The 2010 Summer transfer thread

[Colossus]

Anderson plays out of depth and looks like shit because he isn't playing in his true position. He is a 10, a player like Riquelme, Aimar or Káká. Instead, he's playing more in defense.

[R.W.]

John Utaka?

JOHN F'N UTAKA?

Big Sam must be looking for a striker to make Roberts look good.

[ONO]

Someone mentioned Heskey. :S

Anyway transfer window has been open 33 days and still nobody in the door at Villa. Fucking depressing.

[Hobo]

Maybe MON can't find any already known about young rated British players to buy from recently relegated clubs

[HailtotheYo]

Rafa Marquez officially joins RBNY

[stokeriño]

Ramires is having a medical at Chelsea with a view to a ~£17m transfer, it would seem.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/8881118.stm

A Portuguese website also claimed that he would double the wages he's on at Benfica...from about £20kpw to £40kpw. If true, that's a pretty sweet deal for Chelsea considering the amount that Ballack and Joe Cole took off the wage bill.

Oh, and for those of us who know fuck all about this guy (or perhaps just saw him in Brazil's games at the World Cup), here is a description of the type of player he is, lifted from a Chelsea forum where someone had actually found a real Benfica fan to ask:

I'll be assuming you are a Chelsea fan and I'll base my description on it:

Ramires arrived at SL Benfica only this last season of 2009/2010 from Cruzeiro Esporte Clube (Brasil), on May 21, 2009 to be precise. He had a clause coming from Cruzeiro to SLB which would only allow him to come after he played the whole Copa Libertadores (America's Champions League).

And Cruzeiro got to the final with Ramires playing all matches, so he arrived at Benfica pretty tired. He got no vacations, and quickly began to work in our pre-season at Benfica (which with our current coach Jorge Jesus is something really tough. I commonly watch some of the squad trainings in Benfica TV, and the man really pushes the players to the limit during pre-season).

The amazing work of our physios got him in shape to start the Portuguese Liga at 100%. Ramires debuted on the second match of the official season as a first eleven player, and scored the victory goal with his head on minute 90' in Benfica's 1-0 win over Vitória Guimarães.

Right then, we all loved Ramires and a strong relationship with the fans began. Not just about the goal of course, but all that first match, the way he puts everything on the field. We were amazed to see the only squad player who didn't rested even a little to be one of the freshier players on the field. He just ran, ran, and ran. He was the one who chased Vit. Guimarães (fast) forwards to collect the ball when the defense failed, and he was the one to quickly initiate the counter-attacks. The man just has incredible stamina. After all, back in Cruzeiro, and then here too, he was called "Kenyan" due to this factor (and quite frankly, his looks:P).

I would describe Ramires as the perfect inner right midfielder. He gives the freedom for a good right winger to go up front and try for a cross (even helping him on the way), because if the play goes wrong, he will surely chase the opponent's left attacker all the way to our goal line (and to think that Chelsea has José Bosingwa just makes it a perfect combination). And he has an amazing first touch. Even though this was something Jorge Jesus implemented on the team to create a fast and ferocious attack (which as I said in the video commentaries, created more than 130 goals this season), not every player on the squad seemed to be able to quickly read the game and make that first touch to take the defending team off balance. But Ramires from day 1 showed he was not only stamina. The man has huge technique and his passes oftenly prove to be lethal. Normally Benfica controled the opponent with short passes in the midfield area until either Di Maria on the left or Ramires on the right created the necessary space to start the attack in the last third of the field. Ramires has good crossing skills and provided Cardozo (our League's top scorer and Paraguay international) with several heading chances which many resulted in a goal. And Ramires can head it too, both defending or attacking, for a man of his height, he sure has good heading skills. As for his shot, at first I thought he was pretty poor, because normally he seemed somewhat frightned to shoot at goal. But in more late matches, he started to try some from out of the box and he is pretty decent. I can recall one shot he took against Sporting Lisbon that hitted the bar with such power that it kept trembling as the keeper took the goal kick.

