Chelsea striker Didier Drogba is ready to stay at Stamford Bridge and fight for his first team place following the arrivals of Salomon Kalou and Andriy Shevchenko.

The futures of both Drogba and team-mate Hernan Crespo have come under intense speculation as the club swooped to add strikers Kalou and Shevchenko to the squad.

Drogba was linked with a move to Lyon but the Ivory Coast striker is now understood to have told the French champions that he will be staying in London.

Lyon's director of sport, Bernard Lacombe, said: "Didier will not be coming to Lyon. He said that Jose Mourinho wanted to build the team around him and Shevchenko."

Mourinho is also fighting to persuade French defender William Gallas to remain with the Premiership champions.

Gallas has one year remaining on his current contract and he was expected to join AC Milan following the transfer of Shevchenko to Chelsea.

The French defender insists he wants to leave Chelsea after five years but the club are making renewed efforts to keep him and Mourinho wants the board to reward the player with a five-year contract.

Portuguese goalkeeper Hilario will undergo a medical today before signing for Chelsea.

The 30-year-old should sign a two-year deal. Hilario played last season for Primera Divisao club Nacional and will be Chelsea's third-choice goalkeeper behind Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini.  PA