Tottenham linked with Ivorian goalscoring sensation Seydou Doumbia @ 07-12-2009 19:54 Today’s Daily Mirror claims that Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is in a transfer battle to sign Ivory Coast’s 5 ft 10 inch striker Seydou Doumbia - with German side Hoffenheim making a £8 million bid for him to sign immediately.
The 21-year-old scored an impressive 20 goals in 32 league appearances for Young Boys last season, statistics made that much more impressive as Doumbia made 24 of those appearances coming from the bench. His playing time in all totalled 1362 minutes, meaning that on average he scored a goal every 69 minutes. He also contributed 10 assists and ended the season as Switzerland’s top goalscorer, despite his meagre playing time.
The Ivorian began his career at AS Denguele where he netted 15 goals in 20 games in his first season as a pro. His form caught the attention of a number of J-League clubs and it was Kashiwa Reysol who took a risk by bringing him to Japan.
His solitary season with the Sun Kings was hugely disappointing. The striker netted only three times in 24 games. He was then sent out on loan to Tokushima Vortis where his form improved and he bagged seven goals in 16 games.
The youngster was considered to be talented but somewhat immature, and with that being the case Young Boys took a limited gamble by bringing him to Switzerland’s Super League for a paltry 150,000 Euros.
From the moment he donned the yellow and black hooped shirt he looked a totally different player and the 2008-09 season was his breakout year. He became known for his lightening speed which is dangerous when combined with brute strength and excellent dribbling skills making him almost impossible to handle.
Doumbia also has an excellent first touch and like any true goalscorer enjoys taking the goalkeeper on from either inside or outside the box. If there is one area of weakness in his game, though, it is his aerial ability.
This season he has become a regular in the starting line up. His goalscoring feats have continued abound with Doumbia netting a staggering 19 goals in 18 games with five assists, leading the club to the top spot in the Super League.
Unsurprisingly, there seems to be almost daily rumours about who is in pole position to garner the youngsters signature with suitors from all around Europe. The Ivorian has already rejected a move to Rubin Kazan after an agreement was reached between the two clubs. The footballer has gone on the record and stated that “One day I will play in England or Spain, as they are the best leagues in the world.”
Tottenham could definitely benefit form having another goalscorer on their books. Jermain Defoe is banging in the goals things and things look rosy for Spurs. There is a worry that if he gets injured they do not have anyone who can regularly score goals in his stead.
The fourth estate is also linking Harry with a swoop for West Hams’ Carlton Cole as a replacement for want-away striker Roman Pavlyuchenko. Will Harry want five strikers who all expect to play in his squad?
Whilst Doumbia may be willing to sit on the bench to fulfil his dream of playing in England for a short while, like most strikers who have tasted success he will want to play every game eventually. Can Harry deal with this?
What is in no doubt is the boys ability to get to the top and become a regular goalscorer in one of Europe’s top leagues.
The 23-year-old Ivory Coast star, an £8m signing from Feyenoord in 2006, was set to become a free agent next summer.
Blues manager Carlo Ancelotti told his club's website: "Salomon is an important player for this club."
Chelsea are currently appealing against a transfer ban imposed by Fifa which prevents them registering new players until January 2011.
The punishment was meted out after the club was found guilty of inducing Gael Kakuta to breach his contract with Lens in 2007.
Kalou follows Didier Drogba, Ashley Cole and John Terry in pledging his future to the Premier League outfit.
He has often been used as a substitute since his move to west London, with five of his 10 appearances this season coming off the bench. In total he has made 93 starts and 66 substitute appearances for Chelsea, scoring 31 goals.
Ancelotti added: "Salomon is always well motivated and works hard at his game. Because of this, I'm sure he will become an even more important player for us in the future."
Kalou is likely to play at next summer's World Cup finals after the Ivory Coast sealed their qualification with a 1-1 draw against Malawi on Saturday.
The Swiss international defender was linked with a move to Everton, Fulham, Hull and Newcastle during the transfer window but nothing came of the interest.
The 24-year old, who spent last season on loan with AC Milan, is out of favour with Arsene Wenger and was annoyed about the fact he was remaining at Emirates Stadium.
The centre-back snapped: "I am staying put and that's all there is to say on the matter."
