazil's quarterfinal defeat by Holland.
Chelsea made their first enquiry about him before the World Cup, aware Ramires would soon become a target for their rivals, but have now backed that up with a hard offer.
Ramires said: 'My agent has told me that a number of clubs are interested in signing me. We all know that the World Cup is the perfect stage to prove your worth. It would be a dream for me to play for a big club such as Barcelona, Real Madrid or Chelsea.'
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti needs to strengthen his midfield after losing Joe Cole and Michael Ballack, and with Deco due to return to Brazil. Although he has brought in Liverpool's Yossi Benayoun, Ancelotti knows Ramires can give him options in various positions and, crucially, is young enough to improve further. He could also play a role in Ancelotti's ambitious plan to sign compatriot Kaka from Real Madrid.
Ramires earned his nickname 'Blue Kenyan', or Queniano Azul, at Cruzeiro, due to their blue strip and fans saying he had the endurance of a Kenyan marathon runner.
He claims he honed his running skills as a child. 'When I was a kid, I was always running away from my grandmother,' he said. 'If I didn't run, I'd get spanked.'
A box-to-box midfielder with pace, Ramires is strong in the tackle and creates chances, as he did by dribbling through Chile's defence to set up Robinho in Brazil's 3-0 World Cup win. Such displays will soon have the Blues cheering their very own marathon man.
Chelsea have already lost goalkeeper Peter Cech for the start of the season, after he tore a calf muscle in his right leg. The 28-year-old, who was injured in training on Tuesday and is likely to be out for a month, will be replaced by Hilario.
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