So it's 22:29 right now, around four hours since the transfer window closed. While Arsenal have done well to land five players (one of them being Yossi Benayoun, the Chelsea/Israeli international playmaker on loan) out of their 20-30 targets in an attempt to strengthen their team after last week's shellacking to Manchester United, Chelsea have only made one signing today, and believe me, it was not one that many people were expecting.
Raul Meireles
While he was on the Chelsea radar for the past few days, it seemed like a very unlikely signing due to the fact that Chelsea had already seen a bid of £7m + Yossi Benayoun rejected for the Liverpool midfielder, and reports were saying that a deal would only be reached if Daniel Sturridge was substituted with Benayoun. This was never going to happen though, as Andre Villas-Boas seems to have some pretty long-term plans for Sturridge, and wants him to play a role in the Chelsea attacking force. The rejection, coupled with an unlikely prospect of a revised bid was the reason for the exclusion from the list of possible transfer targets this morning. Sorry about that. Because I wasn't expecting a signing, I didn't give an overview of Meireles, so here we go: He's 28, plays midfield, worked under AVB at Porto, where he scored 15 goals in 138 games, and has an enormous amount of tattoos. He's also quite capable of linking the defense to the strikers, something that I was saying that Chelsea needed much more of, and can score from long-range. Chelsea signed him to a four-year contract worth about £12m only a few minutes before the window closed.
Here he is finishing well against Chelsea while still playing for Liverpool.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
6 Hours until Deadline!
So with only six hours to go until the transfer window for the 2011-2012 EPL season is officially over, there are transfer rumours circulating all over the place. Here's a breakdown of Chelsea's transfer targets:
1. Luka Modric
The Luka Modric saga has gone on all throughout the transfer season, zigzagging back and forth between sides. If you're not familiar with the story, then I'll explain. Basically, Chelsea are in need of an intelligent, creative midfielder who can link the defense to the strikers and anchor the team. Chelsea have found exactly what they're looking for in the 25-year old Croat. The problem is that he plays for Tottenham, and wants to win trophies. Therefore, he's dying for a move to the Bridge. That's brilliant, because everyone at Chelsea is keen to sign him. Sounds like a done deal, right? Wrong. Daniel Levy, Tottenham's owner, has decided that he's not going to sell Modric, for any price (even though Levy and Modric had made a gentlemen's agreement prior to the transfer season that said that if a good club came along, they would consider the offer). Levy has remained adamant in his stance not to sell Modric the whole summer, while manager Harry Redknapp has see-sawing back and forth, first agreeing with Levy, then saying that they could use the money to purchase some new players (Tottenham have spent a grand total of $0 in the transfer window so far), then saying that he's given his blessing to Modric if he wants to leave, and now going back and saying that he's not going anywhere. Modric, in the meantime, has done everything possible to try and force a move through to Chelsea. He asked not to play in Tottenham's games against Manchester United and Manchester City. Redknapp benched him in the United game, but he was threatened with not being allowed to play in the Euro qualifiers if he didn't play against Man City. He played 65 minutes (not at his usual form) before being substituted, saying his "head wasn't quite right." Chelsea have already seen bids £22m, £27m, and an unofficial £30m rejected by Daniel Levy, saying that there's no point in bidding at all, it will just be rejected. Chelsea, who are willing to treble Modric's current wages, are putting together a bid worth around £40m before the end of today, hoping that it will be an offer that Daniel Levy just can't pass up, considering Tottenham are in need of some spending money. Tottenham are known for making transfer deals up until the very end of the window however, so I wouldn't count a Modric move out until the window closes at 6:00 EST.
2. Alvaro Pereira
Pereira is a Uruguayan international who helped his team to victory at the most recent Copa America. At the moment, the 25-year old LWB plays for FC Porto (he used to play under new Chelsea manger Andre Villas-Boas), although Chelsea are quite confident that he'll be a Chelsea player before the window closes. Chelsea have already seen a bid of £16.6m rejected by the Portugese club, but Chelsea seem to think that a bid of £20m (which they have just submitted) will be enough to land the prolific winger.
Who wouldn't sign him?
