Part 1: The top impact signings of the summer
The summer transfer window of 2010 was relatively calmer as compared to the one in 2009. Teams like Real Madrid went money crazy, spending about 250 millions dollars. This summer however the team that seems to have spent most money on transfers is Manchester City, who have spent nearly 150 pounds so far. That is significantly less when compares to Madrid’s spending spree last summer thought, but quite a lot nonetheless.
Apart from Manchester City, this summer teams have become more careful and cautious, while spending money on new signings. Team’s like Real Madrid are now putting more thought into what area’s need strengthening and have purchased players for those positions, instead of just going for star power.
Here is a look at the summer moves so far, that look to make the biggest impacts to the footballing world this coming season.
Ricardo Carvalho
Ricardo Carvalho was bought by Chelsea, right after the player proved his worth in Porto by helping the team win their first ever Champions League trophy. The manager of Porto at the time was Jose Mourinho, who eventually moved to take over at Chelsea. Once at Chelsea the manager knew that one of the players that he needed to sign, was none other than Carvalho.
Carvalho was brought into the Chelsea squad to help reinforce the defensive line up. Carvalho did just that, he formed one of the most lethal partnerships at the back with Chelsea’s captain John Terry. The two were almost impossible for any attack to get through. During his stay at Chelsea the team won three Premier League trophies and two FA Cup’s. Most of those wins along with the superb attack that Chelsea posses was due to the defensive work of the back line, the defensive line which Carvalho helped operate.
At the start of the summer, Jose Mourinho took over as the new Real Madrid manager. He made a couple of signings but like always saved the best for last. While making the world believe that he was interested in signing Ashley Cole from Chelsea, the manager swept in and transfered Carvalho to the Bernabeu. This was a move that the rest of La Liga feared. What Mourinho has done is, make the Real Madrid defence stronger than ever. It was the one aspect of the team that was weaker than the rest. However with that department getting such a positive reinforcement, the team would be close to impossible to beat this coming season.
Sami Khedira
Another player making his way to Real Madrid this summer is Stuttgart’s defensive midfielder, Sami Khedira. The player had been in sublime form ever since winning the under 21 World Cup with Germany and continued his fine run in all the way to the FIFA World Cup 2010. He was one of the best holding midfielders on display at the tournament and considering he was only twenty three years old, has caught the eyes of numerous teams across Europe.
One of those teams was Real Madrid, where Jose Mourinho was busy trying to reconstruct the team from the ground up. Khedira was brought in to partner Xabi Alonso in the centre of midfield. This change in formations can only mean that Mourinho has already foreseen the future for the team and is well aware of how to make them succeed.
This could mean that there is only bad news in store for the rest of the La Liga, if Mourinho manages to get Xabi Alonso and Khedira to work together, it would mean that team’s like Barcelona would find it impossible to break down through the Madrid midfield and with players like, Ronaldo and Kaka upfront, it would be impossible to stop the team from running riot.
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