Despite the prevailing wisdom being that Andriy Shevchenko will return to Milan this summer, Chelsea manager Avram Grant remains certain the beleaguered striker will instead stay at Stamford Bridge, Setanta Sports reports.
The Ukraine international has scored just four Premier League goals this season as a string of injuries have ensured that his second campaign in English football has been even more forgettable than his first.
His contribution since his £30 million transfer in the summer of 2006 has been highly disappointing, and Milan are openly courting the player who remains their second highest all-time goalscorer behind 1950s great Gunnar Nordahl.
Rossoneri president Silvio Berlusconi recently spoke of how it is ‘very likely’ that Shevchenko would be returning to the Serie A giants, but Grant is far more circumspect about the chances of the striker leaving London.
“We want to keep the same squad for next year,” said Grant in The Times. “I think he will stay.”
There has also been persistent speculation about Grant’s own future in West London as Blues chairman Bruce Buck proved evasive last week when asked if the Israeli would be remaining in his job.
Having been a shock replacement for Jose Mourinho back in September, Grant has now said: “I have told all my owners that if the club at any stage are not happy they can tell me and I will go.”
