Chelsea closes in on £23m Brazil striker Neymar
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Rom closes in on £23m Neymar
HOT PROPERTY ... Neymar is toast of BrazilCHELSEA have made a fresh swoop for Brazil striker Neymar.The Blues missed out on the Santos star last summer, having a £19million bid rejected.
But this time the Stamford Bridge side are confident of closing a £23m deal with the Brazilian outfit.
Billionaire Blues owner Roman Abramovich has made capturing the exciting forward a top priority and is now set to speak directly to Neymar, 19, to convince him to come to London.
A Chelsea source said: "Roman is ready to get personally involved to clinch the signing of Neymar.
"He's aiming to talk with him next month to prove how much he is wanted."
The Neymar news will now lead to more speculation about strike duo Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka. Both have been tipped to leave in the wake of the £50m January arrival of Fernando Torres from Liverpool.
Guus Hiddink last night urged Chelsea to make him a firm offer to return to Stamford Bridge.
The Dutchman revealed he has remained in contact with Abramovich since his first spell as Blues boss in 2009. He said: "There is a lot of speculation about Chelsea. But if there was a concrete offer, I would think about it."
Hiddink, 64, insists that he remains committed to his job as Turkey chief yet admits everything could change if he loses next Friday's Euro 2012 qualifier in Belgium.
He added: "If we lose I can imagine they'd say it would be better for me to quit."