Senderos is now in danger of being dropped from the Switzerland national squad if he cannot gain regular first team football.
The 32 clubs have been split into eight groups of four and will now meet home and away across six matchdays from September to December with the top two qualifying for the knockout phase. Matchday One
Tuesday, 15th September
Juventus v Bordeaux, Maccabi Haifa v Bayern Munich, Wolfsburg v CSKA Moscow, Besiktas v Manchester United, FC Zurich v Real Madrid, Marseille v AC Milan, Chelsea v Porto, Atletico Madrid v APOEL Nicosia.
Wednesday, 16th September
Liverpool v Debreceni, Lyon v Fiorentina, Inter Milan v Barcelona, Dynamo Kiev v Rubin Kazan, Stuttgart v Rangers, Sevilla v Unirea Urziceni, Olympiakos v AZ Alkmaar, Standard Liege v Arsenal.
Matchday Two
Tuesday, 29th September
Fiorentina v Liverpool, Debreceni v Lyon, Rubin Kazan v Inter Milan, Barcelona v Dynamo Kiev, Unirea Urziceni v Stuttgart, Rangers v Sevilla, Arsenal v Olympiakos, AZ Alkmaar v Standard Liege.
Wednesday, 30th September
Bayern Munich v Juventus, Bordeaux v Maccabi Haifa, Manchester United v Wolfsburg, CSKA Moscow v Besiktas, AC Milan v FC Zurich, Real Madrid v Marseille, APOEL Nicosia v Chelsea, Porto v Atletico Madrid.
Matchday Three
Tuesday, 20th October
Debreceni v Fiorentina, Liverpool v Lyon, Barcelona v Rubin Kazan, Inter Milan v Dynamo Kiev, Rangers v Unirea Urziceni, Stuttgart v Sevilla, AZ Alkmaar v Arsenal, Olympiakos v Standard Liege.
Wednesday, 21st October
Bordeaux v Bayern Munich, Juventus v Maccabi Haifa, CSKA Moscow v Manchester United, Wolfsburg v Besiktas, Real Madrid v AC Milan, FC Zurich v Marseille, Porto v APOEL Nicosia, Chelsea v Atletico Madrid.
Matchday Four
Tuesday, 3rd November
Bayern Munich v Bordeaux, Maccabi Haifa v Juventus, Manchester United v CSKA Moscow, Besiktas v Wolfsburg, AC Milan v Real Madrid, Marseille v FC Zurich, APOEL Nicosia v Porto, Atletico Madrid v Chelsea.
Wednesday, 4th November
Fiorentina v Debreceni, Lyon v Liverpool, Rubin Kazan v Barcelona, Dynamo Kiev v Inter Milan, Unirea Urziceni v Rangers, Sevilla v Stuttgart, Arsenal v AZ Alkmaar, Standard Liege v Olympiakos.
Matchday Five
Tuesday, 24th November
Debreceni v Liverpool, Fiorentina v Lyon, Barcelona v Inter Milan, Rubin Kazan v Dynamo Kiev, Rangers v Stuttgart, Unirea Urziceni v Sevilla, AZ Alkmaar v Olympiakos, Arsenal v Standard Liege.
Wednesday, 25th November
Bordeaux v Juventus, Bayern Munich v Maccabi Haifa, CSKA Moscow v Wolfsburg, Manchester United v Besiktas, Real Madrid v FC Zurich, AC Milan v Marseille, Porto v Chelsea, APOEL Nicosia v Atletico Madrid.
Matchday Six
Tuesday, 8th December
Juventus v Bayern Munich, Maccabi Haifa v Bordeaux, Wolfsburg v Manchester United, Besiktas v CSKA Moscow, FC Zurich v AC Milan, Marseille v Real Madrid, Chelsea v APOEL Nicosia, Atletico Madrid v Porto.
Wednesday, 9th December
Liverpool v Fiorentina, Lyon v Debreceni, Inter Milan v Rubin Kazan, Dynamo Kiev v Barcelona, Stuttgart v Unirea Urziceni, Sevilla v Rangers, Olympiakos v Arsenal, Standard Liege v AZ Alkmaar.
