Premiership Football Transfer Betting 2010
The summer transfer window allows betting fans the opportunity to take an educated guess (or well informed gamble) as to which world class footballer is moving from one club to another. With a little help from the know-it-all gossip-mongerers and media-based rumour mills. What's more, the summer transfer window signals the onset of brisk business with online football bet-proffering bookmakers as they position themselves at the forefront of the facts and figures involving the in-demand Premiership-bound footballers in question. Nowadays the keen internet football betting fan can be immediately furnished with the very latest prices associated with the protracted transfers of the Barclays Premier League's biggest stars.
After much fanciful deliberating, ponderous pontificating, misguided musing, scurvy-loosening head scratching and finger-blistering chin rubbing on just what underperforming has-been will be recruited during the close season to shoulder some of the blame for Portsmouth being relegated at the end of the 2009-2010 Premier League season, Free Betting Online have gathered together under the one roof all the comings, goings and outstanding decision-making to be made with regards to the Barclays Premiership football transfer betting 2010 sagas.
Manchester City Were The Subject Of Much Of The Premiership Football Transfer Betting 2010 Transfer Talk
This will be sure to include the epic love-tug between Everton and Manchester City for the would-be World Defender of the Year, Joleon Lescott which has finally drawn to an amicable, sorry, predictable conclusion, in that City have got their man at the 11th hour. Much to the derision and abject misery (although quite how the casual observer would tell when he's not wearing the expression of a man who's both derided and miserable we don't know) of Toffee's head honcho, David Moyes; who's still sticking the boot in over the morals/ethics of the morally and ethic-free displacement of Lescott; who still insists he's moved to City for the chance to end the season in the top five of the Premier League and absolutely, nothing whatsoever/categoricallyly zilch/libelous to suggest, the stupendous wage he's set to pick up. Which of course makes us collectively feel all the more saddened for poor old John Terry down at Stamford Bridge - clearly Manchester City's first choice of fullback this summer - who will scrape by on Chelsea's meager wage for another season, loyal to the bitter end.
We don't know about you, but we can't get enough of the speculative tittle-tattle, that spans the whole Premiership football transfer betting 2010 divide at this time of year. Sylvain Distin on the other hand is laughing all the way to the bank (the Merseyside branch of whoever he deposits his earnings with that is) at the outcome of this pre-Christmas pantomime, because as a result of Lescott 'doing one' to Eastlands the ex-Manchester City (what weird and wonderful webs Premiership Football Transfer Betting 2009 weaves) defender is winging his way to Goodison Park as we pen this summary. At least guaranteeing himself one more season in English football's top flight after departing Portsmouth's Fratton Park debacle without so much as a second glance, nevermind a tear welling up in his eye as part of the new-look Everton's bid to gatecrash the Premiership top five at the expense of, well, Manchester City hopefully.
Full Round-up Of Premiership Football Transfer Betting 2010 Action, As We've Seen It
Obviously there have been various grand entrances and sneaky, back door exits during the close season, but we're concentrating on the more high profile transfers that have taken place during the most recent Premiership Football Transfer Betting window, otherwise we'd be here all day and probably crash our own information portal. So without further ado, here's the main movers and shakers......
Arsenal have dusted down the welcome mat outside The Emirates so that Ajax's Thomas Vermaelen can wipe his £8.45 million feet on the way in, along with Cheltenham Town's Jamie Edge. Who apparently the Gunners have simply paid compensation for. Leaving via the tradesman's entrance however were Emmanuel Adebayor (£25 million) and Koule Toure (£16 million) who have swapped the bright lights of London for the streets pathed with gold that lead up to the City of Manchester Stadium. Other folk have made way too, but we've never heard of them so we doubt you have.
Martin O'Neill has thrown open his excitable arms to both Stewart Downing (formerly of Middlesbrough FC) for £12 million squid, whilst also giving a firm handshake and manly pat on the back to Newcastle's Habib Beye for £2.6 million. However one of Aston Villa's biggest coups of the summer has to be the £6 million capture of Leeds United hotshot, Fabian Delph. Elsewhere O'Neill's team-building has included the recruiting of Stephen Warnock (undisclosed) and Manchester City's surplus to requirement defender, Richard Dunne (£6 million). Amongst those players bidding farewell to Villa Park are Manchester City-bound Gareth Barry (£12 million) and Zat Knight, who's buggering off to Bolton Wanderers for a sum of £3.5 million.
Many Internet Football Betting Fans Wager On Barclays Premier League Summer Transfer Window
Birmingham have said 'Bonjour' to Christian Benitez (despite the fact that he's Ecuadorian, as is his compatriot Giovanni Espinoza – snapped up for £385,000), as well as making room for three more on top in the shape of Rangers' captain Barry Ferguson (£1 million), Roger Johnson (£5 million heading to Cardiff City for the pleasure) and Coventry City's Scott Dann. Who's insured for £3.5 million apparently. Lee Bowyer has also joined Alex McLeish's Brummie revolution on a free from West Ham, and Manchester City's Joe Hart is part of the Scot's plans whilst on a season-long loan deal. Good stuff. Shuffling out of St Andrews with their tails between their legs are a host of players who's names are only familiar to their nearest and dearest, including Stephen Kelly, Michael McKerr and James McPike who are now darkening the doors of Fulham, Oldham and Kettering respectively.
