football summer transfers/speculation

[Zoomerang96]

so we're in between seasons now, with la liga coming to an exciting climax on sunday.

really looking forward to watching beckham's last match with real, and i hope they finally win a title.

but other than that, summer means buying and selling.

word has it that wenger is trying to sell henry to barca for 20 million pounds.

what's the deal with arsenal anyway? why can't they keep players? didn't fabregas just say that he wanted out?

and everyone remembers cashley cole and reyes from last year. brutal. it would be an honour to play for arsene. brilliant coach.

 

[1stepcloser]

of all the 'big four' teams, arsenal are definitely the most vunerable to lose their spot in that elite group. and for the sake of competitive football in the premiership, i hope they do crash and burn. I can see thierry henry playing in a barcelona shirt next season. But if barca do sign him it would probably mean either eto'o or ronaldinho leaving...

 

[Zoomerang96]

the thing is wenger's gonna be around for at least one more season. i thought that would be key in keeping players happy...

 

[1stepcloser]

Henry has the chance here to play for one of the worlds great clubs. and let's be honest, he probably has a greater chance there to win trophies than at arsenal. Also he will be 30 when the season starts and he may not want to wait another year incase it's too late.

Wenger is his mentor and almost like a father figure but even that would probably not stop him from wanting to take this chance to join barca. thats my view anyway...

 

[Zoomerang96]

then why'd he sign that new deal last year?

 

[1stepcloser]

pressure from fans maybe? pressure from the board or manager? maybe at the time he felt comfortable but at times this season arsenal have been poor and that probably hasn't gone unnoticed. im just speculating here but i think if there was ever a time that henry would leave then it will be this summer.

 

[Dalton]

wow titi is on his way to barca.

I know its been rumored, but I for one am shocked.

 

[Zoomerang96]

no kidding...
up until today i never really believed it'd happen.
it sucks.
what's happening in arsenal is a terrible shame.

and for 18 million??? didn't manyoo spend more on carrick last summer?

i swear these transfers are getting worse and worse...

 

[LJT]

He has written a letter to the papers explaining why he left saying that by the end of next season he will be 31 and he could not risk being there and Wenger leaving.......

...to me that sounds like Arsene may be going at the end of next season...Arsenal's death knell? I could certainly see Tottenham taking the 4th Champions League berth next time round.

 

[1stepcloser]

Hate to say i told you so

Perhaps we can really see some other clubs challenging for 4th place in the prem next year. That would be a great thing to happen.

 

[LJT]

Aston Villa you hope?

 

[1stepcloser]

well, i wasn't going to say anything.....

The likes of spurs, villa, newcastle all have the facilities, fanbases, money and managers to challenge for a top 4 place. Now with arsenal looking vunerable and liverpool stuttering in the transfer market and apparently at odds with their owner there's hope that the monotony of the 'big 4' can be broken.

 

[LJT]

Spurs to take Arsenal's fourth spot next season....Villa I don't think will be able to push that high next season, but definitely Uefa cup this time round. Newcastle I still think need more work done on the squad.

 

[Zoomerang96]

auch

honestly what is real madrid doing? firing capello after ONE year into his contract, the first season in which they won the league in what... 4 years?

their biggest problem has been stability in the last few years, and now they finally had a coach who played a solid system.

idiots. calderon especially.

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

Well chuffed at this Bent deal...that's 2.6 mil for us at least.

Hopefully Jeffers is on his way...

 

[cobl04]

I kinda wish we had this.

 

[1stepcloser]

Congratulations to liverpool on signing the most overrated striker in the world.

 

[Dalton]

Wow.

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

Now we're seeing really silly money here. 27m for Torres is a massive gamble. Think of Diego Forlan or Fernando Morientes. Success in Spain doesn't necessarily equate to success in England, and vice-versa.

16.5m for Bent is ridiculous but he's a proven Premiership scorer...how will he do in Europe, though, and with competition from Berbatov and Keane?

The da Silva transfer to Arsenal has seemed to slip through the cracks. It's an interesting signing definitely, but Arsenal have been remarkably quiet on the transfer front...although they often are.

Me? I'm still holding out for Francis bloody Jeffers, which says it all about how far Ipswich have fallen, really.

 

[1stepcloser]

If you're going to spend 27 million on a striker then it should be on a great striker, not a good one. Torres falls into the latter category. a good player yes, but he's never scored more than 20 goals in a season, very little champions league football, if at all, coming to a league he's never played in before that many of his compatriots have failed in with that kind of price tag over his head. All i'm saying is that Liverpool fans should not expect fireworks from their fancy new signing.

It is however a step in the right direction for them. He's a big big name signing and he has far more talent than the likes of bellamy, kuyt and crouch.

Arsenal spending all their thierry henry transfer money on this da silva guy is arguably an even bigger gamble than torres. we know wenger knows how to spot a player when he see's one but he had better hope and pray that this one comes off.

If United land tevez then the rest of the league might as well give up...

 

[Zoomerang96]

and now it looks like cesc fabregas is on his way out of arsenal too.

i might cheer for manchester united primarily, but i have loads of respect for arsenal, especially their manager. i hate what i'm seeing happen to them this summer.

i know yertle won't like this, but i say they should sell theo walcott. i just don't believe he's ever gonna turn out for some reason... don't ask why.

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

I think Walcott's incredibly gifted, and I'd see what's going to happen to him this season.

And seriously some of these transfer fees are ridiculous. Chopra for 5m? Baird for 3m? Man City paying 8m for that Italian, who ok scored 14 goals in Serie A last season, but when has that ever been a guarantee of Premiership success (see Mutu or Veron or Shevchenko etc.) I'm not saying it's not going to pay off, but there's some massive gambles clubs are taking - the biggest being Liverpool and Torres.

 

[LJT]

It has definitely been stupid money this season...it seems the premier league has inflated prices due to the extra tv money and the dodgy billionaire takeover club.