Chelsea admit Ayala interest

Claudio Ranieri is a fan of the Argentinian stopper and fancied adding him to his star-studded line-up at Stamford Bridge.

The West London side have admitted going to take a look at Ayala in action but say that any interest in him has now cooled because he can not feature in the Champions League.

Chelsea's acting chief executive Paul Smith confirmed that they were interested in signing Ayala, and watched him in action, but are now only interested in signing players who can help out with their Champions League campaign.

"We like Ayala and had a look at him but unfortunately he's cup-tied after playing in the Uefa Cup," said Smith.

"We want players who are available for our Champions League campaign. We're looking to strengthen the midfield as Frank Lampard and Claude Makelele are looking a bit tired.

"If Petit and Veron were fit there wouldn't be a problem and we need to know when they'll be back."