BY THE time they leave the pitch away to Bolton Wanderers this evening, Chelsea expect to have been confirmed as champions of England for the first time in half a century, but any notion of resting on laurels was dismissed emphatically yesterday as they illustrated their long-term planning by lining up a deal for Javier Mascherano, the outstanding young Argentina midfield player, who will join them after next year’s World Cup finals.

Sources at Stamford Bridge revealed last night that an agreement had been reached with Corinthians over the signing of Mascherano, even though the 21-year-old is not scheduled to join the Brazilian club from River Plate until this summer. The deal is certain to increase suspicions about links between Roman Abramovich and Corinthians, who have spent heavily since being taken over by a London-based consortium in mysterious circumstances this season, but, for now, it is likely only to inspire fear at Arsenal and Manchester United, both of whom have been impressed by Mascherano’s development.

Chelsea’s success in securing the acquisition of Mascherano, who will command a transfer fee in excess of £10 million, will lessen the urgency of their pursuit of Steven Gerrard, but suggestions that they have dropped their interest in the Liverpool captain have been denied. It has emerged that José Mourinho has told his board that Mascherano is a better player and a more important target than Gerrard — whose commitment, taken for granted three weeks ago, they now consider less certain — but the England player remains high on Chelsea’s shopping list along with João Alves, a relatively obscure midfield player from Sporting Braga, of Portugal.

Nevertheless, reports that Mourinho had dropped his interest in Gerrard, saying he was “not worth” the proposed £30 million fee, were eagerly digested yesterday by Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, particularly with regard to their European Cup semi-final second leg against Chelsea at Anfield on Tuesday. “We want to prepare a good team for the future with Steven Gerrard,” Benítez said. “If he stays with us next season, we will be stronger. And if Chelsea say they don’t want him, maybe he will have a challenge to win trophies next Tuesday.”

Before they can contemplate Tuesday’s trip to Anfield, though, Chelsea are eager to pick up the victory that will secure the Premiership title at the Reebok Stadium tonight.

Their coronation was delayed by Arsenal’s victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Monday and Mourinho, though he has always expressed a preference for securing the championship on home soil, is eager to have the issue resolved before Tuesday’s second leg, which is why he is reluctant to rest too many of the players who looked tired in the 0-0 first-leg draw against Liverpool on Wednesday.

Sir Alex Ferguson stated with conviction yesterday that Chelsea would not secure the title at the Reebok Stadium — and not just because of his long-held theory that Mourinho’s team would “find it hard to win games in the North”. “They won’t win it tomorrow,” the Manchester United manager said. “I would imagine he (Mourinho) will play quite a few of his reserves.

“Irrespective of when they do it, they are worthy winners this season. It’s hard to win this league. It’s the hardest league in the world, I think, and, if you win it, you deserve credit.”

Ferguson also entered the debate over whether or not Liverpool should be admitted to the Champions League next season if they win the tournament but are beaten to fourth place in the Premiership by Everton.

The competition’s regulations appear to make provisions for such an outcome, saying that the fourth-placed team would drop into the Uefa Cup, but this course of action would have to be requested by the Football Association, whose Professional Game Board is expected to vote against it if the issue remains open after next week’s second leg against Chelsea. “I would have thought anyone who won the Champions League should go into it the next year,” Ferguson said. “It would be a pity if they didn’t.”

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