$54,000,000 + 1player = Essien

LYON, France - Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas insists Chelsea will have to pay 45 million euros (32 million pounds) plus a player for Ghana international midfielder Michael Essien.
Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon was understood to be going to Lyon on Thursday for a meeting with Aulas who has raised the stakes by demanding the 45 million euros Chelsea were prepared to pay for Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard plus a player.
Essien refused to play in Wednesday's season opener Champions Trophy between the league champions and Cup winners Auxerre on Wednesday night which Lyon won 4-1 with a hat-trick from new Norwegian signing John Carew.
"Michael is in a vicious cycle. He didn't want to play because he didn't feel up to it," Aulas told AFP.
"But we won't let him go unless Chelsea make the same sort of offer they made for Steven Gerrard. If there was the money available for Gerrard then there must be for Essien, who's younger. You have to stop treating French clubs like jokers."
And he added: "As Chelsea have wasted time we don't have time to recruit a replacement so they'll have to give us a player on top of the money."
Lyon kick off the defence of their title against newly-promoted Le Mans on Sunday.
"The price for Michael is Steven Gerrard's price plus a player. Jose Mourinho knows exactly who we want. It's up to him to make a move. He'd be better off calling me rather than calling Michael and putting him under pressure," Aulas said.
But Lyon striker Sidney Govou revealed just how determined Essien was to go to Chelsea.
"We've talked a lot about it in the dressing room and as far as he's concerned he's going. It's beteen him and the president now," Govou said.
But Aulas claimed they were ready to offer Essien a "golden" deal to stay.
"It'll make him one of the best-paid players in France and that will help him get over his blues,"Aulas said.

LYON, France - Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas insists Chelsea will have to pay 45 million euros (32 million pounds) plus a player for Ghana international midfielder Michael Essien.
Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon was understood to be going to Lyon on Thursday for a meeting with Aulas who has raised the stakes by demanding the 45 million euros Chelsea were prepared to pay for Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard plus a player.
Essien refused to play in Wednesday's season opener Champions Trophy between the league champions and Cup winners Auxerre on Wednesday night which Lyon won 4-1 with a hat-trick from new Norwegian signing John Carew.
"Michael is in a vicious cycle. He didn't want to play because he didn't feel up to it," Aulas told AFP.
"But we won't let him go unless Chelsea make the same sort of offer they made for Steven Gerrard. If there was the money available for Gerrard then there must be for Essien, who's younger. You have to stop treating French clubs like jokers."
And he added: "As Chelsea have wasted time we don't have time to recruit a replacement so they'll have to give us a player on top of the money."
Lyon kick off the defence of their title against newly-promoted Le Mans on Sunday.
"The price for Michael is Steven Gerrard's price plus a player. Jose Mourinho knows exactly who we want. It's up to him to make a move. He'd be better off calling me rather than calling Michael and putting him under pressure," Aulas said.
But Lyon striker Sidney Govou revealed just how determined Essien was to go to Chelsea.
"We've talked a lot about it in the dressing room and as far as he's concerned he's going. It's beteen him and the president now," Govou said.
But Aulas claimed they were ready to offer Essien a "golden" deal to stay.
"It'll make him one of the best-paid players in France and that will help him get over his blues,"Aulas said.