Chelsea to Sign Malouda

According to the Premier League's official website, Chelsea and French giant Lyon have agreed to a deal which would bring Florent Malouda to Chelsea. The move, a $27 million US, £13.5 million pounds UK, has been confirmed by both a statement on Chelsea's website and Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas:

"It (the deal) is brilliant and it is good news for Flo," Aulas told OLTV, the French champions’ own television station.

The addition of the 27-year old French midfielder now gives the London side a glut of players who are capable of playing on the wing. Arjen Robben, Shaun Wright-Phillips, and Joe Cole have all played many a game on the outside and with Chelsea's formation being what it is (4-3-3, which often turns into a 4-5-1), it's most likely that only two of the now four players would start a game. Shaun Wright-Phillips seems to be the one who's out of favor with Chelsea's management and thus could be on the way out. Malouda has made 28 appearances for France, scoring 3 goals, but had a breakout World Cup in 2006. His performance raised his value considerably and he's now cashing in on his hard work.

Updated Tuesday, July 10: Chelsea and Lyon reached an agreement that will send an undisclosed fee Lyon's way and Malouda to London. He passed a physical yesterday and will now fly to Los Angeles to join his new squad for a three-game preseason tour of the US, headlined by their game against David Beckham's LA Galaxy.