[Football] Summer 2009 transfer thread

[Kralik]

According to various reports in the British press, Chelsea are ready to let Didier Drogba leave the club following his rant after the 1-1 draw with Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final second leg on Wednesday.

The Ivory Coast international was seen angrily confronting referee Tom Henning Ovrebo after the final whistle, before turning to television cameras and calling the Norwegian a "f*****g disgrace".

Apparently, Blues owner Roman Abramovich was left feeling embarrassed by the striker's actions and has therefore decided the Ivorian can leave Stamford Bridge.

The 31-year-old's current contract, said to be worth around ?91,000-a-week, is set to expire at the end of next season.

It was thought that the west London outfit were planning to extend his time in the English capital, but it now seems they may off-load him as early as this summer.

Finally!!!

Los Blancos are also said to be keeping tabs on Argentina international midfielder Javier Mascherano, as are their arch-rivals Barcelona.

The 24-year-old recently declared, in a television interview, that he is uncertain where his future lies, much to the surprise of his boss, who seems to have a much clearer idea.

"I didn’t know about his comments so I talked to him about them and he was clear that he is happy here," Benitez is quoted as saying by The Liverpool Daily Post.

"You can’t stop clubs talking with his agent because he is a good player, and there aren’t too many holding midfielders of his calibre.

"When you have four or five top clubs asking about you, you don’t want to say, ‘No,’ because you know in football that everything can change.

"So from a player’s point of view, and especially from the agent’s, they try to keep the doors open for everyone.

"But does he want to leave? I don’t think so. He knows the best option for him at this moment is this club. In three years time you never know, but now he knows this is the best option.

"We want to keep all our key players here, so it is the same story with Xabi."

Oh man!! I was hoping he would sell Xabi and we'd get him.. aaah.. I guess we have to get Veloso then..

Walcott signs a long-term contract with Arsenal:DD

[Kralik]

As usual, Wenger stated his first job was to keep the existing squad together. And he added, if he does dip into the market, it will not be to make wholesale changes.

“I’m not chasing any player at the moment,” he said. “I believe my priority is to stay with the squad we have.

“We will try of course to bring in one or two players to strengthen the squad but we have plenty of strikers.

“And if we buy, it certainly won't be players who lack experience. We have enough of those.”

Finally Wenger talking some sense!! We need atleast 1holding midfielder, a winger and a defender. I won't mind cashing in on Cesc now that Arshavin has proved his class.. or maybe play Cesc as a defensive midfielder?

Also.. we have a lot of strikers sure.. but non of them are the class of Torres or Henry IMO.. I want Wenger to offload RvP and get someone like David Villa who doesn't miss from 5 yards..

Edited May 9, 2009 by Kralik

[Martyn]

Looks like Tevez is buggering off to another English club ;)

[Rappy Veteran]

Looks like Tevez is buggering off to another English club ;)

Maybe he wants to go see his buddy at Liverpool

[Crazysah]

Finally Wenger talking some sense!! We need atleast 1holding midfielder, a winger and a defender. I won't mind cashing in on Cesc now that Arshavin has proved his class.. or maybe play Cesc as a defensive midfielder?

Also.. we have a lot of strikers sure.. but non of them are the class of Torres or Henry IMO.. I want Wenger to offload RvP and get someone like David Villa who doesn't miss from 5 yards..

Hopefully a defender better than Gallas.

[Kralik]

Hopefully a defender better than Gallas.

Good news for us though..

Speaking at a Shareholders? Question and Answer session at Emirates Stadium on Thursday evening, the Frenchman revealed that the issue of squad re-enforcements had cropped up at that day?s Board Meeting. As ever though, Wenger would not declare his targets.

?There is money available to buy,? he said. "We spoke about that today.

?Where do I buy or who, that is difficult to speak about because if you come out with that you pay double price. We are rich, but we are not rich enough to do that. However, we will buy.?

There is hope next season coz it seems Wenger is looking to return to his old ways..

[Weld_El_7aj]

The Italian web sportmediaset.it has stated that Bar?a is getting Ibrahimovic for 70 m?!!! in the operetion could also enter Eto'o who is wanted by the Inter.

well even if Ibra is an awesome player, i would never trade him for Eto'o who's a first class striker and always scores more 25 goals in the all competitions. in steed of that, i'd sell Eto'o (some 40m?) and get Villa (at most 35m?) and try to find i good left winger, Silva or Ribery and some defenders!

