RUUD Gullit's empire building at Chelsea has received a temporary setback, with Patrick Kluivert, the Holland and Ajax striker, having declined to join the expanding foreign legion at Stamford Bridge.
Gullit's audacious attempt failed because of Kluivert's preference to play in Italy, for AC Milan, rather than in England when he leaves Ajax at the end of the season.
Gullit's move, though unsuccessful, is barely surprising.
His contacts extend deep into Europe, built from a highly successful playing career, and he has persuaded Gianluca Vialli, Gianfranco Zola, Roberto Di Matteo and Frank Leboeuf to forsake the continent for West London this season.
The offers of vast salaries have helped entice the three Italians and Leboeuf, a Frenchman, but even reported wages of GBP25,000-a-week were not enough to lure Kluivert, 20, from Amsterdam.
He will follow a similar route to Gullit, the Chelsea player-manager, who left PSV Eindhoven for AC Milan in 1987.