Montreal Impact ‘doing everything’ to keep Didier Drogba as Chelsea line up move

Didier Drogba was at Stamford Bridge to watch Chelsea beat Sunderland on Saturday. Dylan Martinez / Reuters

Struggling Premier League champions Chelsea have held talks with Montreal Impact over Didier Drogba, the Major League Soccer team has said.

British media reported earlier this month that Chelsea’s billionaire owner Roman Abramovich was keen to offer Drogba a position on the team’s coaching staff.

“We are currently in contact with Didier Drogba and Chelsea FC,” Montreal Impact said on its Twitter page on Wednesday. “We are doing everything we can to have him back with the Impact in 2016.

“We understand his (Drogba) attachment to his former club and his desire to help them. We are willing to accommodate him.”

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The Canadian team said they were working to get Drogba back for the next season but the situation was out of their control.

Drogba joined Montreal Impact in July after two stints with Chelsea, and spells in between at China’s Shanghai Shenhua FC and in Turkey with Galatasaray.

The Ivorian was in the stands during Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Sunderland last weekend, along with interim manager Guus Hiddink.

“I worked with him five or six years ago and I was delighted to have such a professional in the squad,” Hiddink told British media on Wednesday.

“The official process (on Drogba) I do not know, but I spoke openly from the bottom of the heart that such impact players can be huge for the club,” he added.

Chelsea are 15th after 17 games and face seventh-placed Watford on Saturday.

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