Makelele gives up slice to smooth Chelsea move

Claude Makelele will sign for Chelsea today after he gave up trying to prise 15 per cent of his transfer fee from Real Madrid.

Chelsea's hopes of signing Real Madrid midfielder Claude Makelele before today's 5:00pm deadline were floundering.

Both clubs had agreed a £16.6 million fee for the Frenchman, who had also struck terms with Chelsea officials.

But Makelele was refusing to complete the move until Real agree to give him a slice of the transfer cash.

"It is very unlikely that this situation will be cleared, it is very, very difficult," Makelele's agent Marc Roger told Radio Marca.

"Real Madrid does not want to pay the percentage that every player has for every transfer. The player feels that they he is being disrespected."

But, early this morning Makelele agreed to forego the 15 per cent stake he was seeking to complete his switch to London.