Hasselbaink threatens to leave Chelsea in summer

Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink plans to leave Chelsea to seek regular first-team football this summer unless Claudio Ranieri can offer the guarantee of a regular place in his starting line-up.

Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink plans to leave Chelsea to seek regular first-team football this summer unless Claudio Ranieri can offer the guarantee of a regular place in his starting line-up.

The Dutch striker has become increasingly disillusioned by the rotation policy operated by Ranieri. He is no longer assured of a starting place, due to strong competition for places from Eidur Gudjohnsen, Hernan Crespo and Adrian Mutu.

Hasselbaink told the Dutch TV show Studio Sport that it would be his intention to leave Stamford Bridge in the near future unless his personal situation improved. "I have informed the management of the club in December that I will leave the club if I can't play on a more regular basis," said the 31-year-old who cost Chelsea £15m when he joined from Atletico Madrid in June 2000. "I want to play every week."

Hasselbaink will have a year left on his contract at the end of the current season, and he feels there is little prospect of Ranieri changing his unpredictable team selections.

"There is no competition at all. He [Ranieri] makes a lot of changes, but if you play well you can very well be on the bench again the next game."

Leeds, Boavista and Atletico Madrid are among his former clubs, and it has been mooted in Spanish media that La Liga could be the next stop-off in his career, with Barcelona having admired him from afar for several seasons.

The Wigan manager, Paul Jewell, has given his squad a timely lift with the signing of the Bolton midfielder Gareth Farrelly. The 28-year-old Republic of Ireland international has signed a permanent deal that will keep him at the JJB Stadium until the end of the season.

Farrelly has spent loan spells at Burnley and Bradford this season and joins Wigan after his contract at the Reebok Stadium was cancelled by mutual consent.

The former Everton midfielder is a natural left-footer and will provide added competition for places at Wigan, whose promotion aspirations suffered a setback over the weekend with a home defeat by Crewe.