[Crazysah]

Good news for us though..

There is hope next season coz it seems Wenger is looking to return to his old ways..

Yes! Money! Now we just need experience!=

[Subject Delta]

Man U don't normally like transferring their players to their biggest rivals (remember the heinze saga anyone?) I am presuming if Tevez is out of contract they have no say in where he goes?

Would sure be nice to get him in the Liverpool squad, though I find it odd that United aren't fighting too hard for his signature.

Also, Drogba possibly leaving the prem? That's like my footballing equivalent of a wet dream :laugh:

[Rappy Veteran]

Man U don't normally like transferring their players to their biggest rivals (remember the heinze saga anyone?) I am presuming if Tevez is out of contract they have no say in where he goes?

Would sure be nice to get him in the Liverpool squad, though I find it odd that United aren't fighting too hard for his signature.

Also, Drogba possibly leaving the prem? That's like my footballing equivalent of a wet dream :laugh:

:rofl:

This Tevez saga is crazy, I read earlier could be over by June...Utd will probably pay the ?25m they have won probably that in prize money this year anyway:pp

[leesmithg]

We should have sold Adebayor to whoever wanted him this season, he is a liability and useless.

Seems Chelski want him.

I look forward to all the speculation about Arsenal buying this player and that player and come end of the transfer window buying no-one.

No player is bigger than Arsenal Football Club and if they wish to leave and the price is right, then I say sell em.

Cesc F?bregas will most probably goto Madrid or Barca.

This season I think we should take a huge offer for him, we made the mistake with not taking the 50,000,000 euros Barca offered at first.

I think Cesc F?bregas is worth around ?35,000,000.

[Kralik]

Also, Drogba possibly leaving the prem? That's like my footballing equivalent of a wet dream :laugh:

Quote of the year!!! :laugh: lmao :D

[Kralik]

We should have sold Adebayor to whoever wanted him this season, he is a liability and useless.

Seems Chelski want him.

I look forward to all the speculation about Arsenal buying this player and that player and come end of the transfer window buying no-one.

No player is bigger than Arsenal Football Club and if they wish to leave and the price is right, then I say sell em.

Cesc F?bregas will most probably goto Madrid or Barca.

This season I think we should take a huge offer for him, we made the mistake with not taking the 50,000,000 euros Barca offered at first.

I think Cesc F?bregas is worth around ?35,000,000.

I agree with you on Ade.. he is either useless or spectacular.. unluckily for us he is useless most of the time.. so yeah.. sell him and also van Persie.. who I feel is one of the most selfish forwards in the world right now.. the only other that comes to my mind is Defoe.. I would like to get David Villa and Podolski or Santa Cruz in their place.. and hope Eduardo overcomes his injury problems.

Also Rosicky coming back next season would be what we missed on the wing.. but left wing is still weak so we must get David Silva or someone else.. maybe try Jack Wilshere for some games..

With regards to Cesc.. yeah its a great time to cash in on him especially now that Arshavin has shown his class and Nasri can play in middle as well.. but none of them are holding midfielders and Cesc can do that I feel.. so we should sell him after we get a holding midfielder.. I hope Wenger plays Ramsey more than Denilson next season..

We also need a couple of physical defenders.. give many of the kids out on loan and sell Eboue..

[Crazysah]

It will be a bad decision to sell Cesc. We should try to hold on to him at all costs.

[Kralik]

There are reports today in British tabloids linking Bassong (Newcastle), Vermaelen(Ajax) and Chiellini (Juve) to Arsenal while van Persie wanting to move away.. possibly to Milan as he has not yet signed the new 4 year deal offered to him.. there is another report stating Arsenal have offered ?13M for transfers next year and rest should be made available by selling some players. I expect atleast 2-3 big names leaving this summer..

[Kralik]

It will be a bad decision to sell Cesc. We should try to hold on to him at all costs.

Care to elaborate on that a bit more?

[leesmithg]

I think Nicklas Bendtner should be the goto Man, a bit like Nial Quinn and Alan Smith were.

I think Adebayor and Van Persie should be sold on.

We still have Eduardo as a striker, we have emerging players, like Wilshire, Walcott will eventually play as a strike partner.

Gibbs is better than Cole was at the same age and quicker.

I see him as a future captain.

Ramsey has a problem with playing against Cardiff City, he was useless, otherwise he is a good prospect.