Juve win Tim Trophy for the first fime (Video) @ 15-08-2009 19:32 WIth a 2-0 victory against a disappointing Milan in the last match of the Tim Trophy, Juventus managed to win the friendly tournament for the first time.
The final match of the Tim Trophy was contested by Milan and Juventus, who needed to win to win this last match to win the tournament for the first time in their history.
Both sides played in a 4-3-1-2 formation, the Rossoneri with Ronaldinho behind Alexandre Pato and Klaas Jan Huntelaar in attack, while the Bianconeri with Iago behind Amauri and Vincenzo Iaquinta up front.
Milan tried to take control of the match at the start, but as in the match against Inter, they looked toothless in attack.
On their first real chance in the 13th minute, Juve took the lead after a quick counterattack, as Amauri took a shot from the edge of the area that squirmed under the body of new Milan goalkeeper Flavio Roma, who just joined from AS Monaco.
It took a while to see another chance for either side, and once again it fell to Juve, as a cross into the area found Amauri at the far post in the 26th minute, but his shot from a difficult position was saved by Roma.
The Bianconeri made it 2-0 in the 32nd minute, after taking advantage of sloppy play by Milan in midfield. Ronaldinho lost the ball and the ball was played forward quickly to Amauri, who played it to Iaquinta, who in turn slotted the ball past an unconvincing Roma. However, the replays showed the striker was just offside.
Milan finally threatened a little five minutes later, when youngster Ignazio Abate made a run and played in a dangerous cross toward the near post that was deflected away by goalkeeper Alex Manninger.
In the 41st minute, Massimo Oddo tried his luck from a free kick for Milan, and it was not a bad effort but it went just wide of the goal.
That was the last real chance of the match, so Juventus were able to lift the Tim Trophy for the first time ever. They end the tournament with 5 points, while Inter have 4, and Milan finish bottom with 0.
PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT: Amauri He scored decisive goals against both Inter and Milan, although in both cases he took advantage of some help from respectively defender Nelson Rivas and goalkeeper Flavio Roma. Overall, though, he was definitely Juve’s most dangerous player on the night and probably the best performer of this edition of the Tim Trophy. Honorable mention goes to Inter's Mario Balotelli, who scored against Milan and also hit the crossbar against the Rossoneri with a terrific free kick.
FLOP OF THE TOURNAMENT: Nelson Rivas It was a close race with new Milan keeper Flavio Roma, who looked very poor on both Juventus goals, but Inter center back Nelson Rivas ‘wins out’ because he was on the pitch for just three minutes against Juve, and still found time to gift them a goal with a horrible back-pass to goalkeeper Julio Cesar that was intercepted by Amauri.
Blooming SC - Atletico River Plate: 0-1 (Video-Highlights) COPA SUDAMERICANA @ 12-08-2009 15:53 River Plate forward Henry Gimenez was attacked by a spectator during a Copa Sudamericana match at Bolivian side Blooming on Tuesday, forcing the game to be ended with more than 20 minutes left to play. GOAL: 0-1 62' Puppo
The goalkeeper provoked a heated argument with defender Beg Ferati then grabbed his hair before the feuding pair were separated with the help of an FC Zurich player. The teams drew 1-1 Sunday.
Basel ordered the 28-year-old Costanzo - who could still be suspended by the Swiss league - to pay an undisclosed amount toward a program that promotes responsible fan behavior.
The Argentina international lost his composure in an unacceptable way and crossed the boundary of legitimate emotional reactions, the club said in a statement on its Web site Monday.
I have made a big mistake which, of course, I cannot excuse, Costanzo said. This will never happen to me again.
Basel said the goalkeeper apologized immediately after the flare-up and would not be stripped of the captaincy.
The club said its disciplinary panel cleared the 22-year-old Ferati of blame, saying his verbal response to Costanzos criticism was understandable.
Television replays showed that Ferati shoved Costanzo before the goalkeeper grabbed his teammates hair and attempted to throw him off balance.
The incident went unseen and unpunished by match referee Massimo Busacca, an international official who took charge of the Champions League final between FC Barcelona and Manchester United in May.
Swiss league disciplinary official Urs Studer said Monday that Costanzo could face further sanction because the matter was not dealt with on the field of play.
