The fact that the summer transfer window is known as silly season to football fans pretty much sums it up at times.
Clubs are linked with players on an almost daily basis and while some shock moves come off, the majority of the time, things are just a little bit predictable or downright ludicrous.
This has probably been the biggest week in the transfer window so far, and here is our round up of what’s gone down, what might be happening and stuff that wouldn’t even happen in our wildest dreams.
TalkSPORTThe Confirmed
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last couple of days, you’ll know that Fabian Delph is on his way to Manchester City in an £8 million deal, that saw the player do one of the most dramatic and treacherous U-turns in footballing history. Only a week after Delph claimed he wanted to stay and captain Villa next season, he seemed to change his mind and rocked up to have a medical at City, which both The Sun and Twitter users caught on camera.
It’s been a bad week for Villa and Super Sherwood, with Christian Benteke also on the brink of an exit. Both Manchester United and Liverpool were keen on landing the forward, but after meeting his £32.5 million release clause, Sky Sports News confirmed that Liverpool are set to sign Benteke subject to him passing a medical, which after the Loic Remy debacle last season, might still throw up a couple of bumps along the road. United meanwhile are still in the hunt for a forward and will probably now go all out to bring in a world class forward who puts Liverpool’s move for Benteke firmly in the second rate column.
Speaking of Manchester United, the club will have been glad to see Real Madrid sign Kiko Casilla from Espanyol this week. Why you ask? Well it’s pretty simple really. With Casilla and Keylor Navas at the club, they are now set for the season according to manager Rafa Benitez, and given how he likes to keep his facts in check, you have to imagine he is telling the truth, especially with Spanish publication AS confirming that Navas has been handed the number one shirt. That of course means United could keep hold of David De Gea for another season at least, and try and work on getting him to sign that new contract.
In keeping with their summer, BBC Sport confirmed that Manchester City have added another mediocre English player to their squad with the signing of Patrick Roberts from Fulham for an undisclosed fee. The 18 year old joins Delph and Sterling as their prized home grown additions who double up as benchwarmers and let’s face it, will either be loaned out straight away, play for the reserves, or end up very good at Angry Birds due to his time on the City bench.
ReutersIn The Pipeline
Tottenham Hotspur are on the hunt for a forward, with a £15 million bid being readied for Saido Berahino according to the Sunday People, which could well set off a chain of events that would see West Brom try to land Liverpool outcast Rickie Lambert and Spurs forward Emmanuel Adebayor make a move to Villa to replace Christian Benteke, now he has been (finally) deemed surplus to requirements in north London. After all, who wouldn’t want to see the forward reunited with Tim Sherwood and the chance to see that salute again.
Pedro seems to be a name that English sides can’t escape at the minute, with Manchester United the latest side who are willing to pay his release clause, which stands at £22 million. Currently United are set to make a £18 million bid according to TalkSPORT, but there will be plenty of room for negotiation with the transfer window only just getting started for most clubs. United boss Louis van Gaal has promised a ‘surprise’ before the window ends, and you have to imagine Pedro is it, although an out and out forward might be preferable in the eyes of most United fans.
With United looking to bring in Pedro, the club are on the verge of getting rid of Angel Di Maria, who only arrived last summer but has been indifferent at best. Di Maria looks to be in line for a move to PSG after the Ligue 1 side confirmed their interest in the Argentine and Louis van Gaal refused to confirm Di Maria would be staying, citing the ‘process’ of the transfer window. Shipping Di Maria out, if the winger is willing to stay another season and try and make a go of things, would be incredibly harsh, but very likely to happen.
Another club who are ramping up their summer business is Chelsea, with moves for John Stones and Antoine Griezmann doing the rounds. The former has been confirmed by Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho and looks like being one that will come off, with Chelsea claiming they will try to land the English defender until the transfer window closes. A move for Griezmann is far more unlikely, but Chelsea are reportedly hoping to return Filipe Luis to sender – something Jose Mourinho has already confirmed could happen – and offer Atletico Madrid some cash in exchange for the winger, who was prolific last season for Diego Simeone’s men, netting 22 goals in 37 appearances.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiJ1FrM3FXU
There’s More Chance Of Radamel Falcao Winning The Golden Boot Than…
Cristiano Ronaldo coming back to Old Trafford. My God. Can we actually go a transfer window without having this old chestnut thrown in our faces on a slow news day?
It doesn’t seem so, at least for this window anyway, and if Ronaldo doesn’t pine for a reunion with Manchester United fans, he is unhappy with the treatment the Real Madrid board are giving him, or this week, unhappy with Rafa Benitez and his plans for Gareth Bale next season – not to mention the fact that Benitez failed to name Ronny as the world’s best player and said Bale was on the same level. Come on Rafa, that’s not how things at Madrid work.
Despite the mini tantrum, which in all honesty, is just another day in the life of a Real Madrid Galactico, Ronaldo is not and will not be coming back to the Premier League, no matter how many times the press try and tell us he is. For reference, the ‘agent’ that is currently suggesting Ronaldo will leave Madrid is not Jorge Mendes, the player’s actual representative, but Iker Casillas’, which after the way the keeper was shoved out the back door to ‘Segunda B’ side Porto, says it all.
