PANUCCI IN AT MONACO - LEBOEUF NEXT?
The Italian defender, whose contract is owned by Internazionale, cuts short his stint at Stamford Bridge to sign a six-month contract with the French champions.
There is an option for a further five years after the latest loan spell, with Monaco ready to pay Inter around £4.67 million for his services, on a permanent basis.
"I decided to come here because I needed to bounce back," said the former Real Madrid star at a press conference.
"I didn`t want to stay at Chelsea, where I was only considered for the bench.
"Obviously, I`m not at my best at the moment, but I feel ready to play next weekend if the coach asks me to.
"I`ve never played in the French league, but I do have a few friends here - like Marco Simone.
"For me, the most important thing in the world is to be back on the pitch.
"Claudio Ranieri was clear with me. He made me understand I was only on loan and it was more important to use players who belong to the club, such as Mario Melchiot.
"Above all, I didn`t want to go back to Inter. In the past, I made a lot of sacrifices to go back to Serie A.
"I left Madrid where I felt very well, to go back to Milan. And, in a few months, I was left out.
"I was on the bench and we led 3-0 with ten minutes left when Lippi asked me: `Are you ready to play?`
"I didn`t reply and I took my tracksuit off, but he didn`t wait for my answer and asked Francesco Colonnese to prepare instead.
"For me, it is a beautiful opportunity to go to Monaco.
"In my career, great clubs have always wanted to sign me. So, without being pretentious, if Monaco want to sign me, they want to be winning titles."
Meanwhile, Leboeuf could be following him to the Principality, after seemingly giving his farewells to the home crowd after the convincing 5-0 FA Cup victory over Peterborough on Saturday.
Biancheri confirmed that the centre back interests the struggling Le Championnat title holders, but the asking price being demanded by Chelsea could be a problem.
Although the 32-year-old denied he had held any discussions with the club, a move is clearly in the pipeline.
Click here for our story concerning Panucci finalising his move on Monday
Click here for our story linking Leboeuf with Monaco
