Sevilla reject Chelsea bid for Alves

MADRID, Aug 16 (Reuters) UEFA Cup holders Sevilla have rejected a Chelsea bid for their highly rated Brazilian international defender Daniel Alves.

''Sevilla would like to make clear... that they have rejected Chelsea's offer because it is a very long way from the value put on the player by the club,'' Sevilla said in a statement on their Web site (www.sevillafc.es) today.

''To all intent and purpose Daniel remains a Sevilla player.'' Spanish media reported on Tuesday that the two clubs had agreed a basic fee of 32 million euros plus an extra 4 million depending on results for the 24-year-old wing-back after representatives from the two clubs met in Madrid.

But they now say that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich put the brakes on the deal because he baulked at paying such a large fee for the defender and that he had reduced the offer to 25 million euros.

Last week, the dynamic right back asked Sevilla to listen to offers from big clubs saying he felt it was time for him to move on.

He then told Sevilla coach Juande Ramos that he was not ready to play in Wednesday's game against AEK Athens. If he had played he would have been unable to play for another team in the Champions League this season.

Sevilla won the game 2-0 and coach Juande Ramos said afterwards that he hoped the player would make himself available for the return leg of the Spanish Super Cup against Real Madrid on Sunday.

Alves, who joined Sevilla from Bahia in 2003 for less than a million euros, signed a contract extension with the Andalucians last December linking him to the club to 2012.

He has been one of Sevilla's outstanding players in recent seasons and was a key figure in their UEFA Cup triumphs in 2006 and 2007 and their King's Cup victory last June.

He was part of the Brazil team that won the Copa America in July and scored in the 3-0 victory over Argentina in the final.

REUTERS BJR RK1910