Betis snub Blues' Joey offer

The Icelandic ace impressed during a loan spell at Villa Park in the second half of last season and The Blues were keen to offer him a return to The Premiership.

Villa had previously been in the driving seat to sign Gudjonsson permanently but a change in manager has stalled their bid for the youngster.

With new Villa boss David O'Leary still mulling over whether to keep Gudjonsson, Chelsea launched a bid to hijack the 23-year-old.

Gudjonsson caught the eye of Blues chief Claudio Ranieri during the meeting between the clubs in April and the Italian wanted to add the Icelandic international to his ranks.

But Betis, who paid £5 million for the midfielder, rejected Chelsea's bid for Gudjonsson, leaving Ranieri frustrated in his efforts to bolster his squad ahead of a Champions League challenge.

"Chelsea were strong candidates for the player but they failed to complete the transfer," said Betis president Manuel Ruiz de Lopera.

"I know Claudio Ranieri quite well and he's told me how disappointed he is with this outcome."