We must wait until all the facts are on the table. He (Costanzo) says that he immediately apologized and has a good reputation, Studer said.
Sundays events were the latest in a series of controversial encounters between two traditional rivals for the Swiss title.
Defending champion Zurich was playing with 10 men when it scored in the 87th minute, but Basel leveled two minutes later.
Basel striker Alexander Frei was shown a red card in stoppage time after committing a foul and then throwing the ball at his national team colleague Johan Vonlanthen.
The teams previous meeting in May ended with a pitch invasion after Basels 3-1 victory denied host Zurich the chance to clinch the league title.
Zabaleta: Eto'o ideal for Man City @ 09-07-2009 18:27 Pablo Zabaleta hopes Manchester City can clinch a deal for Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o.
The former Espanyol fullback remarked: "It is clear that Samuel Eto'o would fit in at Manchester City. Nobody doubts his capacity as a player.
"He is a player who gave much to Barca and is very hungry to succeed. Perhaps that is why City insists on his signing, because they know what he can give."
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is ready to rescue Ever Banega from Valencia.
Argentina's Telam says Wenger is keen on the midfield schemer, who spent part of last season on-loan at Atletico Madrid.
Banega has never settled in Spain since his move to the Mestalla almost two years ago and would welcome the chance to kickstart his European career at the Emirates stadium.
Juve came close to landing Xabi from Liverpool last summer and Gazzetta dello Sport says they're ready to try again after seeing a deal for Udinese midfielder Gaetano D'Agostino collapse this week.
The Bianconeri cannot match Liverpool's massive £35 million asking price for Xabi, but hope to convince manager Rafa Benitez by including players in their bid.
The prime pair to be offered to Benitez will be Danish midfielder Christian Poulsen and star French striker David Trezeguet.
The Daily Star says Real Madrid are now clear favourites to sign the 21-year-old after tabling a £28m bid yesterday.
Manchester United boss Fergie’s only hope is that the French club are holding out for £30m. So he could still hijack the deal if Real refuse to go any higher.
Benzema has admitted he'd welcome a move to Real, where he would be working with French legend Zinedine Zidane.
Carmona is regarded as the jewel in Barca's youth system and is still playing on amateur forms.
Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Manchester City have all been following the 17 year-old for the last 12 months, while Tottenham have made a major move for the youngster.
Barca remain confident of keeping Carmona at the Nou Camp, but the youngster is coming under increasing pressure from foreign clubs.
The wonderkid was linked to Lyon and Bordeaux, but has opted to cross The Channel in order to hone his talents at Stamford Bridge.
Hillion has revealed that Boga’s father has been living in London for two years for professional reasons and this has had a bearing on his son’s move.
Arsenal are famous for their youth system, but it appears that their London rivals Chelsea have decided to emulate their recruitment strategy.
“That is not a transfer, as the rules forbid it,” Hillion told Les Dessous du Sport. “We couldn’t have signed Jeremy if Mr Boga hadn't been in London.
“Chelsea took him because he has the talent to play at the highest level. He’s an excellent number 10.”
The news has left a bitter taste in ASPTT Marseille’s mouth.
“We have had no news from the Boga family neither from Chelsea, this happened behind our back,” an ASPTT Marseille director declared.
Javier Chevanton selected in Uruguay squad @ 27-09-2008 02:40 Oscar Washington Tabarez, the coach of the Uruguayan national team, has reserved 24 players for next month's World Cup qualifiers against Argentina and Bolivia...
The biggest surprise in Tabarez's squad was the inclusion of Sevilla striker Javier Chevanton, who will be part of the side for the first time during the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.
His recent good form with Sevilla didn't go unnoticed by Tabarez, and the fact that star striker Diego Forlan will miss both qualifiers because of an injury made his choice all the much easier.
Another addition to the squad is that of Palermo striker Edinson Cavani, who has been in top form with his Italian club so far this season. Banfield striker Sebastian Fernandez also made the team.
Otherwise the Uruguay squad is fairly similar to the one that faced Colombia and Ecuador last month. Uruguay beat Colombia 1-0 in Bogota, but then could only manage a goalless draw with Ecuador in Montevideo.
