Rivals in the Transfer Market - are there really any justifiable reasons to be fearful?

[Dorset]

Let’s face it, no matter the player, no matter the fee, we all know the one constant in this wheeler-dealer world of football transfers is the certainty that at sometime, somewhere, a discerning star or promising youngster will snub Chelsea in favour of another club. Deemed by the media to be more worthy than most, for a variety of trumped-up reasons designed primarily to bring us upstarts back down to earth with a deserved bump, these choosey superstars are said to exist at almost every turn and are involved in almost every deal, yet these days, in the wake of a Double-winning season, do we honestly have anything tangible to worry about when it comes to competition for a player’s signature? I think not. Neither do I believe in snub stories or wardrobe monsters and here’s why…

Long gone, along with belief in the sanctity of Wengerism and the viability of debt leverage, are those lazy, hazy days when players would turn up in droves at the gates of Old Trafford and Anfield and positively plead to perform for peanuts. Okay, they never actual did this in the first place, but it’s a nice analogy to use and one that hacks never cease to imply still exists in that little world of ordered superiority all of their own making. In truth, money talks now as much as it did back in the 1930’s Arse dominated heyday under Herbert Chapman right through to the early United dominated Premiership years, until Jack Walker (yes, money again) disturbed the status-cash-flow-quo with Blackburn Rovers.

It [the spending of a large sum of money on a player and his wages] never seemed to matter much back then and, if it did, the indulgence was studiously ignored until Roman took things a stage further, prompting mass rending of garments, gnashing of teeth, followed by a general outpouring of grief and outrage at the sheer unfairness of it all. Suddenly a destabilising force was amongst the football elite and the fact that it was called ‘money’ and was exactly the same force it had always been, seemed somehow to get missed in a translation that, once title success reared its [now reportedly] ugly head, soon turned the purchase of Chelsea into an abomination.

Whilst the descriptive tone has died down a little since the arrival of the Abu Dhabi boys at Citeh, the stigma engendered by it still remains and is refuelled by a predictable media reaction each time the transfer market is hyped up. Every available player worth his salt, which usually amounts to a £20 million plus fee, is accordingly deemed to be a realistic target for only a few clubs, but is bound to be one for us, even in the most ridiculous of cases and at least until sanity reigns and the guy concerned actually signs for a rival club, whereupon the snubbing references begin in earnest, as if it’s a punishment in print dished out for our impudence at being the wealthy bar stewards responsible for any inflation in price that might have occurred by the mere mention of our name at some stage in proceedings.

Therefore, against this backdrop, why should we not always be confident of winning the race for a signature? After all, on the domestic front there appears relatively little bang left for the Malcolm Glazer buck, while Wenger has his work cut out keeping his best players, seemingly having little enthusiasm for encouraging others into the mix, especially if they are in any way regarded as costly or of star quality. That leaves the project purveyors at Middle Eastlands, who seem a trifle drab to many a would be suitor after failing to tart themselves up with a cosmetic Champions League place, and dear old ’Arry, the perennial purchaser of this-and-that type of tat and you have to think, whilst he may well be able to buy big, he simply wont be able to break a habit of a lifetime by moving out of the bargain basement when it really matters and shop where top quality has to be recognised, often at a glance.

This leaves the major European contenders in any transfer tussle to consider and here we must bow down to Real Madrid, hardly the fount of footling amounts of cash since time immemorial and soon to be fronted by Jose, they will have their pick of the crop for sure, although the Special One does not have a perfect record in the transfer market when it comes to talent spotting at the younger end of any queue auditioning for a breakthrough part. He seems happier spotting an ageing Eto’o will always be a better bet than an overpriced Zlatan, but that’s not to say he can’t see the sense of pursuing an Aguero or a Torres, although little local difficulties might rule both these probable targets out. That leaves Barca, but as they have already splashed out on Villa and will continue to pursue a yet to be realistically priced Fabregas into what is bound to be silly money territory, I think the worst may be over as far as they are concerned threat-wise.

