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Chelsea boost defence, sign Cahill for £7M

Comment: 0 January 17th, 2012

CHELSEA’s backline got a big boost on Monday as Gary Cahill completed his switch to the Blues from Bolton.

The move was the culmination of talks which started 16 days ago as the 26-year-old defender finally signed the deal worth £7 million.

Cahill had already undergone a medical on Saturday after which he immediately saw his new team defeat Sunderland 1-0.

Thus, Cahill became the fifth England international at present in the Blues roster along with skipper John Terry, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Daniel Sturridge.

In praising his new team, Cahill said: “Chelsea is a massive club, it is a club that looks to win trophies season in season out. It’s a big opportunity for me to be a part of that. Opportunities like this you can’t turn down.’’

Cahill, who will wear No. 24 for the Stamford Bridge-based outfit, left Bolton after making 130 appearances and scoring 15 goals, the last of which came in their victory at Everton two weeks ago.

The central defender started his career at Aston Villa as a youth player but it is while playing on loan at Burnley where he tasted his first professional experience.

In 2005, he returned to Villa after a loan stint at Sheffield United. He then moved to Bolton in January 2008 for £5 million.

His initial stint for the Three Lions was in September 2010 when he substituted for Michael Dawson and partnered with Terry as England whipped Bulgaria 4-1. A year later, he scored his first goal for the national side, also against Bulgaria.

Cahill’s five-and-a-half-year-deal with the Blues will earn him £80,000 a week, the fee agreed upon and which was £20,000 less than what the player demanded earlier.

Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas said they signed Cahill to make the squad a better team.

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