Basically, I see Ramires as the perfect young version of Essien. He just needs to get a little bit more experienced and learn to somewhat relax a bit in game (especially big games such as rival ones). He seems to get a little nervous and those games don't go so well, but he still performs in those matches. But that's a minor problem that can easily be solved, come to think of such potential he has.

I sincerely hope Ramires can stay here at Benfica another season and show his value at Champions League this year. If he goes to Chelsea, oh well, it's good for him and both parties, but even with the 30M€, I think it's even a better trade for Chelsea. That's how much I believe in Ramires talent bro.

Well, I think I've typed too much. Sorry for that, it's just that I really had to explain how we Benfica fans (and even our rival fans of FC Porto and Sporting Lisbon) respect Ramires and his work for our team this year.

He's a Champion at Benfica and sure will help Chelsea or Benfica to revalidate the title.

[The Quasi Juice]

Ramires is fuckin' class. He already put his stamp on Brazil's national team when he was still playing in Brazil. He's strong, fast, defensively solid and also great in setting up attacks and running into space. He's better than Ballack that's for sure.

Edited August 3, 2010 by The Quasi Juice

[stokeriño]

Anyone who doesn't use Kicking People as a primary tactic is better than Ballack.

(read: so not Paul Scholes, say.)

[Hobo]

Ben Haim is joining West Ham on loan. Also I forgot Avram Grant was there now.

[METALMAN]

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article1045468.ece

[stokeriño]

Since West Ham will be the third club at which Avram manages TBH, he'll have learnt his lesson by now.

...Unless he gets shoved down to the reserves, in which case May God Help Avram.

[TheGreatJ]

http://www.thesun.co...icle1045468.ece

Stopped reading as soon as I read:

"A TOP Chelsea star broke ranks to deliver a damning verdict on Blues coach Avram Grant."

Yeah...

[GoN_]

If Ramires is really going to Chelsea it will be a shame. I really wanted to see him play a second season with us. The guy is awesome, he played one and a half year non-stop and he did very well. The thing is, I see him shining anywhere but England. I don't think he is a "Premiership player". In Spain or Italy I would have no doubt.

[DavidMarrio]

http://www.thesun.co...icle1045468.ece

Stopped reading as soon as I read:

"A TOP Chelsea star broke ranks to deliver a damning verdict on Blues coach Avram Grant."

Yeah...

I didnt bother to read because i saw The Sun

[Colossus]

Ramires is a fucking beast of nature. He CANNOT get tired. I saw him playing injured, playing after having no break, playing in all sorts of conditions, and he's tireless.

And he is also a great CM\RM. He is not a Winger, far from that, but he has a great first touch, a great pass, and he is one of the best players I have ever seen off-the ball. The dude is always on the right spot

Edited August 4, 2010 by Colossus

[GoN_]

Ramires is a fucking beast of nature. He CANNOT get tired. I saw him playing injured, playing after gaving no break, playing in all sorts of conditions, and he's tireless.

And he is also a great CM\RM. He is not a Winger, far from that, but he has a great first touch, a great pass, and he is one of the best players I have ever seen off-the ball. The dude is always on the right spot

But for him to play in the Premier League he definitely needs to change. He has the body of a small 15 year old boy.

[Colossus]

Manuel Fernandes was like him, and he returned to Benfica a freaking beast. His body is the least of my concerns

[GoN_]

Manuel Fernandes and Anderson are two perfect examples of why I'm afraid that Ramires going to England might not be the best choice. If they make him gain muscular mass like they did with those two he might lose most of what makes him great.

[ONO]

Give the lad a chance before writing him off. Modric isn't the biggest build you'll ever see in the Premier League and he has been fantastic. Just because Anderson and Fernandes can't hack the Premier League doesn't mean this guy has no chance. Shevchenko, one of the best strikers of the last 20 years couldn't hack the PL. It is just as much down to personal character and attitude than anything.

[mikevandam]

One for the hammers. They seem to want Winston Ried (who played for the New Zealand national team at the World Cup)