3. Franck Ribery
Ribery is a well-known French international who is quite capable of filling the empty role of creative playmaker in midfield, and apparently can make some very interesting faces. While Chelsea are trying their hardest to push through the Modric deal, every hour it looks slightly less likely. So they've turned to Franck Ribery. The 28-year old midfielder currently plays for Bayern Munchen. Chelsea have already submitted a £30m bid for Ribery, although Bayern are telling Andre Villas-Boas that he will have to up his offer by £6m if he wants to sign Ribery. I'm thinking that if Modric isn't signed by sometime around 2:00 EST then Chelsea will agree to Bayern's terms and sign Ribery. They can't wait for Levy to cave until 6:00 EST (when the window ends). They desperately need a playmaker, and he's a great choice. He's strong, intelligent, can score goals, and would fit in well with the rest of the squad.
4. Kevin de Bruyne
For Kevin de Bruyne, a move to Chelsea would ignite his career. The 20-year old Belgian international is eager to follow in the footsteps of his teammates Thibault Courtois and Romelu Lukaku with a move to the Bridge. He's a quick midfielder who can pass and cross the ball well, and is quite good at taking free kicks. He would be a great addition to the squad, and would most likely see some playing time at Chelsea if he were to sign. Unfortunately, he broke his leg in early August, but it seems to be healing nicely and Chelsea still want to sign the highly-rated midfielder. Chelsea have submitted a handsome £6m bid to his club, Racing Genk, for consideration, but it was rejected, much to the chagrin of de Bruyne. He desperately wants a move to Chelsea, and I think that the two clubs can reach an agreement before the window closes today.
5. Gregory van der Wiel
The 23-year old Dutch RB would be a great addition to the squad, allowing Branislav Ivanovic to reclaim his CB position, where he plays best. He was the Dutch player of the year for 2009-2010, which is quite a huge deal, considering he beat out Wesley Sneijder for the award. He has the ability to make brilliant runs and is a great defender. Chelsea have submitted a 32 million euro bid for the Dutch international, to which he and his club Ajax seem to have agreed. Contract agreements just have to be hashed out now, and unless the deal hits any snags, we'll see him in a Chelsea jersey soon.
So there we have it! Those are the top five Chelsea targets for today. The transfer window closes at 18:00 EST, which is 23:00 BST. Hopefully we'll see quite a few of the listed players playing for Chelsea soon. I'll be keeping everyone posted.
Cheers,
~Matt
The Luka Modric saga has gone on all throughout the transfer season, zigzagging back and forth between sides. If you're not familiar with the story, then I'll explain. Basically, Chelsea are in need of an intelligent, creative midfielder who can link the defense to the strikers and anchor the team. Chelsea have found exactly what they're looking for in the 25-year old Croat. The problem is that he plays for Tottenham, and wants to win trophies. Therefore, he's dying for a move to the Bridge. That's brilliant, because everyone at Chelsea is keen to sign him. Sounds like a done deal, right? Wrong. Daniel Levy, Tottenham's owner, has decided that he's not going to sell Modric, for any price (even though Levy and Modric had made a gentlemen's agreement prior to the transfer season that said that if a good club came along, they would consider the offer). Levy has remained adamant in his stance not to sell Modric the whole summer, while manager Harry Redknapp has see-sawing back and forth, first agreeing with Levy, then saying that they could use the money to purchase some new players (Tottenham have spent a grand total of $0 in the transfer window so far), then saying that he's given his blessing to Modric if he wants to leave, and now going back and saying that he's not going anywhere. Modric, in the meantime, has done everything possible to try and force a move through to Chelsea. He asked not to play in Tottenham's games against Manchester United and Manchester City. Redknapp benched him in the United game, but he was threatened with not being allowed to play in the Euro qualifiers if he didn't play against Man City. He played 65 minutes (not at his usual form) before being substituted, saying his "head wasn't quite right." Chelsea have already seen bids £22m, £27m, and an unofficial £30m rejected by Daniel Levy, saying that there's no point in bidding at all, it will just be rejected. Chelsea, who are willing to treble Modric's current wages, are putting together a bid worth around £40m before the end of today, hoping that it will be an offer that Daniel Levy just can't pass up, considering Tottenham are in need of some spending money. Tottenham are known for making transfer deals up until the very end of the window however, so I wouldn't count a Modric move out until the window closes at 6:00 EST.
