Chelsea begin their summer spending

Jivin Turkey

Could it spell the end for Wayne Bridge? Liverpool please.

http://skysports.planetfootball.com/list.asp?hlid=281286&CPID=8&CLID=&lid=2&title=Blues+edge+towards+first+deal&channel=Football_Home

Chelsea are expected to complete the signing of Asier Del Horno early next week.

The formalities of the deal have been concluded after Chelsea instructed Jorge Mendes - agent of boss Jose Mourinho - to broker the move.

The transfer, worth a basic €14 million for Athletic Bilbao, will be sealed once the two clubs' top men - Peter Kenyon and Fernando Lamikitz - have exchanged faxes.

Del Horno was expected to play his last game for Bilbao on Sunday against Numancia, but the club do not want him to risk getting injured and jeopardising the move.

The 24-year-old has already agreed terms on a four-year contract, but he is not expected to be unveiled until later next month.

Del Horno will have the next few days off before linking up with the Spanish national squad ahead of their double header against Lithuania and Bosnia.

"To remember how it was at San Mames, it is not going to be easy to forget that," said Del Horno.

"For me I could easily have gone for free like many foreigners, but now Athletic go away with a great amount of money for my leaving."

David19

I suppose that means Cole isn't going to Chelsea. Del Horno will be going there to be first choice left back I imagine.

PHB

So, the second of Mourinhos new players.
Lets see how good he is in the transfer market

sleepwalker

honestly never heard of him id be trusting of mourinhos instincts for players though and its now sure to be a scary back four

Jivin Turkey

Hes a fairly strong left back, he can play in the centre as well if I remember correctly.

Balfa

I'm kinda fed up with losing english first team positions to portuguese players. Yeah, technically he's spanish, but he plays for a portuguese team. Why do managers always favour players from the own country? Look at Wenger, O'Leary, Houllier and now Benitez.

It's getting kinda old.

Gangsta

Bilbao are a Spanish team?

David19

Balfa wrote:

I'm kinda fed up with losing english first team positions to portuguese players. Yeah, technically he's spanish, but he plays for a portuguese team. Why do managers always favour players from the own country? Look at Wenger, O'Leary, Houllier and now Benitez.

It's getting kinda old.

Are you English? If not why would you care? He plays for a spanish team...
To answer your question, foreign players are cheaper and there's a much wider selection.

Balfa

Oops. Silly me. Anyway, my point still stands. Managers prefer players from their own country. And saying that foreign players are cheaper and there's a wider selection doesn't do anything to explain why.

edit: I care because Chelsea are English. Where I'm from is irrelevant.

It was nice when Abramovich first arrived, because they bought joe cole and wayne bridge and scott parker and glen johnson, and that made it feel like it wasn't going to turn into a multinational team that'd be lucky to field 2 english players.

segadreamcast

Balfa wrote:

Oops. Silly me. Anyway, my point still stands. Managers prefer players from their own country. And saying that foreign players are cheaper and there's a wider selection doesn't do anything to explain why.

edit: I care because Chelsea are English. Where I'm from is irrelevant.

Football is business now.

If they can buy a cheaper product, who cares if it's foreign? The same principle applies to my Mum shopping at Lidl.

PHB

Any decent English player is hyped up by the media.
Look at SWP.
The way the English press talk about him its like he is Joaoquin or something.
Similar price tags are being thrown around for each player.
Who would you pick?
Much better to go abroad

David19

They're buying a cheaper player who is usually equally as good, if not better. How does that not make sense?

Jivin Turkey

Balfa wrote:

Look at Wenger, O'Leary, Houllier and now Benitez.

Two of Arsenals starting XI are French. Two or three of Benetiz's are Spanish. Do any Irish players play for Villa?

Whats your point?

gsand

del horno is an excellent player

been touted around the biggest sides for couple years now

tbh hes prolly better than bridge so i doubt it has much to do with nationality

_blank_

NoelRock wrote:

The same principle applies to my Mum shopping at Lidl.

Is she German?

The shame of it all.

OY

its now sure to be a scary back four

This is a good move, selling Baba last season did cost us with Gallas playing out of position and openly unhappy!

This man will be our first choice IMO with

According to mourhino there is still a midfielder and a striker to come... happy days!

andyman

WHEN WILL THESE TRANSFER SPREES END :mad:

Bannor

He had agreed last year to a move to Barcelona this summer but contacted the club a month or so ago to say that the money being offered by Chelsea was too good to turn down - he's only doing it for the money. He's one of the best young attacking fullbacks around but can be a bit suspect defensively.

Makaveli

I was hoping he would go to Barca, guess that wont be happening now.

KdjaCL

Balfa wrote:

Oops. Silly me. Anyway, my point still stands. Managers prefer players from their own country. And saying that foreign players are cheaper and there's a wider selection doesn't do anything to explain why.

Their better players simple as that.

The way the English press talk about him its like he is Joaoquin or something.

How do you know Joaquin is good? Rarley on Spanish Football only way you would hear about is from reports from Spanish press....OMFG hes spanish!!!!!!!!!!!!


kdjac

Kimbot

KdjaC wrote:

Their better players simple as that.




How do you know Joaquin is good? Rarley on Spanish Football only way you would hear about is from reports from Spanish press....OMFG hes spanish!!!!!!!!!!!!


kdjac

Joaquin is a the best right winger in the world. he was spains best player last year and Betis won't be able to hang on to him though. He can change a game in an instant, he is one of those players.........

KdjaCL

jonny24ie wrote:

Joaquin is a the best right winger in the world. he was spains best player last year and Betis won't be able to hang on to him though. He can change a game in an instant, he is one of those players.........

Still Betis only on Sky 6 times this season he didnt play in 2 of the games.
Was **** in 3 of them and scored in the other one.

