Michael Essien joins Real Madrid on loan from Chelsea

Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien has joined Real Madrid on a season-long loan deal. The 29-year-old made just 10 starts for the Blues in the Premier League last season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in July last year.

He joins ex-Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, who signed him from Lyon in 2005, at the Bernabeu.

Essien's contract at Stamford Bridge runs until 2015. The Ghana international has won two Premier League titles and the Champions League, as well as winning the FA Cup on four occasions. Fellow midfielder Gael Kakuta, 21, has signed for Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem on a season-long loan deal.

Liverpool failed with a bid to sign Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge on loan for the year.