Chelsea have completed the £7.5m transfer of Emannuel Petit from Barcelona with the Frenchman signing a three-year contract. The former Arsenal star is the latest in a string of summer signings by the London club. Boss Claudio Ranieri recently secured the services of Frank Lampard from West Ham for £11m and William Gallas from Marseille for £6.2m.
Chelsea had confirmed to the press yesterday that they had signed a pre-contract agreement with Barcelona and the Frenchman, ending all speculation about Petit's future. Their revelation came after rumours at the weekend linking Petit with a move to Old Trafford. The London club had agreed to keep details of the deal quiet until after the Spanish season ended so as to not interfere with Barcelona's quest to qualify for next season's Champions League competition.
Petit himself revealed his intentions on his official website today. "I have received offers in the last few months from everywhere but I didn't want to go to Italy nor return to France and London is a town I adore. Chelsea have been monitoring my situation for a long time. They were not the first club to show an interest but their approach was very clear and quick. They didn't beat about the bush and that attitude pleased me," he said.
Petit also revealed at a news conference at Stamford Bridge today that he feels Chelsea will be challenging for top honours next season and that he believes Manchester United's tight grip of the Premiership trophy could be weakening. "I think it's going to be more difficult this year for Manchester United and I think the Premier League will be more open than in the past few years. I think we have a big opportunity to fight for the title," insisted the French international.
Filed by Amanda Fennelly