In case you missed it point was he is mega hyped by spanish press just like Raul was and SWP is atm, Raul couldnt buy a goal these days.


Oh and hes only the best cos Man Utd and Chelsea are after him.
kdjac

Guy:Incognito

Balfa wrote:

Look at Wenger, O'Leary, Houllier and now Benitez.
.

And Fergie, oh no, he's Scottish, no fear of an invasion on that front

David19

KdjaC wrote:

Still Betis only on Sky 6 times this season he didnt play in 2 of the games.
Was **** in 3 of them and scored in the other one.

In case you missed it point was he is mega hyped by spanish press just like Raul was and SWP is atm, Raul couldnt buy a goal these days.


Oh and hes only the best cos Man Utd and Chelsea are after him.
kdjac

Are you implying that Raul isn't that great? He's the top goal scorer for the spanish national side, the spanish league and the champions league. All before his mid 20's! Anyway, I agree with your point about Joaquin.

Balfa

andyman wrote:

WHEN WILL THESE TRANSFER SPREES END :mad:

I think Abramovich said that in the long run he was intending to spend double what he had spent by the time his first transfer window closed. I can't remember what the exact figure was at that point, but including Chelsea itself, Duff, Crespo, Veron et al, i think it was 150 million. Now I can't remember if that was pounds or euros either

So we're looking at the big spending stopping at 300 million pounds or euros, and after that just regular maintenance spending.

How much has he spent so far?

Gangsta

200million. I'm pretty sure that's it

Bannor

And so it begins ...

About two hours ago Laporte (Barca president) rang Perez (Real president) and asked him to put prices on each of Real's players heads. Perez wasn't in the mood for joking - he said he was waiting on an important call from Kenyon and hung up the phone. Laporte called back to say that Chelsea don't want Ronaldo, they've just offered Barcelona €55M for Eto'o.

Ping Chow Chi

I would love to see Eto'o in the prem

Bannor

I don't think Laporte will accept the offer - the Barca fans would lynch him. If Chelsea really want him then they will bid higher and possibly offer players in exchange (Crespo for instance).

Big Ears

Bannor wrote:

I don't think Laporte will accept the offer - the Barca fans would lynch him. If Chelsea really want him then they will bid higher and possibly offer players in exchange (Crespo for instance).

If Eto'o does stay whats going to happen to Saviola ? , I doubt he'll want to be competeing with Maxi Lopez and Henrik Larrson just to be second choice striker in a team that only uses one .

Ardent

Jivin Turkey wrote:

Two of Arsenals starting XI are French.

Wenger - Henry, Vieira, Pires, Wiltord, Grimandi, Anelka, Cygan, Petit, Garde.

Houllier - Cheyrou, Traore, Vignal, Cisse, Anelka, Le Tallec, Pongolle

Benitez - Morientes, Josemi, Alonso, Garcia, Reina

Whats your point?

I think I get his point.

The Clown Man

Eto'o won't come to Chelsea.

He wanted Chelsea to sign him last year buy they chose Drogba over him and he was totally p*ssed.

His build up to the quarter final was how he would love to beat the team that didn't sign him.

Bannor

Big Ears wrote:

If Eto'o does stay whats going to happen to Saviola ? , I doubt he'll want to be competeing with Maxi Lopez and Henrik Larrson just to be second choice striker in a team that only uses one .

Saviola is for sale. Barca are looking to offload both him and Riquelme at the moment.

Mitch Connor

Bannor wrote:

Saviola is for sale. Barca are looking to offload both him and Riquelme at the moment.

Bannor - any good news for United fans at all? I hear its very very likely ruud will be sold this summer, any chance of a deal swapping ruud and eto'o? any good news? i'm desperate!

Bannor

Man Utd have made an offer of RVN + £8M for Eto'o. Laporte has told them to treble the cash part of the offer and he'll consider it to be equal to the current Chelsea bid. He's only toying with Man Utd.

Ballack has said no to Barcelona once again. The stumbling point was the basic salary - Barca were offering a lower basic salary than he thought he's worth. His agent is expected to take in a tour of the UK in the next couple of weeks.

KdjaCL

Chelsea have offered Crespo and 18 mil for Eto.


kdjac

Big Ears

Bannor wrote:

Saviola is for sale. Barca are looking to offload both him and Riquelme at the moment.

So do you reckon Villareal will use cash that they are certain to make from being in the Champions League to buy Riquelme or will some bigger sides be after him . (they should IMHO after the season he has had )

TwoShedsJackson

And not one childish remark about Del Horno's surname, I'm shocked.

Balfa

Ardent wrote:

I think I get his point.

Thanks, Ardent.

Bannor

Big Ears wrote:

So do you reckon Villareal will use cash that they are certain to make from being in the Champions League to buy Riquelme or will some bigger sides be after him . (they should IMHO after the season he has had )

Villareal can't afford his wages - Barca were paying a huge chunk of his wages this season (same story with Kluivert at Newcastle). At the moment there is nobody expressing any interest in a permanent move for the player.

Jivin Turkey

Balfa wrote:

Thanks, Ardent.

I got your point too, I just think the answer is blatantly obvious.

CorkMan

Chelski won't get Eto'o.

Anyways, Real are getting the best transfer by far this summer in Robinho from Santos.

gsand

I read arsenal are trying to sneak in on robinho and he admitted there were talks....he wants to play with henry

Big Ears

Riquelme now looks likely to go to Athletico Madrid .

smuckers

Chelsea have apparantally had a 30mil bid accepted for the italian striker Gilardinho, Essien has been joining for last month., Forssell was supposed to be joining Everton yesterday, its swing and roundabouts at the moment, I think JM and Bruce Buck could be bluffing regarding only 3 in.
JM never bluffs.