| Chelsea During the summer of 2005, there were persistent reports that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich offered a record sum of €85 million (£56.7 million) and striker Hernán Crespo to A.C. Milan in exchange for Shevchenko. Milan refused the monetary offer but took Crespo on loan. Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon was quoted as saying, "I think Shevchenko is the type of player we would like. At the end of the day to improve what we have got, it has to be a great player and Shevchenko certainly comes into that class." Meanwhile, Shevchenko repeatedly denied that he wanted to leave, claiming that he wanted to become a Milan legend like Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini.[citation needed] But on 11 May 2006, Shevchenko publicly announced that he would be leaving the club after all, to join the Premier League holders. On May 14, 2006, during the last Serie A encounter between Milan and Roma, Shevchenko watched the first half in the stands with Milan supporters; two weeks later, he left Milan for Chelsea for a Chelsea record fee of £30 million beating Michael Essien's transfer fee a year earlier. The fee was disclosed on the team after the 2006 World Cup. He received the number seven shirt, as Chelsea coach José Mourinho said that Shevchenko could continue wearing it. Shevchenko made his debut for Chelsea on August 13, 2006 in the FA Community Shield, scoring his side's goal in a 2–1 loss to Liverpool. On August 23, he scored his first FA Premier League goal — and his 300th in top-flight and international football — in a 2–1 loss to Middlesbrough. He scored goals sporadically throughout the season, including crucial equalisers against FC Porto and Valencia CF in the UEFA Champions League and another against Tottenham Hotspur to help take his side into the FA Cup semi-finals. He finished with a total of 14 from 51 games. During the campaign he netted his 57th career goal in European competitions, leaving him 2nd in the all-time European goalscorers list, behind Gerd Muller. Shevchenko's 2006–07 season was cut short due to injury and a hernia operation. He missed the Champions League semi-finals against Liverpool and the FA Cup Final against Manchester United at the new Wembley Stadium on May 19, 2007. Shevchenko has vowed that he will find his true form in the 2007–08 season, reiterating his desire to remain in London despite interest from Milan president Adriano Galliani to bring Shevchenko back to Italy. Despite it, rumors are speculating that AC Milan are close to bringing back Shevchenko to AC Milan, with his wife stating that she "misses Italy" and that she "wants to go back home." Dynamo Kyiv revealed they wanted to sign Shevchenko on loan. Shevchenko was handed his first start of the 2007-08 season against Blackburn Rovers at home to cover for the injured Didier Drogba. However, the game finished goalless. His first goal of the season came three days later in a match against Rosenborg BK, on September 18, 2007. Shevchenko was in and out of the team following the appointment of Avram Grant, scoring two Premier League goals against Man City and Sunderland.He also scored goals in Carling Cup one against Leicester City 4-3 victory and a superb finish against Liverpool in 2-0 victory both at Stamford Bridge.On 26th December, 2007 he played arguably his best match for Chelsea, against Aston Villa scoring two, and setting up another, gaining him man of the match recognition. International career Shevchenko has 79 caps and 36 goals for the Ukraine national team, whom he represented at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He scored his first international goal in May 1996, in a friendly against Turkey, at Samsun. In March 2000, Dynamo manager Valeri Lobanovsky became the Ukraine coach, with the aim to qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals. Shevchenko scored 10 goals in the qualifiers, but Ukraine failed to qualify after losing a play-off against Germany. In the Euro Cup 2008 qualifiers, scoring five goals.
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