Premiership Transfer Update
Torres Heads for Liverpool and da Silva replaces Henry at Arsenal
Liverpool and Arsenal's recent signings have ignited the Premiership's summer transfer market, and with two months of the transfer window left there's still more to come.
As Premiership clubs prepare to return to pre-season training the transfer market came to life with a number of high profile signings, and rumours of more to come.
Liverpool break club transfer record
Liverpool smashed their club transfer record, paying around £20 million, for Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres. Torres had been at Atletico Madrid from the age of 11 and was the top scorer in their last five La Liga campaigns, scoring 14 times last season. The 23 year old had been top of Liverpool’s summer shopping list and manger Rafa Benitez said that more signings were to follow.
De Silva replaces Henry
Arsenal spent some of the money from the sale of Thierry Henry to Barcelona by signing Dinamo Zagreb striker Eduardo da Silva. The Croatian international scored against England in a Euro 2008 qualifier in October and finished the Croatian season with a record 34 goals.
Other transfers news
Blackburn Rovers beat a host of clubs to the signing of NEC Breda striker Maceo Rigters. The Dutch striker was one of the stars in the recent European under 21 tournament, helping the Netherlands win their second consecutive championship. Everton secured the services of midfielder Phil Jagielka for £4 million from relegated Sheffield United. While West Ham United have paid £6 million pound, for Bordeaux midfielder Julien Faubert; and have agreed a deal to sell unsettled midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker to Aston Villa, for a fee of £8 million.
These signings have sparked to life a transfer market that had been relatively quiet to date. Despite financial experts Deloittes predicting that over £300 million would be spent on Premirship transfers this summer, only Manchester United’s £50 million outlay and Darren Bent’s £16 million move, from Charlton Athletic to Tottenham Hotspur, have been worthy of note. But with two months remaining until the close of the transfer window there are numerous rumours of future signings.
Rumours of future signings
Not surprisingly Chelsea are leading the way and are preparing to sign French international Florent Malouda from Lyon. They are also interested in Blackburn striker Benni McCarthy. Manchester United are on the verge of signing troubled striker, Carlos Tevez, from West Ham United. Fulham have set their sights on Blackburn’s Jason Roberts; David Nugent is leaving Preston North End to join Harry Redknapp at Portsmouth, and a host of clubs are chasing Tottenham Hotspur striker Jermaine Defoe.
And with Sven-Goran Eriksson promising at least ten signings, should he become the new manager of Manchester City, things are certainly hotting up as the new Premiership season approaches.
