Chelsea at deadlock over Didier Drogba as MLS plays hardball

But while Drogba’s club Montreal Impact appear to be resigning themselves to the fact the striker will not be starting next season with them, Major League Soccer are playing hardball over the 37-year-old’s contract.

Unless Drogba announces his playing retirement, Chelsea must come to an agreement with MLS officials to release him a year early from his Montreal deal because it is the league and not the club that hold his contract.

Chelsea are still hopeful of finding an agreement that will let Drogba start work with interim manager Guus Hiddink, but negotiations with MLS have so far been slow and tough.

Drogba was a huge success in his first season at Montreal, scoring 12 goals in 14 MLS games, and the veteran has a bigger worldwide appeal for the league than either Steven Gerrard or Frank Lampard.

Montreal have already admitted that Drogba’s future is out of their hands in a series of messages posted on Twitter shortly before Christmas that read: “We are currently in contact with Didier Drogba and Chelsea FC. We are doing everything we can to have him back with the Impact in 2016.

Drogba celebrates Chelsea scoring against Sunderland with Roman Abramovich

“We understand his attachment to his former club and his desire to help them. We are willing to accommodate him. But our objective is to have him back for another season, as agreed in his contract. This situation is out of our control.”

Despite their problems up front and shortage of fit strikers, there is currently no prospect of Drogba being registered to play for Chelsea and Hiddink clearly sees him as a coach, rather than as a club ambassador.

Speaking about the role Chelsea have lined up for Drogba, Hiddink said: “It might be on the coaching staff. Those guys need to be in the squad helping younger players, all the players, with their huge experience. I'm not in favour of a big ambassador travelling the world in a tie. I think they must give their huge experience to all, especially young kids, but also the older ones when they are in trouble in their career.”

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