Eto'o Joins Inter Milan, Ibrahimovic Signs With Barcelona, Adebayor & Toure Move To City
July 29th 2009 04:36
After Real Madrid's successful bids to get superstars Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo last month, the Nou Camp stayed eerily quiet, proceeding to make only one depth-related move by bringing in Inter's Maxwell to replace Sylvinho. All that changed this past weekend when the blaugrana completed a blockbuster move of their own, swapping striker Samuel Eto'o along with midfielder Aleksandr Hleb for Inter's Zlatan Ibrahimovic and signing the latter to a 5-year, €46 million contract.
One of the few who survived Laporta's “purge” at the end of the disastrous 2007-2008 season, Samuel Eto'o has been the subject of transfer rumors ever since Guardiola came on board. Often painted as a self-centered individual, Eto'o stunned many of his critics by finishing second in the Pichichi trophy race as well as setting up several goals for his fellow teammates namely Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi. On the football side, it's hard to see why the Nou Camp would get rid of their most prolific scorer especially since the three strikers had incredible chemistry last season. On the business side of things however, Eto'o's contract was set to expire at the end of next season, so it made sense to get something for Barcelona to get something in return especially since the Cameroonian would be looking for a nice paycheck once his deal ended.
So, Laporta sent Eto'o to Serie A's Inter and got Zlatan Ibrahimovic in return. It's hard to say who is the winner of that swap. Although Ibrahimovic has the build of a perfect striker (big, strong, adept with both feet and head), his reputation as an egotistic player precedes him. There's no telling how his attitude will clash with Guardiola's team-first mentality. Ibrahimovic also has the tendency to disappear in big games, especially on the European stage where goals have been difficult to get for the Swedish striker. Obviously, there'll be more space for him now that he'll perform alongside the likes of Messi, Henry, Xavi, and Iniesta. Still, you never know...
Winger Hleb was thrown into the deal, but in his case, it's simply a loan. A bench-warmer for most of the season at the Camp Nou, Hleb will hopefully find more minutes in Italy. With Luis Figo taking the retirement route, he'll fight with Mancini and Quaresma for a spot on one of the wings.
Elsewhere in Italy, AC Milan surprised the entire world when they announced the signing of American defender Oguchi Onyewu. The hulking player – a free agent at the end of the 2008-2009 season - was looking at several options after a brilliant performance in the Confederations Cup, and Milan was surely an attractive destination. With Maldini out of the picture, Gooch's competition for a spot in the starting line-up will be the experienced but injury-prone veterans such as Nesta, Kaladze, and Favalli. If he performs well in training, there's no reason why Leonardo will keep him on the bench. Furthermore, the Rossoneri will need all the fresh legs they can get since they'll return to Champions League action this coming season.
In England, Manchester City have continued to make headlines with their constant chasing of players. Their latest acquisitions are two African players, both from Big Four club Arsenal – striker Emmanuel Adebayor and defender Kolo Toure.
Unhappy at the Emirates since last summer, Adebayor had a disappointing season in 2008-2009, scoring only ten goals while missing seven weeks of action due to injury. His move to Manchester City will probably be a relief for him and all the fans who found him overrated (there's no telling how they'll feel once Van Persie gets injured once again and they'll find themselves relying on Bendtner). Although he was Wenger's first-choice striker, his propensity for missing an inordinate amount of goals far outweighed his rare moments of brilliance such as his goal against Villareal in the Champions League. With Robinho, Tevez, Santa Cruz, and Bellamy already at City, you can't help but feel that their front line is getting a bit crowded (though Robinho is admittedly a winger). You have to wonder which one of those guys will be ready to assume bench-warming duties since they all were starters at their previous clubs (except for Tevez who is still starter-quality). Click on the video below for Adebayor's first interview after his signing.
In defense, City's failed efforts to sway John Terry forced them to find another option. In comes Kolo Toure. The Ivorian central defender is far from the best but he is definitely a step up for City and will allow them to push Kompany up to midfield. As for Arsenal, you have to wonder if there's any way they can hang on to their players. It's back to square one for Wenger who had signed a central defender to strengthen his backline. Although with the return of Senderos, Toure won't be missed much. Still, you have to have a certain level of depth to survive in the Premiership.
