Blues are digging deep to keep JT; CHELSEA TERRY IN TALKS.

Byline: MARTIN LIPTON 

CHELSEA are ready to make John Terry the best-paid player at Stamford Bridge and fend off Manchester City's assault for the England skipper.

Blues captain Terry will meet new boss Carlo Ancelotti (below) for the first time today when he returns from his summer break.

He will also have talks with chief executive Peter Kenyon and the rest of the club's hierarchy as the Blues seek to put an end to the questions over his future.

And Chelsea will up the ante by inviting Terry for talks over a pay rise that would see his earnings rise by around pounds 25,000 per week to pounds 7.7million a season.

Terry is understood to have been unimpressed by Chelsea speaking on his behalf since they admitted receiving a pounds 30m bid from City last week. But Chelsea said that claims he has been left out of the loop are wide of the mark.

Talks will start in earnest after Terry returns to training this morning, with the possibility that the captain may make a statement on the club's Chelsea TV channel to reassure the fans of his longterm commitment.

Chairman Bruce Buck said: "My line as a Chelsea fan, is that I would be devastated if John Terry left Chelsea. Having said that, it's not going to happen. John Terry is synonymous with Chelsea and Chelsea is synonymous with John Terry. He has been here since he was a wee tot, he is the captain of Chelsea, he is the captain of England, he is the backbone of our team, he is not leaving."

Chelsea are ready to meet Terry half-way by offering him more money, but they will not go close to the pounds 300,000 per week on offer from City.

Chelsea also warned Bayern Munich they will not become involved in a bidding war for Franck Ribery.

Bayern claimed to have received a bid for the French winger from a club other than Real Madrid, as European champions Barcelona showed their hand in the market for the first time this summer.

But while Chelsea are still interested in landing Ribery, the Blues will not budge from their pounds 40m valuation, some pounds 29m short of what Bayern want. That leaves the way open for the two Spanish giants to fight over the player, with Chelsea hoping that Real come out on top so they can nip in to land pounds 17m Dutch ace Wesley Sneijder from the Bernabeu outfit.

While new boss Ancelotti would love to land Ribery, a player publicly targeted by skipper Terry, Chelsea will not be held to ransom.

Sneijder, impressive for Holland during Euro 2008 but who is now surplus to requirements following the arrivals of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka, is the new focus of Chelsea's attentions.

The Blues have so far signed three players for the new season and the first of those, former Middlesbrough keeper Ross Turnbull suggested his move could propel him into the England reckoning.

The 24-year-old arrives as back-up to Petr Cech but vowed: "I've not come here to sit on the bench, even though I know it is a big challenge.

"In terms of England, coming to Chelsea will definitely help."

CHELSEA'S PAY LEAGUE

1 John Terry pounds 155,000 a week*

2 Frank Lampard pounds 151,000

3 Michael Ballack pounds 139,000

4 Didier Drogba pounds 120,000

5 Ashley Cole pounds 110,000*

* when new contracts are signed

CAPTION(S):

FORGET ANY WAGE CAP! Terry will become the highest-paid player at Stamford Bridge