Was anyone else disappointed to not hear about a failed Tevez deal? I was shocked. My dislike of Tevez is so strong, I take pleasure in hearing that a team is interested in him, then instantly repulsed by him moments later.
Sully Muntari matters
No picture needed, since he doesn't actually matter at all. The Inter and whatever English team he was on want-away really isn't that big of a signing. The fact that Inter fans could care less about one of their players going on loan to city rivals Milan is evidence alone.
Louis Saha is a major signing
Saha in better days...
I like Tottenham, but what kind of move is this? The aging Frenchman is having a torrid year and is not really in good health. The only thing I can see him doing, to quote Soccernet's live commentary, is riding the pine and joining Ledley King in the physio's room.
David Pizarro is actually in football news
I love Roma and am a huge fan of Pizarro, but never in a million years did I think he would be splashed across football's front pages this morning. He's old. He's always injured. He's hardly played this year. If anything, the news should start with "Why, Man City?" I hope he plays the way I know he can, but I really don't see why this was huge news.
English teams don't splash Jan. 2011 cash on ridiculous players
Players in cars - universal transfer signifier
Last January was quite the spectacle in modern football. Moves were made at the penultimate moment, big cash wasspent, and sh*t just happened and surprised the world. What happened this year England??? Only Gary Cahill. Borrrrrrrring.
Inter act like Inter
First they sell their anchor in the midfield Thiago Motta, effectively shocking the football world. Then they pull a Massimo Moratti loop-de-loop and scoop up Angelo Palombo and Fredy Guarin on loan! What is it with Inter and needing to make transfer for the sake of making transfers?
You're an Arsenal fan
No description needed.
Anyone else have anything to add?
Photo Credits: The Dirty Tackle The Guardian My Blog
Newcastle United's £10m move for Senegalese striker Papiss Demba Cisse was completed on Tuesday morning. Cisse joins the Magpies after an impressive 22 goals in 32 games last season, and nine in 15 this year, all with Bundesliga team SC Freiburg.
This move seems all but successful (already), according to top pundits who are doting on the prospect of a Demba Ba - Papiss Demba Cisse super Sengalese strike force (better known as the Demba Duo). As a budding appreciator of a sturdy Newcastle squad this season, I'll admit, this move looks like it will pay great dividends for the club. Newcastle has a great defense, hardworking midfield, and already capable striker in Demba Ba. The addition of Cisse could very well keep Newcastle on course to hover among the top 7, earning a precious European berth a mere two seasons after being relegated to the Championship.
The one downside I can see is that both players will missing in action for perhaps a month due to the African Nations Cup, which starts this weekend. But, since both are Senegalese, the upside is they will be training and bonding while away from their club.
This looks like another master stroke signing for Alan Pardew and owner Mike Ashley, who fabricated the Andy Carroll sale last January, and followed up by signing the likes of Hatem Ben Arfa (permanently), Davide Santon, Yohan Cabaye, Gabriel Obertan, and the original Demba Duo's Demba Ba. Strangely enough, the team probably still has £15m give or take in the transfer kitty - thanks Andy Carroll, ya big ugly flop! Good management all around, and good luck to those Magpies. I'm hoping the smart guys finish well.
Sorry for the inactivity over the course of the past few months, but FIFA '12 got me hooked. Navigating the Head to Head Seasons competition with PSG enveloped my life for a few hours each day. It's like a drug, really. When you lose, you play more because you want to win. And when you win, the going is good, so you play more! What a conundrum.
I managed to frustratingly fall short of cup titles, Division 1 promotion, and other accolades, because of gamers who want to win so bad the only teams they select are Real Madrid, Barcelona, or the Spanish national team. Not fair, b*tches. After being relegated from Division 2 I made up my mind to do something more productive with my time like write about soccer or play it. So here we are. I am dedicated to writing first, gaming second.
What's on the docket, you ask? Well, I don't know. All the football gossip you crave? You bet. It's the transfer window, after-all, so let's start with some juicy rumors from our friends over at Football Spy:
Stay tuned for more fun folks. And bear with me, I'm in FIFA rehab.
Photo Credits: Europa League, Goal.com Video Credits: Football Spy via footytube.com
Sorry about the inactivity but shut up for a minute. I am writing this as fast as humanly possible because of the amount of rumors I have been tracking on this extraordinary deadline day. Here they are:
Better late than never
Giuseppe Rossi to Tottenham
Rumors are swirling all over Twitter and even Wikipedia seems to think the deal was done. Not sure if that holds true, but Spurs midfielder Tom Huddlestone exclaimed via Twitter that he could not believe who snuck into training today. Rossi or maybe...
Kaka to Tottenham
What?! Surely it can't be...but maybe. I've heard some things.
Gary Cahill to Tottenham for either Bassong or Bently
Not sure about this but I've heard murmurs.
Scott Parker signs for Tottenham
Now official.