Uruguay Squad For Argentina, Bolivia Qualifiers
Goalkeepers: Juan Castillo (Botafogo) and Fabian Carini (Real Murcia).
Defenders: Diego Lugano (Fenerbahce), Diego Godin (Villarreal), Martin Caceres (Barcelona), Jorge Fucile (FC Porto), Bruno Silva (Ajax Amsterdam), Carlos Valdez (Reggina), Andres Scotti (Argentinos Juniors) and Juan Manuel Diaz (Estudiantes de La Plata).
Midfielders: Diego Perez (Monaco), Maximiliano Pereira (Benfica), Alvaro Gonzalez (Boca Juniors), Walter Gargano (Napoli), Sebastian Eguren (Villarreal), Cristian Rodriguez (FC Porto) and Ignacio Gonzalez (Newcastle United).
Strikers: Edinson Cavani (Palermo), Javier Chevanton (Sevilla), Luis Suarez (Ajax Amsterdam), Sebastian Abreu (River Plate), Vicente Sanchez (Schalke 04), Robert Flores (River Plate) and Sebastian Fernandez (Banfield).
Rossi back in, Altidore still out @ 26-09-2008 22:44 American-born Italian Giuseppe Rossi has returned to the Villarreal squad to face Sporting Gijón but fellow New Jersey man, Jozy Altidore has been omitted once again.
El Sumbarino coach, Manuel Pellegrini has called up his squad of 19 to travel to Gijón to face Sporting on Saturday for Round Five of La Liga.
The notable highlight was the inclusion of young forward, Giuseppe Rossi who has made a full recovery from an injury he picked up during the Olympics in Beijing. Although he is still lacking match fitness and sharpness, he could be given a run-out at some point to help get him back up to speed ahead.
Villarreal’s frontline is now finally back to full strength after Turkish striker Nihat Kahveci, who also sustained an injury during a summer tournament, Euro 2008, made his comeback last Wednesday against Racing Santander.
As such, young American striker Jozy Altidore has been omitted from the squad again. The 18 year old had been hoping to see some valuable match time whilst the aforementioned duo was out injured, but he was hardly given a chance and any first team opportunities now look dead and buried.
Also excluded from the squad for Saturday’s game were Pascal Cygan, Cani and Bruno.
Football's tragic list @ 23-09-2008 03:08 Deaths on the pitch are a rare occurrence in professional soccer, with only a handful of cases recorded around the world over many years.
Cameroon's Marc-Vivien Foe became one of the few players to die during or soon after a match when he collapsed with a suspected heart attack after 72 minutes of the Confederations Cup semi-final against Colombia on Thursday. Playing in stifling heat in Lyon, the 28-year-old fell to the ground unchallenged in the centre circle. Despite the immediate attention of medical staff, he was pronounced dead 45 minutes later.
Trevor Brooking, a director at West Ham United, one of Foe's former clubs, said: "When you consider the rigorous medical checks players have to go through on a regular basis in the modern game, it's hard to understand how such a thing could happen."
Foe's death is similar to that of 24-year-old Nigerian international Samuel Okwaraji who collapsed 10 minutes from the end of a World Cup qualifier against Angola in Lagos in August 1989, and died from cardiac failure.
An autopsy found he had an enlarged heart and high blood pressure.
Most of the deaths of seemingly healthy players at matches have been either due to heart problems or lightning strikes.
HEART ATTACK Last October 28-year-old Brazilian striker Marcio Dos Santos died of a heart attack just hours after scoring a goal for Peruvian side Deportivo Wanka.
The only player in Britain to have died on the pitch during a professional match in the last 50 years was 25-year-old York City striker Dave Longhurst who collapsed in a league match against Lincoln City in September 1990.
An inquest revealed he had suffered from a rare heart condition. Porto player Fernando Pascoal das Neves, known as "Pavao", collapsed and died during a league match in December 1973 -- in the 13th minute of the 13th game of the season.
French international midfielder Emmanuel Petit's 20-year-old brother Oliver died during a match in 1987.
Since 1963, there have been a surprisingly high number of unexplained deaths among Romanian players. Constantin Tabarcea, who was 26 and played for Petrolul Ploiesti, died after collapsing during a first division match in 1963.