2. Alvaro Pereira
Pereira is a Uruguayan international who helped his team to victory at the most recent Copa America. At the moment, the 25-year old LWB plays for FC Porto (he used to play under new Chelsea manger Andre Villas-Boas), although Chelsea are quite confident that he'll be a Chelsea player before the window closes. Chelsea have already seen a bid of £16.6m rejected by the Portugese club, but Chelsea seem to think that a bid of £20m (which they have just submitted) will be enough to land the prolific winger.
3. Franck Ribery
Ribery is a well-known French international who is quite capable of filling the empty role of creative playmaker in midfield, and apparently can make some very interesting faces. While Chelsea are trying their hardest to push through the Modric deal, every hour it looks slightly less likely. So they've turned to Franck Ribery. The 28-year old midfielder currently plays for Bayern Munchen. Chelsea have already submitted a £30m bid for Ribery, although Bayern are telling Andre Villas-Boas that he will have to up his offer by £6m if he wants to sign Ribery. I'm thinking that if Modric isn't signed by sometime around 2:00 EST then Chelsea will agree to Bayern's terms and sign Ribery. They can't wait for Levy to cave until 6:00 EST (when the window ends). They desperately need a playmaker, and he's a great choice. He's strong, intelligent, can score goals, and would fit in well with the rest of the squad.
4. Kevin de Bruyne
For Kevin de Bruyne, a move to Chelsea would ignite his career. The 20-year old Belgian international is eager to follow in the footsteps of his teammates Thibault Courtois and Romelu Lukaku with a move to the Bridge. He's a quick midfielder who can pass and cross the ball well, and is quite good at taking free kicks. He would be a great addition to the squad, and would most likely see some playing time at Chelsea if he were to sign. Unfortunately, he broke his leg in early August, but it seems to be healing nicely and Chelsea still want to sign the highly-rated midfielder. Chelsea have submitted a handsome £6m bid to his club, Racing Genk, for consideration, but it was rejected, much to the chagrin of de Bruyne. He desperately wants a move to Chelsea, and I think that the two clubs can reach an agreement before the window closes today.
5. Gregory van der Wiel
The 23-year old Dutch RB would be a great addition to the squad, allowing Branislav Ivanovic to reclaim his CB position, where he plays best. He was the Dutch player of the year for 2009-2010, which is quite a huge deal, considering he beat out Wesley Sneijder for the award. He has the ability to make brilliant runs and is a great defender. Chelsea have submitted a 32 million euro bid for the Dutch international, to which he and his club Ajax seem to have agreed. Contract agreements just have to be hashed out now, and unless the deal hits any snags, we'll see him in a Chelsea jersey soon.
So there we have it! Those are the top five Chelsea targets for today. The transfer window closes at 18:00 EST, which is 23:00 BST. Hopefully we'll see quite a few of the listed players playing for Chelsea soon. I'll be keeping everyone posted.
Cheers,
~Matt
- http://whackedteens.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Luka-Modric-pictures.jpg
- http://eplreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/alvaro-pereira.jpg
- https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0cDtlBQCZr0xzWB6lVv2vJYkPPBuvLES1JHacvJlpJlKza_LzUq3atuOXf7B2db9qdibCgP574Tl5fWKGneA1tYIeVMaTXXiS0KkxoBdw-VSsqxQbhE9al4orR36vX33gNzXmaBZqo5w9/s1600/Ribery.jpg
- https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDAINzzjWZDgPp53omVA3qBAi9Bj5oeZwHCJ539Dwsbm-mCnsGka2-IuqdKIrgpZJP8jdWzp0vxojr-X1Dp1vgyCWXNXcnP_jYjU5j6-PoGAebib-fzW6xvJxD8r9AsGHZmfxduEtplv4/s1600/anderlecht-wil-de-bruyne-voor-1-5-miljoen-en-twee-spelers_5_460x0.jpg
- http://www.football-pictures.net/data/media/597/Gregory__VAN__DER__WIEL.png
Well, Hello There!
So I've never had a blog before, but for a while now I've been interested in starting one up. It's also 2:08 AM on the day that the transfer season ends for EPL, so it's as good a time as any, right?
