Mikael Forsell has hinted that he may be forced to leave Chelsea in the summer in search of regular first-team football. The Finnish international, who signed a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge only last August, is currently on loan at Birmingham, and his double at Middlesborough on Saturday took his seasonal tally to 16 goals.
Forsell admits he would dearly love to play a significant role at Chelsea, but with so many star strikers at the club he would be reluctant to return to the club for a bit-part role with the Londoners next season.
"There's still three years left on my contract and I know that Claudio Ranieri likes me as a player" said Forsell. "But I have always said that I don't want to go back to Chelsea just to sit on the bench. If Chelsea decide that they are ready to play me, well that's a different ball game".
Certainly Forsell has made a big impression during his time in the Midlands, and his 14 Premiership goals this season is, in fact, a better return than the combined efforts of both Adrian Mutu and Hernan Crespo, who cost the club over £35 million in transfer fees earlier this season.
Blues' boss Steve Bruce insists that he will do everything he can to keep Forsell at St Andrews.
"On Saturday Mikael was a million miles above everybody else. He's a top player and we know that we have got to keep him," said Bruce. "I am sure every Birmingham fan and all the people at the club knows that as well, and l we'll do our utmost to keep him, but he is a Chelsea player".
Meanwhile, Bruce has called for the Premiership to be divided into two divisions - in an attempt to reduce the enormous financial gap between the top flight and the Nationwide leagues. Bruce believes that the financial differences between playing in the First Division and the Premiership are too great, with some clubs facing financial ruin if they are relegated. In recent years, the likes of Bradford City, Derby County, Leicester City and Ipswich have all experienced such problems after dropping out of top flight.
"You see how difficult teams find it coming into the Premiership," said Bruce. "This season Wolves, Leicester and Portsmouth are fighting for their lives. It was the same the year before when we came up".
He added, "As things stand the difference between the reward and the risk is just too great. You slip out of the Premiership and your club goes bankrupt. For me the only solution would be a Premiership One and Two, and also invite Celtic and Rangers".
