Chelsea to offer unsettled Villa star Jan escape route if...
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Chelsea to offer unsettled Aston Villa star Heskey January escape route... if transfer ban scrapped - will Emile become a Blues brother?
Looking into the future: Could Emile Heskey be seen playing for Chelsea in 2010?
Chelsea are set to make a shock January move for unsettled Aston Villa forward Emile Heskey, if the club's transfer ban gets overturned.
Heskey is looking for a move in a bid to seal his World Cup place with England after receiving no assurances from Martin O'Neill about playing in the Villa first-team, while the Blues need cover for when Didier Drogba departs for the Africa Cup of Nations in January.
Several key players in the Stamford Bridge squad are understood to be big fans of the burly attacker and will urge coach Carlo Ancelotti to make the swoop.
Chelsea will lose Michael Essien, John Obi Mikel, Salomon Kalou and Drogba to the Africa Cup of Nations.
Ivory Coast striker Drogba, who has been in awesome form so far this season for the Blues with seven goals, will be particularly missed as he has played a big role in making Ancelotti's tactics work by leading the line with such force.
The Chelsea players see Heskey's physical strength providing ideal cover while Drogba is away from Stamford Bridge and believe he will improve competition for places up front.
Heskey's future is still uncertain despite his statement last week denying he wants to quit Martin O'Neill's side in the January transfer window.
The forward, 31, has started just one League game for Villa this season and is worried about his England future.
Chelsea's ability to get Heskey depends on whether they are successful in overturning FIFA's decision to ban them from signing players until January 2011.
They were punished after being found guilty of inducing Gael Kakuta to break his contract with Lens to join them in 2007.
Chelsea have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and await a decision before Christmas.
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~haha, i dunoe why once i saw this pic, i laughed..