Wesley Sneijder to Manchester United
Have not heard too much about this move, but I believe it will happen. Forlan has signed with Inter, opening the door for a possible exit for Sneijder. We shall see!
Luka Modric to Chelsea
I think this deal will happen today, given Tottenham's need to fortify the rest of their squad. Good luck getting playing time, jerk!
Raul Meireles to Chelsea for cash and Yossi Benayoun
This would be a ridiculous deal in my opinion. Liverpool look great with Meireles in the lineup...why would they do this DON'T DO IT FOR THE LOVE OF JEBUS.
Mauro Zarate on loan to Inter
I guess this deal is done, but who cares because he sucks anyway. Lazio merda.
Arsenal sign Santos, Mertesacker, and Park Chu-Young
Hard to believe, right? Wenger power!
Roma continue to own the transfer market
They will be putting pen to paper with Simon Kjaer and Miralem Pjanic today...as well as possibly Fernando Gago. Great mercato.
Your guide to the topsy-turvy summer transfer window is back!! Brought to you by the Daily Mirror, Football Spy is a comprehensive transfer source you can trust. Summertime is Spy's bread and butter, so follow along with my friend Darren on a daily basis and do not hesitate to email in questions to spy@mirror.co.uk or comment on their videos at Footytube or You Tube.
Check out today's edition of Spy and keep following along:
On the much awaited winter deadline day, the England transfer record was smashed to dust, loosely built up again, then smashed to an even finer dust. Overall, around £215 million was spent throughout this January's window (up from £160 million last year), and about £120 million was shelled out on a frantic last day in England. It is fact that yesterday's transfers in England eclipsed the spending of all the leagues in the world combined during this window. Absolute insanity.
Lets review some big moves, shall we:
Andy Carroll Newcastle to Liverpool for £35m
Fernando Torres Liverpool to Chelsea £50m
A player in a car signifies an imminent transfer. Finally, Soccernet got something right when they posted these pictures yesterday at midday.
I certainly did not see either of these moves coming. I figured Torres would sulk his way through one last season at Anfield before being thrown to the wolves in the summer window. And Carroll? Who would have thought newly promoted Newcastle would sell their star in the middle of a quasi-successful campaign? Not only that, but Newcastle failed to use the funds made available by the sale of Carroll to buy a replacement, and now have to face the rest of the season minus a striker, let alone their best. The tragedy of this transfer is that Carroll did not even want to leave his hometown club.
These were the biggest moves of the transfer window. Chelsea set a domino effect through the league by bidding £50m for Torres, which in turnspurred Toon management to sell their homegrown talent at an inflated rate. Staggeringly, Torres wasn't Chelsea's only big signing of the day, as they shored up their back-line by finally acquiring David Luiz from Benfica for£21.3m. Chelsea spent £71.3m in one day. Let that fact sink in and simmer. All in all, the events in England yesterday were shocking, even to popular pundits.
Other big signings throughout the January window:
Edin Dzeko Wolfsburg to Manchester City £32m
I was spot on in my earlier transfer-related post about the big man from the Bundesliga side, Wolfsburg. Adebayor made way and Dzeko is now donning the #10 for the Citizens. His contributions thus far have been meager, but Edin scored his first goal last week, a late equalizer which saved City blushes to force an FA Cup replay with Notts County.
Darren Bent Sunderland to Aston Villa £24m
The striker, who has an astonishing EPL goal tally (84 goals in 192 appearances), was a great signing for Villa and good bank for Steve Bruce's Sunderland. Bent even scored in his debut at Villa Park. The only thing he may regret is his horrible number selection, 39.
Luis Suarez Ajax to Liverpool £22.8m
Lets not allow the huge sale of Torres and gross fee for Carroll overshadow the excellent deal Liverpool struck last week with Ajax for Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez. Exceptional player, exceptional signing. He's young, versatile and ready to run at English back-lines. I think the Kop will be hurling praise at a new Spanish speaking fellow by the end of this year.
David Luiz Benfica to Chelsea £21.3m
Chelsea capped off a successful window by getting talented center back David Luiz from Benfica. This player was an absolute must for the side.
Emmanuel Adebayor Manchester City to Real Madrid (on loan)
Want-away striker Emmanuel Adebayor got his wish when City loaned him out to Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid. Los Blancos were in desperate need of a striker after learning of Gonzalo Higuain's long injury layoff. Perhaps Mourinho will be the coach who gets the most out of the troubled striker.
Giampaolo Pazzini Sampdoria to Inter Milan €19m (€12 + €7 Biabiany)
Inter are big winners in this transfer window with the acquisition of Giampaolo Pazzini from Sampdoria. For a full description of Pazzo's move and impact this past Sunday, see my last post.
