Chelsea have completed the €24-million euro transfer of French midfielder Claude Makelele from Real Madrid, the English Premiership side said on Monday on the club’s website.
The move appeared threatened on Sunday when the player’s agent, Marc Roger, said the deal might not go ahead because Real were refusing to give the player his slice of the transfer fee.
Chelsea did not say on their website whether the player had been paid his 15% cut.
Chelsea said the player signed less than 12 hours before the Champions League qualifying deadline.
”The 30-year-old has signed a four-year contract, moving for an undisclosed fee. He immediately set off to join up with the France squad who are playing Cyprus and Slovenia,” Chelsea said on their website.
Before going Makelele told Chelsea TV: ”Everybody is talking about Chelsea. Real Madrid is no different to anyone. Everybody is talking about the ambition of the London club.”
The 30-year-old midfielder went on strike last month in protest at Madrid’s refusal to increase his salary of €1,2-million, which he claimed was a fifth of what the likes of Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham earn.
He was expected to triple his wages at Chelsea, who have now spent about €160-million this summer on new stars since Russian oil billionaire Roman Abramovich took over in July.
Chelsea chief executive Trevor Birch said Makelele was their last signing.
”Thats it. No more. Weve finished,” he said.
Makelele will take the number four shirt at Chelsea. — Sapa-AFP