Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Premier League
Chelsea set to sign Alves as the big three attempt to gain the edge in £130m splurge
The Premier League’s big three are certainly not resting on their laurels. Manchester United have been the busiest by far, spending over £50m on just three players, while Liverpool after some delay have opened the chequebook to break their record transfer fee for Fernando Torres and will add Ryan Babel and Yossi Benayoun shortly to [...]
The Premier League’s big three are certainly not resting on their laurels. Manchester United have been the busiest by far, spending over £50m on just three players, while Liverpool after some delay have opened the chequebook to break their record transfer fee for Fernando Torres and will add Ryan Babel and Yossi Benayoun shortly to take their summer outlay to over £40m. And, after reports that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich would no longer allow José Mourinho to fritter away large sums of cash, the 2006 league champions have paid £13.5m for Florent Malouda and Sevilla’s Dani Alves is set to be next.
The new television deal has not disappointed in terms of transfer activity. Relegation will have a profound impact on a club as the financial gap between the Premier League and Championship widens and at the top, as Manchester United spend to reinforce their position domestically and in Europe, both Liverpool and Chelsea feel it necessary to follow suit. Rafael Benítez’s side were a distance behind the top two last season and are attempting to bridge this gap and Chelsea acknowledge that their 2006/7 squad was too brittle – additions are essential.
Now Alves, the most exciting right-back in world football, appears close to moving to Stamford Bridge in Mourinho’s fifth major signing. The Portuguese coach has already secured three free transfers – Tal Ben Haim, Claudio Pizarro and Steve Sidwell – and then captured Lyons midfielder Malouda. Chelsea have been in discussions with Sevilla regarding Khalid Boulahrouz – also a right-back – who is expected to leave the London club, and it is thought they have bid €20m (£13.5m) for the impressive Brazilian full-back, though the fee could rise to €30m (£20m) based on the club’s achievements.
Alves is one of the hottest properties on the continent and Spanish press report Real Madrid and AC Milan are also pursuing the 24-year-old, but it is Chelsea who look to have won the battle for his signature by outbidding their competitors. Italian clubs no longer have financial muscle in the transfer market – Milan’s highest bid was €20m – while Real are purportedly chasing other targets. Alves has only recently become a part of the Brazilian national team set-up but has shone for Sevilla over the last two seasons. He has often been compared with former national great Roberto Carlos due to his no nonsense defending style, eagerness to storm up the wing and ability from set-pieces. Carlos may have played on the opposite flank, but their approaches are fascinatingly similar.
Chelsea’s overall expenditure would reach £30m if Alves lands in the capital, indicating that they are indeed apprehensive about Liverpool and Manchester United’s movement so far in the window. Mourinho realises last year’s title challenge faltered partly because of the makeshift defence that was used when John Terry was injured and Michael Essien was forced to play at right-back. He did not trust Boulahrouz and consequently Chelsea’s usually dependable defence were conceding silly goals, such as against Reading and Fulham when crucial points were dropped. The introduction of Alves will go some way to solve these defensive frailties and more players will surely head to West London before the end of August as Mourinho looks to fine-tune his compact squad.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s purchases signify that the United versus Chelsea battle of style will resume next campaign
Current champions Manchester United have brought in Nani and Anderson from Portugal for as much as £35m and Owen Hargreaves from Bayern Munich for £16.3m. Another star will shortly be added to their ranks in the shape of Carlos Tévez, who will complete a two-year loan deal worth £10m as soon as the Premier League cease their protests.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s purchases signify that the United versus Chelsea battle of style will resume next campaign. The terrifying thought of Ronaldo, Rooney, Tévez, Nani and Anderson playing in tandem personifies the Manchester United maxim that attacking football is best, while Mourinho’s side are conventionally cautious.
The pretender’s for the crown are Liverpool. Following an impasse between Benítez and new owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks, the coach was eventually given funds to transform the club from cup specialists into league champions. The biggest single transaction was completed for Atlético Madrid’s Fernando Torres – a record £26.5m was spent – and Yossi Benayoun has joined the 23-year-old in a £4m deal from West Ham. Ryan Babel, the exciting Dutch youngster who was linked with Arsenal, is nearing a move for £13.5m from Ajax, which would take Liverpool’s outlay to over £40m. Andrey Voronin has arrived on a free from Bayer Leverkusen while Benítez has raked in £20m by selling four players.
Arsenal’s sale of Thierry Henry and lack of transfer funds has effectively ruled them out of challenging for the title, though Arsène Wenger is adamant that his squad is capable of contending. However, if the Emirates is partying next May, it would undoubtedly be the greatest astonishment of the Premier League’s history and Paddy Power is offering 10/1 that the tactical maestro will be able to weave further magic on a youthful side.