Anyway, as you can see by my domain name and the About Me page, I'm a huge Chelsea fan living in Toronto. In this blog I'll be covering all things Chelsea, although sometimes I'll throw in a bit of extra soccer-related stuff about other teams/leagues I'm following (such as MLS and Toronto FC - I do live there, after all). Hopefully it will be a fun experience.
As you can see in the survey question (unless more people have answered the poll about who will win the EPL this year), I've said that Chelsea will take it all this year. While I can just hear the scoffers telling me that the title will be heading to Manchester this year (albeit which Manchester club, nobody knows), I do believe that the Blues have the ability to bring it home. Although, that does depend on quite a few important factors:
1. Fernando Torres returning to form.
This is going to be a major one. Since new Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas seems to be happy playing Fernando Torres up front for awhile, I think I speak for every Chelsea fan when I say that he needs to score some goals. While the pre-season has seen glimpses of the old Liverpool-Torres again, hopefully that can continue throughout the season and he can be the club's top scorer this year. Especially now with Juan Mata playing on the wings, the two Spanish players have the ability to link up well and produce some great opportunities. While Torres has still only scored one goal in about 18 games, we must not forget that he's a world class striker who has a good shot and can lead teams to victory.
2. Finding someone who can create chances and link up well with the strikers.
This is something that Chelsea have been lacking in previous seasons, and this is the main reason why AVB is so desperate to reach a deal with Luka Modric (I'll talk about his situation later). Chelsea's new signing Juan Mata did this brilliantly in the 23 minutes that he played against Norwich. He revitalized a struggling team and instantly created a beautiful chance for Torres, showing that the two Spaniards have good chemistry. He's quick on his feet and takes advantage of situations, scoring a goal by capitalizing on the mistake of a Norwich defender. His creativity and intelligence is exactly the kind of thing that AVB was hoping to bring to the Bridge this season. Unfortunately, it will take a lot more than just Juan Mata to bring Chelsea to the title. That is why, on the last day of the transfer window, Chelsea are itching to complete deals with a number of midfielding prospects, such as Kevin de Bruyne, Luka Modric, Alvaro Pereira, and Raul Meireles. Unfortunately, things look tough for a number of those deals, but I guess we'll see who we can snatch up before the window closes. If none of these possible targets end up at the bridge, who knows? There might be a place on the starting eleven for rising youngster Josh McEachran, which could be very interesting.
3. The fitness of Petr Cech.
It's been incredibly unfortunate that veteran Petr Cech managed to get injured for the first month of the season. While Henrique Hilario has been a decent replacement, a few errors have cost Chelsea a goal and lots of stress. Chelsea cannot afford to give up any goals this season due to error, because the two Manchester clubs and Liverpool will be waiting in the wings, ready to pounce on any opportunity where Chelsea don't end up with the full three points. A young, new goalkeeping prospect named Thibaut Courtois has been signed this season, who is likely to be the long-term replacement for Petr Cech. He's out on loan this season to Atletico Madrid however, and therefore won't be able to be a backup keeper if something unfortunate happens to Cech. Chelsea have been thinking about signing Juventus' veteran backup keeper, 34-year old Marco Storari, as a replacement for Hilario, although it doesn't look like that deal will be completed in the next few hours, forcing both clubs to wait. Until that time Chelsea fans will have to hope that Petr Cech stays healthy.
4. A strong bench.
If you were to take a look at Manchester United's bench, you would see a list of players that, on most other teams, would all be some of the most prolific players on those teams. For example, players like Dimitar Berbatov, Ryan Giggs, Park Ji-sung, Michael Carrick, and Fabio. That's one hell of a bench. Any one of those players could take over for an injured player in the starting eleven, and they wouldn't be seen as a weak link. Chelsea have quite a decent bunch of substitutes this season, with players such as Nicholas Anelka, Paulo Ferreira, Romelu Lukaku, and Josh McEachran lining the bench. While it may not be as strong as Manchested United's, what's important is keeping it solid and preparing for every eventuality in terms of players and positioning. If this is done then player injuries aren't as big of a threat to Chelsea's title chances.
Anyway, that was my first blog post - hope you all enjoyed it. Definitely more to come, especially when the transfer season ends and we see who's arrived to Stamford Bridge. Up Chelsea!