In 15 months between 1999 and 2001, four Romanian players died after collapsing. Astra Ploiesti's Stefan Vrabioru died on the way to hospital after a fall just minutes after being brought on for his first division debut against Rapid Bucharest.
LIGHTNING STRIKES Lightning can pose serious risks on the exposed pitches used for amateur football and can even strike with deadly results at the grounds of professional clubs.
In February 1967 one player died and four others were seriously injured when lightning struck during an English amateur Cup quarter-final between Highgate United and Enfield.
Goalkeeper Erik Jongbloed of DWS in the Netherlands was killed by lightning during a match in September 1984 -- in front of his father, the former national team goalie Jan Jongbloed.
In August 2001, two players were killed and 10 others severely burned when a bolt of lightning struck a stadium during a professional match in Chiquimulilla, in Guatemala.
A bolt of lightning crashed into a metal guard rail, creating a ring of electric charge on the field, burning players, coaches and referees.
Last October Colombian striker Geovanny Cordoba and former international player Hermann Gaviria died after being struck during a training session. One player was struck by lightning and died after a match in Ukraine last July.
Deaths from injuries suffered on the pitch are extremely rare - there is a record of only one in the professional game in more than 70 years.
In September 1931 in Glasgow, John Thompson, 23, the Celtic and Scotland goalkeeper, dived at the feet of Rangers forward Sam English and suffered a fractured skull. He died later in hospital without regaining consciousness.
One of the most infamous soccer deaths of recent years did not happen on the pitch -- but Andres Escobar of Colombia was murdered as a direct result of what happened on it.
He scored an own goal when Colombia lost 2-1 to the United States in the 1994 World Cup finals and was murdered soon after returning home to Colombia by a hitman.
Van Buyten leads Bayern to 1-0 win at Steaua @ 18-09-2008 07:01 An early goal from Daniel Van Buyten helped Bayern Munich to a 1-0 win at Steaua Bucharest in their Champions League Group F match on Wednesday.
Van Buyten headed home the winner in the 15th minute following a free-kick from Bastian Schweinsteiger.
Steaua's Colombian playmaker Dayro Moreno angled in a powerful 30-metre shot during the first half but visiting keeper Michael Rensing deflected the ball with his right foot.
Bayern responded with a close-range header by Luca Toni and a powerful volley by Ze Roberto from outside the area but were denied both times thanks to Steaua keeper Robinson Zapata's fine reflexes.
"We started the match too prudently and we got a goal from a dead ball," Steaua Bucharest coach Marius Lacatus said. "In the second half, we were unlucky in front of a very strong team."
Zapata skills in front of goal spared Steaua from suffering a heavier defeat as the Colombian pulled off at least four good saves.
In the second half, Bayern seemed more keen to protect their lead and waited fro Steaua to make a mistake.
The Romanian team piled on the pressure and Brazilian striker Arthur Bernhardt hit the post.
Bayern missed French international playmaker Franck Ribery, who was still recovering from an ankle problem, while Steaua Bucharest were without captain Mirel Radoi, who was injured during Romania's World Cup qualifier against Faroe Islands last week.
Juventus-Zenit St. Petersburg 1-0 (Video) @ 18-09-2008 02:31 With just over ten minutes to go, Alessandro Del Piero put Juve in front against Zenit St. Petersburg, the veteran smashed home a quality long-range free-kick.
Porto-Fenerbahce: 3-1 (Video-Champions League) @ 18-09-2008 02:27 Porto raced into a two-goal advantage within the first fifteen minutes of their match with Fenerbahce. Lisandro Lopez side-footed home the first and Lucho Gonzalez struck a fine volley for the second. Dani Guiza restored some hope for the Turkish side, firing home from a tight angle. Dorvalino Lino confirmed the win late on.
Top twenty transfers of the summer 2008 @ 02-09-2008 01:04 Every week until the end of the transfer window, Tootball :-) will list of the top twenty transfers of the summer. In this edition, we considered all moves officially concluded by the start of Monday, 1 September 2008...
The factors taken into account are
(a) form over the last 12 months, (b) potential, and (c) transfer fee involved.
The extension from ten to twenty was compiled by taking into account previous editions.
