Chelsea have agreed a fee with Bolton Wanderers for the signing of the defender Gary Cahill. The future of Gary Cahill has been under intense speculation in recent weeks.

Gary Cahill is out of contract at the end of the season and a number of clubs have shown interest in signing the England international. However, Chelsea have emerged as the winners for the defender, who partners John Terry occasionally in the defence for England. The defensive positions has become extremely important for Chelsea in recent weeks after their central defender Alex was banished from the first team.

It is thought that Alex will be moving on in the January transfer window and a number of injuries in this position has left Andre Villas-Boas in a precarious position.

Hence, they have decided to pay a fee of £ 7 million for the player, who could have been purchased for free in the summer. Even though they have agreed a fee with the club, it is thought that Chelsea are not close to agreeing a deal with the player. It is usually the other way around when the player agrees to move to a certain club and the club begins negotiations with the parent club.

"There has been a fee agreed between the clubs and we have now given Gary's representatives permission to speak to Chelsea. I have said to Gary that he has to be focused on giving everything for Bolton Wanderers, because he knows Bolton Wanderers has been terrific for him just as much as Gary has been for us," Bolton manager Owen Coyle said after announcing that Bolton had agreed a deal with Chelsea. The last Bolton player to make a move to London was Nicolas Anelka in 2008 when the striker was signed for £15 million.