Mourinho says the pressure is on Manchester United and Liverpool to perform next season after a busy summer, “We know that in the previous three seasons when we spent some millions, everybody pointed at us as the team with more responsibility because we were the spenders in the market,” he remarked. “That’s not the case this season. Every club does its own analysis of the market and their needs. The only player we’ve bought was Malouda. We are very happy with that.”
When Abramovich first entered English football, the shock at Chelsea’s huge spending and seemingly limitless pockets was palpable across the continent. Four years on, and the spectacle of the three biggest clubs splurging £130m between them is typical in the struggle for primacy in the Premier and Champions Leagues.
Clearly, though, the trio can’t all attain their objectives. The cost of failure will be widely felt but triumph in such a competitive climate would be particularly sweet, especially for the three exceptional managers who are all vying for vindication.
Will Chelsea’s lack of spending cost them a shot at the title? Share your views by leaving a comment below.
Related Articles
Discussion
14 comments for “Chelsea set to sign Alves as the big three attempt to gain the edge in £130m splurge”
Post a comment
Welcome to Footballing World
Recent Posts
In Focus
Jonathon Craigie believes Rafa Benítez has finally found the key to securing Premier League glory for Liverpool.
Featured Posts
Fabio Capello's reign began slowly but England have since shone in World Cup qualifying, a return to the days of Sven-Goran Eriksson when progressing into major tournaments was always a facile task.
Jonathan O'Shea looks at the English quartet's chances of progressing into the knockout stages of the Uefa Cup.
How important is Javier Mascherano for Liverpool? Chakrit Narula believes the all-action Argentine could be a future captain following his terrific impact since arriving at Anfield.
Alves is a troublemaker and a flash git.
Should fit in nicely at the Gulag.
Wonderfully researched and learned article!!
This is not.
Very good piece… It has got me thinking. I am a Liverpool fan and on that basis I can see us faltering and not living up to the labell of title contenders. I can see Rafa leave next Summer unless we make a serious push for the elusive Premiership. I cant see either Rafa or the new owners happy with another mediocore season in England. OK we do have a certin way of football that suits Europe and the majority of our players are Spainish based, but I really dont care once we get the trophies.
While Cheasle are still the biggest spenders but that won’t matter if they win it back. Surely Ballack and Sheva can only get better after an attrocious first season in the biggest and best league in the world.
United are undoubtadly going to be an attacking force to be reckoned with, but will Nani and Anderson prove to be big boys in a mans league, I can see both of them watching from the stands matches against Newcastle and Fulham were the United could face the possibility of being out muscled. And how good is Rio and co.? I dont much rate Van Der Saar or a certin Neville or Silvestre. United’s attacking brillance will definately mask the defencive fralties…
I would obviously love to see Liverpool win it and get the monkey off our back. I just hope we can transmit our midfield dominance to goals.
err, wind yer neck in, nani and anderson were signed for an initial ~15m quid for the two of them [for intellectually handicaped: anderson initial fee +(plus) nani initial fee =(equals) 15m(fifteen million quid)], which could rise to about 30-32m. neither the fee for hargreaves is 17m up front. oh and loan fee for tevez is 6 mio payable over two years.
just where is this hyperbole coming from. i don’t understand the need to bullshit so much, as if you’d want to impress someone with the large fees. where did that ethos go of actually reporting facts? or is this just a pipe dream?
Sorry if you want to be taken seriously as a journalist do your research. You mention all of man u and Chelsea’s signings but you forgot to mention, or probably don’t know about, Sebistian Leto and Lucas Leiva who Liverpool have signed from Lanus and Corenthians.
As many have said.. your “piece” (i wont call it an article) is silly and unresearched. Liverpool did not spend £26.5m on Torres. It was close to £20.2m. Both Liverpool and W/Ham agreed not to disclose Bennayoun’s transfer fee but you were at least close in saying £4m. Like adgv pointed out with the united signings, you are overdoing it on the young players fees. Babel is set to cost lfc about £8m to rise to about $12m based on performances. Italian clubs do have cash to spend, hence the placing of Eto’o on top of Milan’s wanted list. However, his price was bigger than pretty much any club would sanction. It was already reported that before the CL final, Rafa was told that he could talk to the player for a fee of no less than €50m. And all spending must take into account net amounts. Liverpool have been incredibly thrifty so far for a team expected to be a world beating club. So far, Chelsea have spent little this season too. Utd have been the only team to really go for it because it seems they had their plans in place long ago and wasted no time. I would expect that their spending for the season (januray transfers included) are done.
