"I am sure Ballack will be joining Chelsea. Inter made their move much too late," Rummenigge was quoted as saying by the Sunday Mirror.

But Rummenigge stressed that Chelsea’s money is not the main reason behind the potential move.

"The reasons why he is going to England are not of an economic nature. It is about his desire to have new experiences," he said.

The Bayern playmaker will be a free agent in the summer and was linked on many occasions with Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho admitted that his club set a $43 million bid to land Ballack for four seasons but was quoted as saying by Germany’s Sport Bild that the Germany captain hasn’t agreed yet.

Ballack joined Bayern in 2002 and helped the Bavarians win the two Bundesliga titles and a similar number of German Cup trophies.

He also played a pivotal role in Germany’s campaign towards the 2002 World Cup final match.