So, unless AC Milan have recovered financially when we’ve not been looking, or Inter are not happy with what they’ve already got, you can perhaps see why I’m reasonably confident in my belief that should we fancy a player we’ve got a fair chance of getting him, despite the top flight opposition. In all honesty, bearing in mind our current status and taking into account the coach we have at the helm, the only worry I have for us in the present maelstrom of market conditions is the obvious one we’ve been reminded of interminably. Yes, fellow Shed Enders, it may be a truism, but the only thing we have to fear in the transfer market is not fear itself...it is the genuine snub…and, if you are CFC, regardless of the pathetic attempts to convince us to the contrary, I’m pretty sure you don’t get too many of those to the pound!

[coco]

No !

Man Citeh - No CL football, but lots of cash.

Manure - No cash - owners busy filling pockets.

Liverpoo - No cash - no CL football.

Le Arse - No cash.

Barca - Plenty of cash - no room for any more players without selling some top players.

Real Madrid - Plenty of cash - no room for any more players without selling some top players.

AC Milan - No cash.

Inter Milan - Probably wont make more than 1 top new signing.

That leaves a big door open for Chelsea - Players will be moving on leaving positions in the team that need to be filled, plenty of cash, CL football assured as Champions of England. I think were in a good position as far as transfers go this summer compared to previous summers.

Edited May 26, 2010 by coco

[Mikstaw]

Agreed with coco. Inter can sign only one big name I think...

[Virosh]

Excellent points, Dorset. I have to say I fully agree - the transfer market right now is as favourable as they get and I hope we have our targets lined up. For a top player not out of contract who wants to play top football, there are few places you can be.

[Mikstaw]

Completely agreed. Now players know, that we can get CL cup this season! Because we are very strong, and after a few transfers we can be much stronger!

[Barry Bridges]

Just so you know Dorset, Im going to start plaguerizing your articles and submit them to papers over here in my name ... jk:P

coco...I hear Barca is actually is quite a bit of debt and are still owing a few clubs money from previous transfers,,,,,

[coco]

Just so you know Dorset, Im going to start plaguerizing your articles and submit them to papers over here in my name ... jk:P

coco...I hear Barca is actually is quite a bit of debt and are still owing a few clubs money from previous transfers,,,,,

They get £150m for one season of TV rights in 2010/2011, another £100m+ from gate recepits, and another £120m from merchandise.

[Barry Bridges]

They get £150m for one season of TV rights in 2010/2011, another £100m+ from gate recepits, and another £120m from merchandise.

damn thats a lot of money, but you know what they say about a fool and their money

I wonder what their wage bill looks like....

[Mikstaw]

Laporta promised them big transfers and they get Villa. Is it over?

[Backbiter]

Yes, fellow Shed Enders, it may be a truism, but the only thing we have to fear in the transfer market is not fear itself...it is the genuine snub…and, if you are CFC, regardless of the pathetic attempts to convince us to the contrary, I’m pretty sure you don’t get too many of those to the pound!

We've not had to suffer too many of those in the recent past, but it is appropriate to recall some of them now:

Stevie GBH

Robbie Keane (chose Leeds over us)

David James (chose Liverpool)

Danny Rose (chose to stay at Leeds)

Neil Warnock (chose to stay at Notts County)

Not sure whether to include Ribery, Pato and Aguero here, as it might have just been press gossip

Edited May 26, 2010 by Backbiter

[kennypaul]

denis bergkamp-chose the gooners instead of us

giovanni dos santos (allegedly) chose spurs,who cares?

and lets not forget the great robinho! although technically real snubbed us (again allegedly)not him.

i dont know of any more off-hand.

Edited May 27, 2010 by kennypaul

[rahul]

We've not had to suffer too many of those in the recent past, but it is appropriate to recall some of them now:

Stevie GBH

Robbie Keane (chose Leeds over us)

David James (chose Liverpool)

Danny Rose (chose to stay at Leeds)

Neil Warnock (chose to stay at Notts County)

Not sure whether to include Ribery, Pato and Aguero here, as it might have just been press gossip

Pato definitely snubbed us for Milan when he was transferred from Brazil. Robinho snubbed us for Madrid back in the day.(So the filthy bar steward has snubbed us twice then!)