Yogi,
If you want to complain about someones reporting, you should then make sure that you are a hundred percent sure of your retort. Lucus Leiva is coming from Gremio and not Corinthians!
if anyone is fickle enough to think arsenal aren’t in the top 3 they can f**koff and start again
arsenal have not got a good enough squad to compete for a top three place.
1 - Man Utd
2 - Chelsea
3 - Liverpool
4 - Tottenham
5 - Portsmouth
6 - Arsenal
Brap
As an LFC fan have to disagree mate. Spurs may challenge you for fourth. However, your team in two seasons time will be the ones to beat.
i think no matter the signing man u and liverpool makes,chelsea will be a force to reckon with next season.
chelsea will surely surprise the other teams next season.
so arsenal are not in the top 4 because we havent signed anyone for a stupid price? its now the big 3 on your say so! shouldnt this be on merit? when did liverpool last win the prem? oh thats right… theyre a cup team, a good one, with a few outstanding players, gerrard alonso carragher etc, but still a cup team. no doubt they will do it one day because they have the history and the cash to attract big names AND good young players. but benitez has moaned in the past about having no money to spend despite spending some 70 million plus in his previous seasons with the club.
also pool fans should remembe beter than anyone that paying big money for a good striker doesnt guarantee it will happen (morientes, kuyt hasnt lived up to his feyenoord time, but will improve)
Also for anyone putting spurs in the top 4 at arsenals expense where has this come from? on what basis? theyre fans have been deludingthemselves that theyre still a big club since the 70’s. pending outrageous money on a striker from a relegated club and a huge fee for a left back doesnt give you an access all areas guaranteed pass into the champions league spots. youhavent beaten arsenal in god knows how long, havent been to any major final in how many years? have never won the prem and excepting a minor miracle where chllsea man u liverpool and arsenal disappear into ablack hole you never will.
arsenal areas healthy as ever the journos and spurs fans thinking were dead because we sold a player who was coming to the end of his career and whos mind was wandering to spain are purely deluded.
weve signed a good proven international striker (though nuproven in the premier league, torres ring any bells?)
we still have 3 of the most promising central midfielders in world football in fab diaby and denilson, with no major injurys we are not lght for strikers, with van persieon 13 league goals by the time of his injury at the start of jan. adebayor capable of improvement, eduardo, and walcott and bedtner as backups. while not having the same strength in depth as spurs 1st choice 4. i beliee that van persie plus eduardo or adebayor will be as effective as any 2 of theirs (also noe the teams signing 5 - 8 players that are al expecting to play, only 11 can be on the pitch at once!) central defenceis well covered with toure one of the best centre halfs in the league, along with terry carra vidic etc perhaps still goin to sufer from set piecesas we dont really have an aerial presence at the back, sagna provides cover duing the african nations or is maybe first choice if he turns out well, clichy is one of the best left backs in the league, perhaps traore is not ready to cover in the eventof an injury though. keepers, lehmann is still good, almuniacan do a job when called on and for anyone who hasnt seen him play, fabianski lokos promising, a strong keeper who commands the box well and decisively, which could gosome way twards solving ourset piece problem. the only area we could possibly need to strengthen is the wings, rosicky and hleb are an ok first choice pair but then you have walcott who is NOT a winger and has trouble beating full backs on the ooutside ( fa cup v bolton, didnt beat the full back once is the perfect example) and ljungberg who due tohis injury probles is now well past his best, unless he can recapture his fitness and form he wil truggle to justify even being on the bench, eboue may be pushed forward by sagnas arrival but will he settlestraight into the rols?
with the squad we have we are capable of figting for third and maybe second and im certain we wil be inside the ‘big 4′ come the end of may, while it would be a massive shock if we managed to chalenge for the title for the ful length of the season, people and especially journo’s should not forget that despite the ages of this team most of them have been together 3 or 4 years now.
spurs fans should also note that in 4 games last season henry appeared 0 times, during which we scored 10 goals won twice wereunlucky to get a draw in the league (baptistas awful finishing) and drew in the cc but still won the tie as a whole,
we beat man u at old trafford without him, a weakened liverpool side 6- 3 without him, drew with chelsea twice without him, (at the bridge unlucky to draw but wasnt that a great strike from essien, what a player! and at home chelsea upped their game with 10 men and in truth could have won it).
i wont even answer the person who thinks portsmouth wil finish above us! are youaspurs fan or an exremely optimistic pompy fan? i really hope they get into europe this season as theyre fans are the best in the league and if any set of fans deserve a bit of success its them.
also, torres total fee was closer to 26.5 than 20.5, the fee for garcias tranfer in the other direction was taken off the price.
would the biggest astonishment in theleagues history not be a side going a ful season undefeated? or indeed a team completing the league fa and champions league treble?
sort it out!