Real Madrid's Ghanaian star Michael Essien has announced that he is ready to return to his parent club Chelsea and fight for his place in the team, according to The Daily Express.

The 30 year old is currently on loan at the Bernabeu for a season, and is set to return to Chelsea at the end of the campaign. With speculation rife that Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho may return for a second stint at the London club, where he is considered to be 'The Special One', Essien's future at Madrid also depends on what step the Portuguese manager takes.

Real Madrid have signed Chelsea veteran midfielder Michael Essien on a season long loan, snatching the player away from the clutches of Arsenal on deadline day.

Essien had been left out of Chelsea's squad for the UEFA Super Cup fixture on Friday to give the Ghanaian an opportunity to identify which club he wanted to join on loan for the season.

Arsenal were assumed to be leading the chase for his signature as they were feverishly looking for defensive midfield replacements, following Alex Song's departure to Barcelona. Manager Roberto Di Matteo approved the player's loan move but insisted that he would not join a rival club, thereby scuppering any chance the Gunners had of landing the 29-year old.

Rumors of Arsenal planning a loan deal for Chelsea star Michael Essien have gathered steam after fellow Ghanaian Emmanuel Frimpong expressed his excitement at the possibility of the deal.

Frimpong posted on Twitter, "If Michael Essien did ever come to Arsenal I would be the happiest man in the world. My role model. Love him."

Arsene Wenger has been scouring the market for a defensive midfielder after Alex Song left the Gunners for Barcelona. Although Mikel Arteta and Abou Diaby did display their defensive prowess in the first two games of the season, Wenger is reportedly looking to add at least one more option to his squad this summer.

After a ridiculously quiet transfer deadline day at Arsenal and Chelsea where the former have been trying to get rid of their unwanted strikers and the latter having been dispatching youngsters far and wide, there is some genuine gossip worth spreading.

Earlier in the day, Arsenal were linked with a shock swoop for Ghanaian powerhouse Michael Essien as a replacement for the recently departed Alex Song. However, there has been no follow-up information from either club heading into the dog hours of the transfer window drawing shut.

Arsenal's search for a 'special player' has brought them to the front door of rivals Chelsea for the second straight year. After having taken Israeli international Yossi Benayoun on loan last season in a move that working surprisingly well for the Gunners, Arsenal have reportedly returned to Stamford Bridge once again on deadline day to enquire about the availability of Michael Essien.

The Ghanaian powerhouse, who has spent the better part of the last four seasons on the treatment table, has reportedly regained full fitness but is yet to play a minute of football under Roberto di Matteo this season. It is unclear at this stage whether Essien is a part of the RDM's plans as a backup to John Obi Mikel in a defensive midfield position.

There was a time not so long ago when Michael Essien was one of the most feared midfielders in the Premier League. Essien had everything you would want from a box-to-box midfielder, strength, pace, power and enormous hunger for winning. Winning every tackle, winning every ball, winning every game.

However, injuries have deprived the Premier League of the Ghanaians talents for the better part of the last four seasons, with the 2010-11 season the only one of the four in which he participated in more than 15 League games.