20. Hatem Ben Arfa (Lyon to Marseille) Last Week: 19
Marseille have lost Samir Nasri to Arsenal, but have managed to land the perfect replacement in the man Arsene Wenger had his sights on to start with. What is more, they can keep him for a year or two, and make a cool 8-10 million profit.
19. Alberto Gilardino (Milan to Fiorentina) Last Week: 18
On the face of it, it looks like the Viola have signed an unhappy, out-of-form striker. However, that was just what Adrian Mutu's move from Juventus looked like not so long ago. The fans will help him forget Milan in a hurry, and rediscover the striker that wowed Calcio when at Parma. The partnership with Mutu can be backed to produce some special moments in the Champions League.
18. Andriy Shevchenko (Chelsea to AC Milan) Last Week: 17
After two seasons of mediocrity at Chelsea, the Ukrainian is back at his spiritual home. Nonetheless this is a considerable gamble for the rossoneri: with a full complement of fit strikers, a Shevchenko who cannot hit form may warm the bench. On the other hand his return - even as a 30-year-old - could signal a goalscoring comeback unseen in Serie A since... well, since Andriy Shevchenko.
17. Julio Baptista (Real Madrid to AS Roma) Last Week: 16
The Beast, The Tank - you'd be as well calling him The Happy Wanderer, for the Brazilian has now experienced three countries in as many seasons. The 26-year-old has only seldom repeated the form that saw him shine at Sevilla four seasons ago, but he began the last campaign well enough with Madrid. Part of the problem is that he's been kept out of position for so long in order to accommodate more prestigious players: if Roma can build a system around him, instead of slotting him in wherever there happens to be a space, they could have a real superstar on their hands.
16. Seydou Keita (Sevilla to Barcelona) Last Week: 15
At the time of his arrival he was the best signing Barcelona had made this season, particularly in light of the way their soft underbelly was exposed on the road last year. With him partnering Yaya Touré in the middle, it will ensure that the likes of Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi do not get bullied, and also get the full license to thrill. 15 million euros worth their value.
15. Ezequiel Garay (Racing Santander to Real Madrid) Last Week: 14
What a capture! Barcelona seemed to have him in the bag, but hesitated a little too much as they waited for Frank Rijkaard to leave and a new coach to take charge. Madrid managed to snatch Sergio Ramos a few years ago, and what a signing that has turned out to be. This one may be no different.
14. Deco (Barcelona to Chelsea) Last Week: 13
On the wrong side of 30, a first look suggests that he is past it, but nothing could be further from the truth. There is a fire that burns in him as we saw during Euro 2008, and he has a lot more to give to football. He is not what Frank Lampard is, as he will never score as many goals. But then, he is also everything Lampard is not. Superb creativity, a great eye for the game, and an ability to run the show that has seen him win the Champions League with two different clubs. Finally, Chelsea have a player who can orchestrate the pleasing football their owner wants. With Ballack and Essien set to play around him, it will be an ominous midfield.
13. Amantino Mancini (Roma to Inter) Last Week: 12
Jose Mourinho does not quite promote exciting football, but he does like a fast, aggressive winger forward at least on one flank. That is just what he has found in Mancini, who will be handed the license to thrill just as Arjen Robben was during the glory years at Chelsea. Tends to blow hot and cold, though, as Roma found out last season. Lack of consistency will not go down well with the 'Special One', so he does need to focus a lot more.
12. David Bentley (Blackburn to Tottenham) Last Week: 11
A great way for Spurs to show their ambition - by winning the race for the talented Blackburn winger, and in the process signing a former Arsenal youngster. Given what Juande Ramos did with Jesus Navas - a very similar player - this one has success written all over it. He has the potential form a formidable attacking midfield along with Giovani Dos Santos and Luka Modric.
11. Robbie Keane (Tottenham to Liverpool) Last Week:10
Make no mistake, I rate him very highly. That said, the Reds paid a few millions too many. He will still score the 15-20 goals needed to complement Fernando Torres' 25-30, so Rafa might just have splashed the extra cash with good reason. Their draw happy start to the season destroyed their title challenge last time around, so goals is what they need, and that is what they will get.
