Chelsea have given AC Milan their consent to approach Didier Drogba about a possible transfer according to reports in Italy today.

Adriano Galliani, the Serie A club's vice president, said that the seven-times European champions had also started talks with the agent of Barcelona forward Samuel Eto'o.

"Chelsea have authorised us to open negotiations with Drogba," Galliani said in an interview in Sunday's La Gazzetta dello Sport, but added that Andriy Shevchenko would not be heading back to the San Siro.

"Unfortunately, the response we feared came (for Shevchenko). Chelsea consider Andriy unsellable. This epilogue makes us very sad."

Galliani reiterated that Milan were interested in Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor too, but said they had not asked the London club for permission to make an approach.

Arsene Wenger has warned Milan not to try to lure away the Togo striker, whose contract with the Premier League outfit runs until 2011.