Cheers,
~Matt
Anyway, as you can see by my domain name and the About Me page, I'm a huge Chelsea fan living in Toronto. In this blog I'll be covering all things Chelsea, although sometimes I'll throw in a bit of extra soccer-related stuff about other teams/leagues I'm following (such as MLS and Toronto FC - I do live there, after all). Hopefully it will be a fun experience.
As you can see in the survey question (unless more people have answered the poll about who will win the EPL this year), I've said that Chelsea will take it all this year. While I can just hear the scoffers telling me that the title will be heading to Manchester this year (albeit which Manchester club, nobody knows), I do believe that the Blues have the ability to bring it home. Although, that does depend on quite a few important factors:
1. Fernando Torres returning to form.
This is going to be a major one. Since new Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas seems to be happy playing Fernando Torres up front for awhile, I think I speak for every Chelsea fan when I say that he needs to score some goals. While the pre-season has seen glimpses of the old Liverpool-Torres again, hopefully that can continue throughout the season and he can be the club's top scorer this year. Especially now with Juan Mata playing on the wings, the two Spanish players have the ability to link up well and produce some great opportunities. While Torres has still only scored one goal in about 18 games, we must not forget that he's a world class striker who has a good shot and can lead teams to victory.
2. Finding someone who can create chances and link up well with the strikers.
This is something that Chelsea have been lacking in previous seasons, and this is the main reason why AVB is so desperate to reach a deal with Luka Modric (I'll talk about his situation later). Chelsea's new signing Juan Mata did this brilliantly in the 23 minutes that he played against Norwich. He revitalized a struggling team and instantly created a beautiful chance for Torres, showing that the two Spaniards have good chemistry. He's quick on his feet and takes advantage of situations, scoring a goal by capitalizing on the mistake of a Norwich defender. His creativity and intelligence is exactly the kind of thing that AVB was hoping to bring to the Bridge this season. Unfortunately, it will take a lot more than just Juan Mata to bring Chelsea to the title. That is why, on the last day of the transfer window, Chelsea are itching to complete deals with a number of midfielding prospects, such as Kevin de Bruyne, Luka Modric, Alvaro Pereira, and Raul Meireles. Unfortunately, things look tough for a number of those deals, but I guess we'll see who we can snatch up before the window closes. If none of these possible targets end up at the bridge, who knows? There might be a place on the starting eleven for rising youngster Josh McEachran, which could be very interesting.
3. The fitness of Petr Cech.
It's been incredibly unfortunate that veteran Petr Cech managed to get injured for the first month of the season. While Henrique Hilario has been a decent replacement, a few errors have cost Chelsea a goal and lots of stress. Chelsea cannot afford to give up any goals this season due to error, because the two Manchester clubs and Liverpool will be waiting in the wings, ready to pounce on any opportunity where Chelsea don't end up with the full three points. A young, new goalkeeping prospect named Thibaut Courtois has been signed this season, who is likely to be the long-term replacement for Petr Cech. He's out on loan this season to Atletico Madrid however, and therefore won't be able to be a backup keeper if something unfortunate happens to Cech. Chelsea have been thinking about signing Juventus' veteran backup keeper, 34-year old Marco Storari, as a replacement for Hilario, although it doesn't look like that deal will be completed in the next few hours, forcing both clubs to wait. Until that time Chelsea fans will have to hope that Petr Cech stays healthy.
4. A strong bench.
If you were to take a look at Manchester United's bench, you would see a list of players that, on most other teams, would all be some of the most prolific players on those teams. For example, players like Dimitar Berbatov, Ryan Giggs, Park Ji-sung, Michael Carrick, and Fabio. That's one hell of a bench. Any one of those players could take over for an injured player in the starting eleven, and they wouldn't be seen as a weak link. Chelsea have quite a decent bunch of substitutes this season, with players such as Nicholas Anelka, Paulo Ferreira, Romelu Lukaku, and Josh McEachran lining the bench. While it may not be as strong as Manchested United's, what's important is keeping it solid and preparing for every eventuality in terms of players and positioning. If this is done then player injuries aren't as big of a threat to Chelsea's title chances.
Anyway, that was my first blog post - hope you all enjoyed it. Definitely more to come, especially when the transfer season ends and we see who's arrived to Stamford Bridge. Up Chelsea!
Cheers,
~Matt
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