Who's the winner of that deal? Inter or Barca?
One of the few who survived Laporta's “purge” at the end of the disastrous 2007-2008 season, Samuel Eto'o has been the subject of transfer rumors ever since Guardiola came on board. Often painted as a self-centered individual, Eto'o stunned many of his critics by finishing second in the Pichichi trophy race as well as setting up several goals for his fellow teammates namely Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi. On the football side, it's hard to see why the Nou Camp would get rid of their most prolific scorer especially since the three strikers had incredible chemistry last season. On the business side of things however, Eto'o's contract was set to expire at the end of next season, so it made sense to get something for Barcelona to get something in return especially since the Cameroonian would be looking for a nice paycheck once his deal ended.
So, Laporta sent Eto'o to Serie A's Inter and got Zlatan Ibrahimovic in return. It's hard to say who is the winner of that swap. Although Ibrahimovic has the build of a perfect striker (big, strong, adept with both feet and head), his reputation as an egotistic player precedes him. There's no telling how his attitude will clash with Guardiola's team-first mentality. Ibrahimovic also has the tendency to disappear in big games, especially on the European stage where goals have been difficult to get for the Swedish striker. Obviously, there'll be more space for him now that he'll perform alongside the likes of Messi, Henry, Xavi, and Iniesta. Still, you never know...
Winger Hleb was thrown into the deal, but in his case, it's simply a loan. A bench-warmer for most of the season at the Camp Nou, Hleb will hopefully find more minutes in Italy. With Luis Figo taking the retirement route, he'll fight with Mancini and Quaresma for a spot on one of the wings.
Elsewhere in Italy, AC Milan surprised the entire world when they announced the signing of American defender Oguchi Onyewu. The hulking player – a free agent at the end of the 2008-2009 season - was looking at several options after a brilliant performance in the Confederations Cup, and Milan was surely an attractive destination. With Maldini out of the picture, Gooch's competition for a spot in the starting line-up will be the experienced but injury-prone veterans such as Nesta, Kaladze, and Favalli. If he performs well in training, there's no reason why Leonardo will keep him on the bench. Furthermore, the Rossoneri will need all the fresh legs they can get since they'll return to Champions League action this coming season.
In England, Manchester City have continued to make headlines with their constant chasing of players. Their latest acquisitions are two African players, both from Big Four club Arsenal – striker Emmanuel Adebayor and defender Kolo Toure.
Adebayor looking desolate after missing yet another goal
Unhappy at the Emirates since last summer, Adebayor had a disappointing season in 2008-2009, scoring only ten goals while missing seven weeks of action due to injury. His move to Manchester City will probably be a relief for him and all the fans who found him overrated (there's no telling how they'll feel once Van Persie gets injured once again and they'll find themselves relying on Bendtner). Although he was Wenger's first-choice striker, his propensity for missing an inordinate amount of goals far outweighed his rare moments of brilliance such as his goal against Villareal in the Champions League. With Robinho, Tevez, Santa Cruz, and Bellamy already at City, you can't help but feel that their front line is getting a bit crowded (though Robinho is admittedly a winger). You have to wonder which one of those guys will be ready to assume bench-warming duties since they all were starters at their previous clubs (except for Tevez who is still starter-quality). Click on the video below for Adebayor's first interview after his signing.
In defense, City's failed efforts to sway John Terry forced them to find another option. In comes Kolo Toure. The Ivorian central defender is far from the best but he is definitely a step up for City and will allow them to push Kompany up to midfield. As for Arsenal, you have to wonder if there's any way they can hang on to their players. It's back to square one for Wenger who had signed a central defender to strengthen his backline. Although with the return of Senderos, Toure won't be missed much. Still, you have to have a certain level of depth to survive in the Premiership.
| 48 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
subscribe to this blog
