Kaka and Pirlo on wishlist as Ancelotti prepares to join Chelsea

David Beckham shares a joke with Carlo Ancelotti in Tirana yesterday ahead of AC Milan's friendly against Albania

Chelsea remain confident that Carlo Ancelotti will become their new manager and are already discussing their summer transfer plans with the Italian.

The Serie A veteran has signed a pre-contract agreement on a three-year deal to take over at Stamford Bridge at the end of the season and, as part of those talks, Ancelotti has told Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich that he would like to bring players with him from AC Milan -- in particular Andrea Pirlo and Kaka (below), who is likely to leave the San Siro.

While those discussions are at an early stage, and no specific moves have been made as yet, sources close to Ancelotti last night dismissed suggestions the 49-year-old was having second thoughts about joining Chelsea or had been set an ultimatum by Abramovich.

With AC Milan trailing Inter by seven points in Serie A, Silvio Berlusconi, who is in Egypt as part of his duties as Italian prime minister, is reported to have told tourists at the Sharm el Sheikh resort that it is "all Ancelotti's fault" that the club will not win a trophy this season.

While conflicting comments have swirled around Ancelotti for months, and should be treated with caution, Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani did little to refute the claims yesterday.

Abramovich has pursued Ancelotti for some time -- despite the fact that the coach has worked only in Italy -- because of his pedigree of winning the Champions League.

Abramovich has already made clear to Ancelotti that he will bid for Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor -- who the Italian wanted at Milan -- as well as Carlos Tevez and CSKA Moscow's Yuri Zhirkov.

Some of Ancelotti's most important players at Milan can be added to that wish list.

Pirlo, who is 30 next week and has two years left on his contract, has attracted interest from Chelsea in the past and has been key to Ancelotti's plans at Milan, where he has evolved into the club's playmaker. The Italy international has indicated in the past that he does not want to leave Milan but could be tempted this time.

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