Ballack denies he has signed for Chelsea

Germany's captain Michael Ballack denied a British newspaper report that he had agreed to join English Premiership champions Chelsea.

Germany's captain Michael Ballack denied a British newspaper report that he had agreed to join English Premiership champions Chelsea.

The Daily Mail had reported that Chelsea, who are owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, had secured Ballack's agreement when the Bayern Munich midfielder visited London on two occasions in January.

"I have not signed anything and I was also not in London," Ballack said in a written statement read out by German football federation spokesman Harald Stenger in Florence, where Germany are playing Italy in a friendly on Wednesday.

Ballack's agent Michael Becker also dismissed the story, the latest in a string of reports linking him with a new club.

"All this is becoming boring and tiring. I can only say that Michael has not signed anywhere," Becker told the online version of Der Spiegel magazine.

The Daily Mail said Chelsea had agreed to make Ballack, 29, the world's highest-paid player with a weekly salary of 121,000 pounds (177,600 euros, 210,900 dollars) once his contract runs out at Bayern at the end of the season.

It said he and Becker were impressed by Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho and officials from the Premiership leaders when they visited London in January.

Ballack is available on a free transfer and has been at liberty to talk to other clubs since January after refusing to sign a four-year contract extension at Bayern.

The Mail claimed Chelsea had agreed to delay an announcement on Ballack's capture for as long as possible for fear of placing the midfielder in a difficult position should they clash with Bayern in the latter stages of the Champions League.

According to the tabloid, Mourinho was understood to have nominated Ballack as a potential recruit rather than David Beckham, the highly marketable England captain and Real Madrid midfielder reportedly favoured by Blues chief executive Peter Kenyon, who knows him well from his time at Manchester United.

Ballack is one of the highest-profile players contracted to wear the products of German sportswear manufacturer Adidas.

Chelsea are switching their kit supplier from Umbro to Adidas next season in an eight-year deal worth 100 million pounds.

European giants Juventus, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Inter Milan have all been linked with his signature.

Bayern have not given up hope on persuading Ballack to stay at the club but have been growing frustrated at the delay in his decision.

Ballack, who played a key role in Germany's run to the 2002 World Cup final, joined Bayern from Bayer Leverkusen in a 12.9 million euro (15.3 million dollar) deal in July that year.