Chelsea are ready to cash in on defender Alex.

The Observer says Chelsea central defender Alex will be allowed to leave the club if a sufficiently generous offer is received from one of the Brazilian's suitors. The club was angered by Alex stating his desire to move elsewhere to a Brazilian television station on Tuesday night, particularly as he had not lodged a formal transfer request.

Luiz Felipe Scolari, however, has been told he must sell or swap players to raise funds for the recruitment of the additional attacker he considers critical to Chelsea's title challenges, and though Alex has performed creditably when called on he is neither central to the first team nor irreplaceable.