West Ham are poised to sign Chelsea youngster Frank Nouble.

The Hammers have moved for Nouble after the 17-year-old rejected the offer of a professional contract at Stamford Bridge.

Nouble is rated one of the best teenage talents in England having impressed for Chelsea in the FA Youth Cup and in the reserves.

Chelsea were keen to tie down Nouble to a long-term deal, but the young striker has decided to move on as he fears his first-team chances would have been limited at Stamford Bridge.

Arsenal were credited with an interest in Nouble, but West Ham have managed to lure the powerful frontman to Upton Park.

Nouble's signing will come as a massive coup to Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola as he is tipped for a big future in the game.

ANDREA PIRLO is poised to demand a transfer so he can force a move to Chelsea.

The AC Milan captain has become frustrated by his club's refusal to negotiate with the Blues over a deal.

A bid of £14million plus Claudio Pizarro was rejected this week but Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti has told Chelsea chiefs to make an improved offer.

Azzurri midfielder Pirlo is keen to make the move and take up a deal worth £105,000 a week at Stamford Bridge.

But the Italian club have yet to sign a player to replace Kaka - who quit for Real Madrid - and are resisting selling another of their key players.

That situation will be further aggravated by the skipper's formal transfer request but Pirlo, 30, is prepared to agitate his own switch.

The deal could be made easier if Milan succeed in their move for Seville striker Luis Fabiano, which may be completed over the weekend.

WHAT'S the connection between a gap in David Beckham's teeth and the gap between Manchester United and Chelsea?

Answer? Both have been filled by Bruno Demichelis.

For those of you who have not heard of him, he is Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti's secret weapon in his bid to dominate English football.

A highly-respected sports psychologist, Demichelis' influence was evident at Wembley on Sunday as Chelsea overcame their mental block and won a penalty shootout against United - their first in 12 years.

He is the brains behind MilanLab, the most respected centre of sports science in football based at AC Milan.

Beckham was quick to discover Demichelis' pioneering approach when the CAT scan during his medical at Milan discovered a space in his teeth.

Demichelis asked Becks if he was experiencing any muscle spasm in his back. The midfielder said yes, amazed how the Italian could know.

A dentist filled Becks' teeth and the pain in his back disappeared but, for Demichelis, it is all in a day's work.

He laughs off the Becks incident as basic chiropractic knowledge. If nerve endings in the mouth are exposed, it can cause pain in the spine.

Demichelis' expertise and learning, however, goes way beyond sorting out Beckham's pearly whites.

He has developed an holistic approach to sports psychology and, in particular, stress management.

As Chelsea already has an advanced sports medicine department, Demichelis has been concentrating on the players' mental attitude.

He is a larger-than-life figure and his booming voice and irreverent sense of humour make him more Tony Soprano than Tony Cascarino.

During Chelsea's pre-season US tour, Demichelis became Tony Bennett when asked to sing for the staff. Not, once, twice but three times he serenaded the group.

His English is perfect, having learned in an English-speaking factory as a young man.

A double European champ in karate, he holds a sixth degree black belt and knows all about elite competition.

Demichelis then went to the USA to study sports psychology and science, before returning to Milan in 1987 when Ancelotti was a player.

Ancelotti describes him as 'much more than a colleague. He is a close friend who I like and admire very much'. The feeling is mutual. When Ancelotti was appointed AC Milan head coach in 2001, it was Demichelis who helped him build trust with a sceptical squad.

Similarly, Chelsea players have realised that when BB - Big Bruno - talks, you listen. Very carefully.

He has been pushing Ancelotti to improve his English and motivates him by joking with the staff when the boss gets a word wrong.

And, while the coach is unable to expand on his thoughts in English as he would like, Demichelis has acted as more than an interpreter.

That is not to say he oversteps his role. He is on the bench during games and Ancelotti's shoulder at all other times.

But he describes himself as 'not a technical coach' and would never deign to assume the grand title with Ancelotti that Tord Grip did with his coach - 'one half of Sven Goran Eriksson's brain'.

His value to the cause, though, is unquestionable. Take Paolo Maldini, who was 32 when Ancelotti took over at the San Siro. Demichelis saw the importance of keeping the captain fit and began exploring how to extend Maldini's career.

The results were startling. Maldini retired last season aged 40 and, in his last eight years, won another two Champions League winners' medals and one Serie A title.

Now, at Chelsea, where several players are over 30, the same principles are being applied.

The affable Italian believes he can help make a player 'one hundredth of a second quicker in the mind' or 'a centimetre closer to making a crucial tackle or pass'.

Combined with Ancelotti's technical prowess, the marriage of evolutionary sports science and proven motivational techniques could prove a winning one.

When it comes to a 12th man, there is almost no one you would rather have on your side.

His singing may be in question but, as his son is an opera baritone, he must be able to hold a note.

As for the football, everyone knows it is not over 'til the fat lady sings but, at Chelsea, the Big Man is already in fine tune.