CHELSEA are poised to step up their interest in Blackburn Rovers striker Chris Sutton.

The cash rich Premiership side have already indicated their interest in the Ewood man, who is available to leave Ewood through a contractual get out clause if an offer of £12 million is made.

That initial contact has not been followed up with a firm bid and Rovers would would be willing to do business at £10 million.

But Sutton remains a prized asset and the club are unlikely to drop much below that figure.

Chief executive John Williams said today: "Chelsea might be interested but there has been no firm interest.

"I do not detect that the absence of an offer means either one thing or another. I think it is just a matter of timing.

"But Chris has got a market value and we will look at each offer on its merit."

Williams denied that Sutton had already said his goodbyes to Brockhall staff.

The £3million capture of France's World Cup winning captain Didier Deschamps is a further sign of Chelsea's intention to make a big impression in the Champions League next season.

The 30-year-old midfielder is the latest name in an impressive cast list of internationals making a career for themselves at Stamford Bridge.

Deschamps joins fellow World Cup '98 winners Marcel Desailly and Frank Leboeuf as well as the Italian internationals Gianfranco Zola and Pierluigi Casiraghi in Gianluca Vialli's squad.

Chelsea believe their squad will be strong enough to cope with the rigours of a Premiership campaign and the Champions League assault.

But the club's managing director Colin Hutchinson has pledged that the Londoners are intent on making more big signings before the start of the season.

Chelsea have already signed Mario Melchiot, a versatile defender or midfielder, on a free transfer from Ajax and are known to be in the market for a big name striker.

Hutchinson completed the Deschamps deal while on holiday in Cyprus and he has set up a special office in his hotel to work on other transfer negotiation. Hutchinson said: "I think there will be quite a bit of activity coming in and, to a lesser extent, going."

Elsewhere, Celtic are understood to be in talks with Chelsea keeper Dmitri Kharine with a view to securing the player's services under the Bosman ruling.

The Scottish giants had been linked with available Ewood keeper Tim Flowers and Rovers have yet to receive any firm interest in their number two keeper.

The Russian international is out of contract at Stamford Bridge where he has been relegated to the sidelines because of the form of Ed De Goey.

Kharine is reported to have met with Parkhead officials in Glasgow last night and, subject to a medical, a deal could go through later today.

The 30-year-old would be new head coach John Barnes' second signing after the £2million arrival of Bulgarian midfielder Stilian Petrov.

Rovers have also furthered talks with Martin Dahlin's agent with a view to setting up an outgoing deal before the Swedish striker returns for training.

The deadline for securing season tickets by direct debit is June 26.

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