Crespo will make 'any sacrifice'

Hernan Crespo, the Chelsea striker on loan at Milan, said yesterday that he is "ready to make any sacrifice" in order to join the Italian club on a permanent basis in the summer.

Hernan Crespo, the Chelsea striker on loan at Milan, said yesterday that he is "ready to make any sacrifice" in order to join the Italian club on a permanent basis in the summer.

The Argentinian, who is on a season-long loan, has impressed while with the Rossoneri. His goals have helped Milan secure joint-top place, with Juventus, in Serie A, and his two strikes against Manchester United in the Champions' League recently secured a 2-0 aggregate victory and a place for his team in the last eight of the tournament.

Crespo admitted he had set his heart on a move back to Italy. "The Milan and Chelsea executives are working in order to reach an agreement," he said. "I believe an agreement will be reached soon. From my point of view I've told them that I am ready to make any sacrifice in order to continue to wear the colours of Milan.

"My dream is to remain at Milan until the end of my career," he added, "but Chelsea is in the middle."

The striker failed to settle at Stamford Bridge after moving to the west London club in the summer of 2003 from Internazionale for a fee of £16.8m.

Crespo's erstwhile colleague, the defender Robert Huth, has underlined his determination to stay at Chelsea despite interest from their Champions' League opponents, Bayern Munich.

Huth, fit again after a string of injuries this season, is adamant that he wants to remain at Chelsea next season because he loves life in London.

The centre-half said: "As far as I am concerned, I want to stay at Chelsea. I love the club and I love the city. Unless the club want to get rid of me, then I want to stay here.

"Of course it is frustrating not playing," he admitted, "but I've improved as a player since Jose Mourinho [the Chelsea manager] took over and since I've been fit from the last injury, I've been playing and that gives me hope.

"It's always been the case for me of showing the new manager what I can do. I think I've done well enough to show him that he can trust me."

Huth knows that he needs to play more first-team games in order to be part of Jürgen Klinsmann's plans as Germany coach for the 2006 World Cup in his homeland. He added: "I'm going to do my best but Mr Klinsmann will be the man to make the final decision."