Defoe, he should have been purchased when he was at West Ham, like Kevin Phillips (when he was available and younger) should have been purchased, not

that they are gunners (both support Arsenal) through-and-through, they both had what it took.

I want Wenger to invest in British talent, rather than people like Jose Antonio Reyes, whom made a great impression then moaned they wanted to go home to

Mummy for bitty.

Arsenal need to invest in the future, we have so many so-called good youngsters, but only Gibbs ever got a continued run.

Gael Clichy will play second fiddle to him then leave.

If we could put out our strongest team every match then we would have done what we did last year and gone close.

The Rosicky injury and the carve up at Eduardo is what cost us the title and it seems to have done yet again.

Man United, Chelsea and Liverpool all have clones of their players, so if one gets injured he is replaced.

I would like to add well done to Arsenal womens team, doing the double bubble!!!!

[Subject Delta]

Ade is kinda like Drogba. Brilliant when he's on it, useless when he isn't. For me, Arsenal need to spend big, their current squad just isn't good enough to mount a really serious challenge.

[Kralik]

The player's agent Diego Herrera has admitted Real have bid for Valencia and that Wigan are awaiting other offers before allowing the player to leave.

"I believe Wigan will sell Antonio for the right offer and they will decide that once they receive that," Herrera told skysports.com.

"Real Madrid made an offer last week, but nobody from Wigan has told me of an offer from Manchester United.

"There are a number of interested clubs and I will speak with Wigan about it this week.

"Once the season is over I expect offers to be made and I will sit down with Antonio and decide what offer is in his best interests."

So does that mean they won't buy C Ronaldo?

In other La Liga related news.. Real wants Messi while Cannavaro is back at Juve..

[Weld_El_7aj]

^^ Well madrid can't make offers right now because they'll have elections in June 14th so that's hard to make offers when they don't even know who'll be the coach... some Spanish papers have stated that this is just a tactic to get more money for the player :p

there are so many rumors about Madrid now, CR, Kaka, Villa, Silva, Cesc, Xabi Alonso, Ibrahimovic, Ribery and meny others that would appear in the next days, this happens also in coaches, the rumors cover Wenger, Mou, Ancelotti... all have similar way of playing hehehe

Messi declared today that he spend much time at Barcelona and they give him so much, so he is not leaving.

[Subject Delta]

For most of those players, moving to Real Madrid would actually be a step backwards. They are a shadow of the club they used to be.

[Kralik]

For most of those players, moving to Real Madrid would actually be a step backwards. They are a shadow of the club they used to be.

Plus they will probably be benched for most of the season..

btw permission to add the 'quote of the year' to my signature Frank?

[Subject Delta]

Sure, why not :p (I am guessing you're referring to my wet dream post?)

Also, looks like the rumour mill is hotting up on the Tevez to Liverpool possibility, I have heard anywhere from 26 to 50 mill being thrown around. United would be crazy not to keep him IMO as he is an outstanding player, but if they aren't prepared to front the cash, that's their loss.

Personally I will be surprised if United do let the deal pass them buy, but their loss would certainly be Liverpool's gain, and having a playmaker of his caliber in our team would certainly help ease the burden placed on El Nino and Stevie G.

[Kralik]

Ars?ne Wenger does NOT have to sell in order to spend this summer.

Newspapers have estimated wildly about the size of Wenger’s close-season ‘war chest’ but the manager insists he does not have to fund any purchases with the sale of his prized assets.

In fact, keeping his young squad together, rather than splashing the cash in the transfer window, is the Frenchman’s No 1 priority.

"No [we do not have to sell] because we have a balanced budget,” he said at Friday’s pre-match press conference. “But it depends how high you want to buy.

“I believe that what is important in this stage of a club’s life is to keep the players you have."

--Arsenal.com

That doesn't mean though that he won't sell.. he should get rid of some of them who are not performing for many seasons now for sure

[Subject Delta]

The latest is that man city are throwing their weight behind getting Tevez as well, but my feeling is that if given the choice he would rather play at Liverpool than a team with zero championship potential (IMO Man City are trying to 'do a chelsea' and buy titles, unfortunately for them I can't see it happening).

Also, hearing some more crazy rumors that Real Madrid are looking at a 70 million switch for Ronaldo... Which IMO is outrageous and pretty unlikely

Looks like the silly season is in full swing xD