Shevchenko in Chelsea frees Di Matteo for Liverpool

Andriy Shevchenko could be the surprise candidate to take over as Chelsea manager.

The £30 million Chelsea flop is being lined up for a coaching role at Stamford Bridge as part of owner Roman Abramovich’s sweeping changes, the Daily Mail reported in an exclusive (https://bit.ly/JikTwT).

Shevchenko, 35, is still a member of the Dynamo Kiev squad, but he has been a regular visitor to Chelsea’s training ground this season.

He has been watching the team train and monitoring methods on a frequent basis as he recovers from injury.

The Ukraine skipper could decide his future at the end of Euro.

His entry into the Chelsea hotseat could free interim manager Roberto di Matteo to ply his trade at Liverpool.

The Liverpool manager saga refuses to rule out any names, from Roberto Martinez, Pep Guardiola, Rafa Benitiz to Andre Villas-Boas.

Now, we add di Matteo to the list.

Liverpool fans themselves are not sure who they will be backing, but seem to doubt that the sacing of Kenny Dalglish was fair.

It is that kind of pressure that makes the job at Anfield very difficult. Dalglish did after all deliver the Carling Cup to Liverpool.

It was not enough.

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Liverpool to lose Suarez, keep Carroll

Liverpool's record signing Andy Carroll may escape the guillotine but Luis Suarez and Martin Skrtel may be on their way out of Anfield.

Recalled England striker Carroll has seen a change in his fortunes in the latter part of the season.

But the club's American owners have launched an austerity drive to offset the loss of failing to qualify for the Champions League for a third successive season.

Fenway Sports Group want to introduce a five-year plan to bring success back to a club that has been plunged into chaos by Kenny Dalglish’s departure. After backing the Kop legend to the tune of £120 million during his 16-month tenure, the Americans are looking for a man to target young, inexpensive talent and bring through graduates from the academy.

The plan to slash the transfer budget is unlikely to impress Suarez and Skrtel when they open talks about new contracts this summer.

Suarez has been targeted by Italian champions Juventus and their rivals AC Milan and has admitted that he would like to experience life in Italy or Spain – while player-of-the-season Skrtel is wanted by Fiorentina, according to the Sunday Mirror.

Liverpool are planning to offer the pair – and defender Daniel Agger – new deals in a bid to block any foreign interest.

Suarez's ambition when he joined from Ajax last year was to see Liverpool win the Champions League.

But Liverpool finished eighth in the Premier League – a massive 37 points behind champions Manchester City and 17 points adrift of the top four.

To add to their woes, the Kop image took a battering when Suarez was found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra.

The incident was partly resonsible for Dalglish's downfall after he staunly defended the controversial striker for his actions.

Little wonder Suarez is looking for an exit strategy and admitted last week that he considered a move out of England.

He said: “I hope to play in Spain in the future because together with the English and Italian leagues, it is the best in the world.”

Juventus are ready to offer the 25-year-old an escape route to Serie A and are willing to pay up to £30m as they look to make an assault on the Champions League, the report added.

Sktrel has resisted Fiorentina’s overtures for the past 12 months, but the Italians are expected to return with an offer of £20m.

The 28-year-old Slovakian centre-back will be unwilling to spend the peak years of his career at a club whose future looks uncertain.

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