August 06, 2006	Sunday	Rajab 10, 1427

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ROME, Aug 5: Chelsea striker Hernan Crespo has admitted he wants to leave the English Premiership champions.

The 31-year-old Argentina international, who has played in Serie A for Parma, Lazio, Inter Milan and AC Milan, is desperate to return to Italy despite having two years left on his Chelsea contract.

“I would like to go back to Italy because I like the life there and I love Italian football,” Crespo told Gazzetta dello Sport.

“I put my trust in my (my agent Fernando) Hidalgo and I leave it to him to sort things out.

“My contract runs out in 2008, but on Monday I will be at Stamford Bridge to team up with Chelsea. Then we will see.”

Crespo, who has just taken Italian citizenship, is reported to be attracting interest from AC Milan, with whom he spent the 2004-05 season on loan from Chelsea.

He scored two goals in the Champions League final of that season which Milan lost to Liverpool on penalties.

Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho revealed on Friday that the club had received offers for Crespo.

“Crespo is a situation that we all have to solve together,” he said.

“He started the situation by saying publicly 20 times last season that he would like to go back to Italy. I think he has to end this situation. We've had offers, neither good or bad.”

Crespo signed for Chelsea in August 2003 for a fee of 16.8 million pounds (US$21.6 million).

—AFP