Monday 31 January 2011


'Chelsea have broken the British transfer record by paying a reported £50m to seal the capture of striker Fernando Torres from Liverpool.
The 26-year-old Spain international forward signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with the Blues.
"This is the target for every footballer - to try to play for one of the top clubs in the world," he said.
"They [Chelsea] are one of the biggest teams in Europe and are always fighting for everything."
The signing was pushed through shortly before the transfer deadline and came on a dramatic day, with Chelsea and Liverpool involved in the four biggest transfers of the day.
The Anfield club looked to plug the gap left by Torres leaving by signing two strikers - Uruguayan Luis Suarez from Ajax for £22.7m and Andy Carroll from Newcastle for £35m.
Chelsea also brought in Benfica defender David Luiz for a reported fee of £21.3m.
But it will be the capture of Torres that sends out the strongest message that the club remain a force to be reckoned with in the transfer market.
Torres, a World Cup winner in 2010 and European champion in 2008 with Spain, spent three-and-a-half years at Liverpool after joining from Atletico Madrid for a fee of £20m, scoring 81 goals in 142 matches.
"I'm so happy and proud to be here," added Torres. "It's been two, three, four very hard days for me. I'm really happy - this is a great club. I'm prepared and ready for the challenge.
BIGGEST WORLD TRANSFERS
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (£80m)
Man Utd-Real Madrid (July 2009)
2. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (£56.5m)
Inter Milan-Barcelona (July 2009)
3. Kaka (£56m)
AC Milan-Real Madrid (June 2009)
4. Fernando Torres (£50m)
Liverpool-Chelsea (Jan 2011)
"I know there are many great players here and I will work hard to win a place in the team.
"I am looking forward very much to helping my new team-mates this season and for many years to come."
Torres becomes the fourth most expensive signing in world football behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Kaka.
Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck added: "This is a very significant day for Chelsea, capturing one of the best players in the world with his peak years ahead of him.
"We have long admired the talents of a player who is a proven goalscorer in English football and Fernando's arrival is a sign of our continuing high ambitious. I hope every Chelsea fan is as excited as I am with this news."
The Reds rejected a £35m bid from Chelsea after Torres' transfer request was turned down on Friday.
But with Torres clearly intent on a move away from Anfield the Reds finally accepted defeat and cashed in on their prize asset.
Manager Kenny Dalglish said earlier on Monday: "Movement is part and parcel of football but the most important people at Liverpool Football Club are the ones who want to be here."
Liverpool had been angered by the timing of Torres' transfer request last week and reportedly believe the London club "tapped up" the player by encouraging him to express a desire to leave.
Torres had a £50m release clause in his contract that entitled him to leave if the Merseysiders, who are seventh in the Premier League, failed to qualify for the Champions League this season.
Torres, who signed a six-year contract when he joined the Reds, had been linked with Chelsea before.
The west Londoners were reported to be interested in luring the Spaniard from Anfield in the summer of 2008 and made a bid in May 2010, but after helping Spain win the World Cup in June, Torres pledged his future to Liverpool.
He said at the time: "My commitment and loyalty to the club and to the fans is the same as it was on my first day when I signed."
Torres notched three hat-tricks in his first season at Liverpool, scoring 33 goals in 46 appearances, and netted the winner as Spain beat Germany 1-0 to win the European Championship in 2008.
Hamstring injuries plagued him during the 2008-09 season but he still managed 17 goals in 38 games, while groin problems and knee surgery disrupted his 2009-10 campaign, although he still managed to find the net 22 times in 32 games.
Torres picked up a World Cup winners' medal with Spain but he failed to score during the finals in South Africa and pulled up with an abductor problem in the final, having come on as an 89th-minute substitute in the 1-0 victory over the Netherlands.
He has endured an indifferent 2010-11 season, scoring only nine goals in 26 games.'
Here are the players from the EPL league who I feel graced South Africa with their talents. Your debate and opinion is of course welcome, so please comment and tell the world your top 10. 



10 Park Ji-Sung (South Korea and Manchester United)
South Korea were a ray of light in South Africa until their second round exit. They were one of the few underdogs who played with energy, positivity and freedom. Park epitomised this. The player of seemingly any position showed relentless running and athleticism, and showed opportunistic qualities in his goal against Greece. After an embarrassing passage of clumsy passing at the back from the Greeks, Park scrapped for the ball and breezed past two challenges resembling a young Michael Owen, before finishing in serene fashion by passing into the bottom right hand corner. The David Beckham of South Korean football carried his team well and led by example. 

9 Javier Hernandez (Mexico and Manchester United) 

  Wayne Rooney’s lethargic performances contrasted with his new teammate Javier Hernandez’s divisive adventures in the Mexico side. The fearless 22-year-old has a frightening amount of confidence on the ball and evaded markers with ease at set pieces. He scored a beautiful goal against Argentina in the second round. Hernandez showed shades of Dennis Bergkamp by casually dragging the ball and turning his man on the edge of the box. He rotated to face goal and slammed home a no nonsense Ruud van Nistelrooy style finish, booting the ball into the roof of the net. Signed for an undisclosed fee by Alex Ferguson, the Scot will hope Hernandez can succeed where the likes of Diego Forlan and Giuseppe Rossi have failed. 