The best of the rest: Antonio Cassano Sampdoria to AC Milan (Undisclosed) Luiz Gustavo Hoffenheim to Bayern Munich €17m
Ryan Babel Liverpool to Hoffenheim €7m Elias Corinthians to Atletico Madrid €7m Ibrahim Affelay PSV to Barcelona €3m Ivan Rakitic Schalke 04 to Sevilla €2.5m Daniel Sturridge Chelsea to Bolton (on loan) Yuto Nagatomo Cesena to Inter Milan (on loan) told you so Obafemi Martins Rubin Kazan to Birmingham City (on loan) Michael Bradley Borussia Monchengladbach to Aston Villa (on loan)
It seems I could blog for days about this transfer window. But, what's the point? The whole football community is talking about the same thing. To fill in the blanks, check out goal.com's rundown of the window here and please view the final episode of Football Spy, which will give you a comprehensive roundup of who went where:
Best wishes from Sensible Soccer! Let's enjoy the rest of this season together.
Numerous reports suggest USMNT midfielder Michael Bradley will leave Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach in the next few days. Bradley featured in the side's first 17 games, contributing three goals, before being relegated to the bench after the holiday break. All signs point to a transfer.
This transfer window has been exceptional thus far, as many big names have completed transfers to top teams. However, it has also been unnerving. Teams have stalled deals by disagreeing on transfer fees and players have held up moves by asking for higher wages. The inability to make deals has caused a myriad of transfer window headlines, which detail every flinch made during deadlocked talks, on a daily basis. Being there are only a few days left in this window, I thought it would be prudent to present a few deadlocked transfer sagas:
David Luiz Benfica to Chelsea
Chelsea's need for a quality centre back is clear, given the departure of Ricardo Carvalho in the Summer, the chronic injuries to Alex and John Terry's increasing age. Accordingly, the Blues have taken a run at Benfica's top defender, David Luiz. The champions showed their urgency for the player by making first contact early in the transfer window. The Portugese side have responded by continually upping the price tag and dragging out the move. Could you blame them, given Chelsea's piggy bank? Benfica are looking for £25 million. Reports today state Chelsea are willing to pay £21.5 million, plus one of the club's young players. Will this move finally go through? I'd like to see it happen. See the Soccernet and Goal.com reports for more information.
Luis Suarez Ajax to Liverpool
There isn't a team out there who could use the services of the Uruguayan hitman, Luis Suarez, more than Liverpool. The struggling club have taken a big shot at the Ajax striker, in what would be a spectacular move. Initially, the Reds wanted to offer money and Ryan Babel in exchange for Suarez, but the deal was squashed earlier in the week (with Babel ultimately completing a move to Bundesliga side Hoffenheim). Suarez seems to want this move, and the Amsterdam club seems intent on selling him, yet negotiations have been unsuccessful thus far. Earlier this week, Ajax decided to give Liverpool until Saturday to make a final bid. Liverpool's initial bid was £15 million. Ajax values the player at a very inflated £35 million, and have stated they would accept no less than £25 million for the player. I, along with my friends at Football Spy, believe Liverpool needs to hold strong and wait Ajax out on this price. A probable bid could be somewhere around £20 million, plus one of the club's younger players. I would love to see Liverpool get this player, but it may be yet another failure for the hard-luck Reds.
Charlie Adam Blackpool to Liverpool
Another tense, ongoing negotiation involving Liverpool is for Blackpool's midfielder Charlie Adam. The two teams are at a stand-off, as Blackpool are asking for a ridiculous £12 million for the player, who I would value at £5 million, tops. Liverpool need to keep their offer on the table and let it stand as a 'take it or leave it', since they really have nothing to lose in this transfer.
Robbie Keane Tottenham to West Ham
Out of favor, aging striker Robbie Keane has been the subject of many rumors throughout this window. Tottenham reportedly struck a deal with Birmingham for the striker, but Keane's wage negotiation with the side failed epically, as he refused to take a pay cut. So, here we are Robbie. Keane had a deal, fumbled it, and is now being forced to either perish in reserves or join West Ham on loan. I think we'll see Keano at Upton Park next week.
Sean Wright-Phillips Manchester City to Fulham, Bolton, Newcastle
That little bundle of energy, Sean Wright-Phillips, is again on the move as another club have frozen him out of a star-studded lineup. Manchester City are said to be asking £4 million for the player, but interested parties would rather have him on loan. Football Spy reports that Man City is even willing to let Wright-Phillips go on a free transfer, in an effort to lure Fulham, Bolton or Newcastle into picking up his £65K/week price tag. Wherever the talented England international ends up, he will make an immediate impact.
These seem to be the largest deadlocks in the window at the moment. Check out today's Football Spy for a more comprehensive look:
It should be interesting to see who moves where in the next few days. It is almost assured we will see a dramatic last hour transfer, given the activity in the market over the past month.
Enjoy the rest of the window and stay tuned for Sensible Soccer's review of this January's moves.