10. Amauri (Palermo to Juventus) Last Week: 9
The Brazilian-Italian striker made it to number three after earning himself a long overdue move to a top four club, but now slips down to nine. He has already shown his potential with Palermo, and the prospect of him getting some top quality service from the Juve midfield is simply mouth-watering. Champions League, here he comes.
9. Vincent Kompany (Hamburg SV to Manchester City) Last Week: 8
The former Hamburg man left Germany under something of a cloud in order to affect a very quick transfer to City, but for all the "shotgun wedding" nature of the move it seems to have been the Mancunians' best of the summer. Put it this way: just one game into his tenure he put in a confident, mature showing in what is thought to be the world's fastest and most furious league, then said afterwards with characteristic nonchalance that he learned his new teammates' names on the pitch. Imagine what he'll be like once he's settled in and has a bit more experience.
8. Daniel Alves (Sevilla to Barcelona) Last Week: 7
Chelsea, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester United – these are just some of the clubs that have queued up for him over the last 18 months or so. However, it is Barcelona who land him after some difficult negotiations with Sevilla. Perhaps a touch overpriced at 30 million euros (he would have been number one on this list at 20m), but then again, he is the best attacking full-back this world has seen since Roberto Carlos.
7. Quaresma (FC Porto to Inter) New Entry
The only transfer saga of the summer more long-running (and some would say more boring) than that of Amauri, it seems as though Ricardo Quaresma has finally made his move from Porto to Inter. A class act at domestic level for years, the Portuguese international still has much to prove in Europe, particularly in light of the fact that his time with FC Barcelona was deemed a failure. Nonetheless he brings with him considerable talent and pedigree. His price tag - €30.6m - is on the high side, but he is nonetheless a fine acquisition for José Mourinho's side. Remember - he's still only 24.
6. Samir Nasri (Marseille to Arsenal) Last Week: 6
The highly rated French international is the latest to join the clan of young Gunners. Many view him as a replacement for Aliaksandr Hleb, while others go a step further and call him the next Zidane. He has had some problems with injuries, but let's hope those were exceptions as opposed to the rule. The prodigous playmaker is at number five.
5. Ronaldinho (Barcelona to Milan) Last Week: 5
A gamble? Yes. But given the chance, would you sign one of the all time greats of football for a third of his market price last summer? You bet you would. At 28, he is far from over. Some diet planning and some tough training, and he will give at least three or four good years to the Rossoneri. A gamble nonetheless, or he would definitely have been number one. Number four for the Gaucho.
4. Luka Modric (Dinamo Zagreb to Tottenham) Last Week: 4
The hottest young Croatian was snapped up by Spurs despite the interest of clubs such as Barcelona and Chelsea, and what a signing it has already turned out to be. Looks set to become the jewel in Juande Ramos' midfield next season. He remains at the sharp end of our list.
3. Aliaksandr Hleb (Arsenal to Barcelona) Last Week: 3
A very shrewd buy, and what could very well turn out to be a stroke of genius from Barcelona. With Lionel Messi expected to run the show, what they needed was not a Ronaldinho, but a tireless, no-nosense attacking midfielder to offer support from the other flank - without hogging possession or the limelight. And they got him on the cheap too. A true critics' player in that while fans rave about others, he runs away with the technical plaudits.
2. Mathieu Flamini (Arsenal to Milan) Last Week: 2
The underrated Frenchman was one of Arsenal's best players last season, and Milan's signing was nothing less than a coup. That it was a free transfer makes it even better. Has been the smartest transfer this summer for a while, now, but drops down to number two, finally.
1. Rafael van der Vaart (Hamburg to Real Madrid) Last Week: 1
A lifelong Barcelona fan and one of the best playmakers in the world today, how Madrid managed to sign him for nine million euros I don't know. What is even more baffling is how Hamburg let him go at that price (even if clauses could raise it to 13m). I would probably have put him up here even if he had cost 15 million. A downright steal, and just the kind of person who will add to Bernd Schuster's team without destroying it (get the hint?).
Today’s Daily Mirror claims that Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is in a transfer battle to sign Ivory Coast’s 5 ft 10 inch striker Seydou Doumbia - with German side Hoffenheim making a £8 million bid for him to sign immediately.