8 Robin van Persie (Holland and Arsenal)

Having appeared in just 20 matches for Arsenal last season, Van Persie’s blossoming reputation would obviously outweigh his niggling ankle injury. The silky swivels on the ball were present, but the sharpness and final touch were not. However, you do not become a bad player overnight, and Van Persie scored against Cameroon after a defence splitting one-two with Real Madrid’s Rafael van der Vaart. The 6 foot striker weighed in with 3 assists and was helpful to his side as opposed to wholly invaluable. He was one of many Dutch hopes who did not deliver in the final. He is still clearly one of the best finishers and most skilful centre-forwards around, and one wonders what Holland would have achieved if a fully fit Van Persie had boarded the plane to South Africa. 
7 Jerome Boateng (Germany and Manchester City)

  The German defence were one of the most unaccommodating in South Africa, conceding just 5 goals. Jerome Boateng was a reliable figure in their back line in the 394 minutes which he played. The 21-year-old showed unflinching discipline to allow those above him on the flanks to attack, and was calm in defensive duties, conceding just 3 fouls. If you look closely at the Germans stampeding forward before their third goal against England, Boateng started the attack, tapping the ball towards the unplayable Thomas Mueller as England’s defence frayed. Manchester City’s new singing is an industrious worker, and became the first footballer to face a sibling at the World Cup this summer. He faced brother Kevin-Prince Boateng when the Germans played Ghana.
6 Clint Dempsey (USA and Fulham) 

When you consider that Clint Dempsey grew up in an American trailer park, his immense exploits at the World Cup seem even more unforgettable. Unforgettable became unbelievable after Dempsey’s speculative effort against England spilled through Rob Green in Group C’s opening match. A penetrating runner when played on the flanks or as a traditional striker, Dempsey had 11 shots on target during the tournament. As a youngster, Dempsey’s Dallas Texans teammates put funds towards his football as his family could no longer afford it. Coming into the World Cup after a Europe League final with Fulham, it is heart-warming to see a protagonist of the tournament lacking the ego of those who failed in South Africa. 
5 Cesc Fabregas (Spain and Arsenal)

Largely involved in sub-plots at International level, Fabregas excelled himself and had a huge hand in the scripting of Spain’s blockbuster World Cup win. Despite only playing for 123 minutes, Arsenal’s skipper wrote himself into Spanish folklore by showing quick thinking in slotting through Andres Iniesta for the goal which won Spain the tournament. The 23-year-old breathed new life into his fatigued side as a substitute in the final. He could have scored but his close range one-on-one effort was smothered in dramatic fashion by Maarten Stekelenburg. And if reports are to be believed, the energetic terrier in the middle of the park could be linking up with many of his International teammates at club level. Watch this space. 
4 Richard Kingson (Ghana and Wigan Athletic) 

Ghana’s Richard Kingson was a relative unknown at the start of the World Cup. A few weeks later, he was keeping Africa’s hopes alive with a string of superhuman saves. Against USA, Jozy Altidore was hurtling towards goal unmarked, but Kingson darted from his goal to complete an impossibly calm sliding tackle. Ghana were so cruelly eliminated on penalties in a thrilling quarter-final against Uruguay, despite Kingson’s heroics in thwarting Luis Saurez twice. 32-year-old Kingson’s journey to South Africa was a heartening yet turbulent one. He played in footballing backwaters in Turkey and Sweden and has had 11 different clubs, never staying at any club for more than two seasons. 
3 Robinho (Brazil and Manchester City) 

On the basis of this diminutive Brazilian’s performances over the last month, it is hard to believe he failed to score in 10 league appearances for Manchester City last season. Recently on loan at Santos, his ingenious through ball left former City teammate Elano with an easy finish against North Korea. The man who cost Real Madrid around £30m scored twice in South Africa, the highlight of which being a weighted, beautifully dropping chip against Chile. As well as using tricky skills, Robinho was one of many Brazilians who mirrored the combative, workmanlike ethic of then manager Dunga, a part of his game largely absent for City.

2 Carlos Tevez (Argentina and Manchester City) 

In the opening weeks before their forlorn surrender against Germany, Argentina ignited the tournament, playing in a boundless, attacking fashion. Carlos Tevez was the inspiration for many of their memorable moments and scored twice against Mexico in Soccer City, Johannesburg. It was in this second round match that Tevez produced one of the goals of the tournament. 25 yards from goal, with the ball running slightly behind him, Tevez cut back before a defender could react and hammered the ball sweetly into the top corner at a ferocious velocity. Many players found it difficult to shoot from range with the Adidas Jo’bulani ball, but the Manchester City attacker was one of the few with the grace and technique to succeed.

1 Dirk Kuyt (Holland and Liverpool)

  With 3 assists, Dirk Kuyt topped the World Cup’s assists table with a host of other players. The Liverpool attacker was severely lacking in the final, but was a part of the Dutch’s lethal Kuyt-Sneijder-Robben midfield trio, who produced 8 goals and 5 assists between them in South Africa. Kuyt showed a great eye for a pass particularly in the last third, as well as optimum awareness of his teammates and opponents nearby. The 29-year-old is a slight enigma at club and country level however. Previously a goal grabber in the Netherlands for Feyernoord, Kuyt has been criticised at Liverpool and has switched to playing behind the striker. His lack of goals is irrelevant when you consider his other attributes. The World Cup has shown that in terms of killer passes, creativity and endless labouring, there are few better in the Premier League than Dirk Kuyt.

Ronaldinho is one of the Best

Ronaldinho shows us some of his unbelievable tekkers

Mad Skills

Ronaldo showing what he is made of with some mad skills

Andy Carroll

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish has targeted Newcastle forward Andy Carroll as a replacement for Torres and is prepared to spend £30m to lure the 22-year-old to Anfield. However according to more reports this offer has been turned down.

Torres

Chelsea are preparing to smash the British transfer record with a £50m offer for Liverpool striker Fernando Torres. However other reports are suggesting that the deal will only go through if the deal involves Anelka going the other way.

Sunday 30 January 2011

Transfer Gossip

Hi Guys

In this blog I will be discussing transfer rumours throughout the EPL and SPL, and also evaluting how probable they are to happen