Chelsea to Appoint Henk ten Cate as Grant
Chelsea is set to appoint Ajax manager Henk ten Cate as first-team coach next week to work alongside manager Avram Grant, the Sun and the Independent said.
Ten Cate, 52, who will sign a three-year contract worth 2.1 million pounds ($4.3 million) a season, will organize coaching while Grant will still have input into team selection and tactics, the Sun said. Ten Cate would work under Grant direction and have considerable influence, the Independent added.
Grant has approved the appointment of the Dutchman, who was assistant manager at Barcelona for three years before taking charge at Ajax in 2006, the Sun added. Ten Cate only has a contract until the end of the season.
Chelsea is unsure whether Grant current assistant Steve Clarke will remain at the club or leave to pursue his own career in management, according to the Independent. It also said ex- England midfielder Jamie Redknapp has been considered by the club for a coaching role.
Grant, originally appointed by Chelsea as its director of football in July, replaced Jose Mourinho as manager on Sept. 20.
KROENKE MEETS ARSENAL BOARD
U.S. billionaire Stan Kroenke, who has built a 12 percent stake in Arsenal, yesterday met all the club board members for a first time, the Times reported.
Kroenke, who owns Colorado-based Major League Soccer, National Hockey League and National Basketball Association teams, was given a two-hour tour of Arsenal Emirates Stadium by Managing Director Keith Edelman, the newspaper said.
Arsenal has been attempting to forge a closer relationship with Kroenke since Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov increased his holding to 23 percent, the Times added.
TRANSFER NEWS
Portsmouth and West Ham are interested in Luton midfielder David Bell, the Sun said. Luton rejected a 500,000-pound bid from Queens Park Rangers for the 23-year-old this season, the newspaper added.
Tags: ajax, appointment, avram grant, cate, chelsea, dutchman, henk, steve clarke, team coach, ten cate