DORTMUND, Germany -- The World Cup may soon be over, but the games are just beginning in the transfer market.

The giants of the European game have their checkbooks at the ready as the tournament nears its climax in Berlin on July 9, with a World-Cup winner likely to cost a pretty penny.

But for the likes of Chelsea and Real Madrid money is no object as they look to sign the best players in the world to add to their already star-studded ranks.

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo was supposedly on the shopping list of Real Madrid, but both player and club have cooled their mutual interest since Ramon Calderon was announced as Real's new president.

Calderon's election pledge was to sign Brazil's Kaka of AC Milan, the Netherlands' Arjen Robben of Chelsea and Cesc Fabregas of Spain and Arsenal.

It will be a coup if he pulls off that tasty trio of signings, but Real has a habit of getting what it wants.

So does Chelsea. Backed by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, Blues coach Jose Mourinho has already added Germany's Michael Ballack and Ukraine's Andriy Shevchenko to the ranks of last year's Premier League title winner.

Ballack came on a free transfer but commands wages of about £130,000 per week, which makes him the highest paid player in the world. Shevchenko isn't playing for peanuts either after arriving from AC Milan in a £30-million transfer deal.

Mourinho has now set his sights on Arsenal and England left back Ashley Cole, who will cost about £20 million.

Italian juggernauts AC Milan and Juventus would normally be expected to be circling the creme de la creme of footballing talent in the summer months, but both clubs are caught up in the match-fixing scandal rocking the domestic game in Italy.

They face the ignominy of relegation from the top flight in Italy, which would likely signal a mass exodus of their star players.

Juve's cause is not helped by the recent resignation of coach Fabio Capello, who is heading to Spain to coach Real Madrid.

France's Patrick Vieira, who had a tough time in his debut season in the Italian League with Juventus, may not need much encouragement to head back to the Premier League, with Manchester United and Liverpool rumored to be interested in the ex-Arsenal star.

Less likely to leave their clubs in the lurch are the Italians such as Juve's Fabio Cannavaro and AC Milan's Gennaro Gattuso, although if they did choose to up sticks, Man Utd, Real Madrid and Chelsea would be more than willing to accommodate them.

Vieira's French teammate Franck Ribery is hot property after a number of dazzling displays for Les Bleus in their run to the semifinals. The Marseille winger -- earmarked as Zinedine Zidane's successor when the master retires after the World Cup finals -- looked likely to be heading to Gerard Houllier's Lyon after the tournament was over but his stock has risen and he may now try his luck in Spain or England.

Bayern Munich's Philipp Lahm has been in brilliant form during Germany's unexpected run to the semifinals and the youngster was linked to Chelsea -- who hasn't? -- after his stunning strike in the hosts' opening game against Costa Rica.

Miroslav Klose's five goals in the tournament have also alerted the likes of Man United and the Werder Bremen striker may also be in line for a move if he proves he can steer clear of the injuries that have blighted much of his career.

His striker partner Lucas Podolski has already booked his post-World Cup destination -- the 21-year-old is heading to Bayern Munich.