Meanwhile 'Big Sam' Allardyce has splashed £6.5 million of Blackburn Rovers' booty on the equally unheard of Nikola Kalinic, who turned up at the arrivals lounge after alighting a recent flight from Hajduk Split. Not to be outdone in the 'who the hell are you when you're at home' stakes, are Marseille refugee Gael Givet (£3.5 million), Amien's Steven N'zonzi (£400,000) and Asteras Tripolis's Nikos Giannakopoulos (maximum points on the Scrabble board, if not the Premiership) for £52,000. one name you may have heard of though is Real Madrid legend, Michel Salgado, who comes with vast experience (yes, according to Wikipedia he's 112 years old) courtesy of Real Madrid, arrives on a free transfer to shore up Rovers' suspect defence. He'll be joined by until recently Tottenham Hotspur's Pascal Chumbawumba (undisclosed fee).Stumbling into their paths outside the Ewood Park revolving door was Roque Santa Cruz who grabbed on to the passing Manchester City lifeboat earlier in the summer (who in exchange for his services left a £17 million thank you note), Matt Derbyshire (who's said to be making new friends at Olympiakos - £3 million), Paul Gallagher - who completed a £1 million switch to Leicester City - and the aforementioned, Stephen Warnock, who's been offloaded to Villa.
Bolton And Burnley Make Shrewd Summer Transfer Investments
Down at Allardyce's old Bolton stomping ground, Gary Megson gave high fives to a probably bemused-looking Zat Knight (hitherto of Aston Villa for £3.5 million), Hull City's Sam Ricketts (£3 million) and Lee Chung-Yong, formerly of FC Seoul in a deal in the region of £2.2 million. A useful bit of cheque signing also now sees Portsmouth's Sean Davis and West Bromwich's Paul Robinson (Free and season loan respectively) pulling on the Bolton strip at the Reebok for the 2009-2010 season, whilst simultaneously Megson signed and sealed the fate of three players we never knew he had anyway; namely Blerim Dzemaili, Ariza Makukula and Tope Obadeyi.
Barclays Premier League Football Betting 2009-2010 new-boys Burnley haven't exactly been resting on their laurels whilst the rest of us have been packing our Cristiano Ronaldo-esque elephant trunks either, acquiring the footballing services of Messrs Fletcher, Bikey and Mears ahead of the new term. In the correct order, Steve Fletcher reported for duty direct from Hibernian for £3 million, Anrde Bikey parted company with Reading (once Owen Coyle's bosses had exchanged £2.8 million used notes for him) and Derby County's Tyrone Mears pitched up for £500,000. The biggest coup for their part though has to be the loan signing of Portsmouth's forgotten striker, David Nugent. At the same time Coyle cleared the decks of Alan Mahon (returning to Tranmere Rovers) and Steve Jones who went to Walsall on a free.
Chelsea might have been constantly linked with some tasty Latinos during the summer, yet in the event have only really - as far as we can make out - secured the autographs of CSKA Moscow's Yuri Zhirkov for £18 million and Nemanja Matic of MFK Kosice for some loose change in Roman Abramovich's arse pocket. £1.75 million of shrapnel to be exact. Not what you'd call brisk business by Chelsea's habitual summer transfer scramble, but then again the Stamford Bridge outfit have to fight for the crumbs under Manchester City's table these days like everyone else now that Abramovich is feeling the credit crunch bite. Yet it could be more a case of what they haven't splashed than what they have if you take into account the clever signings of Daniel Sturridge (Manchester City - compensation) and Middlesbrough's promising young goalkeeper, Russ Turnbull on a free. The only notable name who'll be invited back to future Chelsea reunions will be Ben Sahar, who's applied for new residence at Espanyol, who've sent £800,000 in the return post. Although news reaches us that flop hit-man Audrey Shevchenko legged it to Dynamo Kiev on a free too.
Everton And Fulham Both Busy In Premiership's Summer Transfer Market
Everton have pinned striker Jo down to another season at Goodison Park on loan from Manchester City, while bringing in two disciples of the MSL after trawling America's primary soccer league for talent whilst on their travels recently. Don't expect blue shirts bearing the names of Cody Arnoux (Carolina Dynamo) or Anton Peterlin (Ventura County Fusion) selling out soon however. Of course they've also grabbed a slice of Sylvain Distin from Portsmouth and Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, c/o Lokomotiv Moscow, along with deadline day signing John Heitinga from Athletico Madrid for £6 million. Heading for either the M58/John Lennon Airport/Mersey Ferry are the temporarily homeless Lars Jacobsen (Blackburn - free), Thomas McCready (Hibernian - free) and Andy van der Meyde (cast off, sorry, released). And Lescott don't forget.
Down on the banks of the River Thames, and Fulham have been quietly going about their business by taking Damien Duff off Newcastle's hands (and Coca Cola Championship-unsustainable salary budget) in exchange for £4 million, while also ensuring the image rights of Lillestrom's Bjorn Helge Riise, who for the record IS ex-Liverpool player, John-Arne Riise's younger sibling. Roy Hodgson has also got the Norwegian international to play as part of the deal. West Brom captain Jonathan Greening has also joined the Cottagers on a season-long loan, while Stephen Kelly has acrobatically back-flipped out of the Birmingham City fire straight into the Fulham frying pan. The only notable absentee who wont be strutting his stuff down Kings Road this term is the erstwhile Collins John, who's opted to continue his football career into his twilight years with Belgium minnows, KSV Roeselare, although Moritz Voltz has also said to have slipped into the night outside Craven Cottage.
Hull City have added the hard to pronounce name of Seyi Olofinjana to their burgeoning ranks, who they paid Stoke City the sum of £3 million for, while Reading's Stephen Hunt will henceforth be referred to as Hull City's Stephen Hunt after completing an undisclosed switch. Not content with plundering Stoke the once, tan fan Phil Brown returned to sign Ibrahima Sonko on loan, whilst also confirming that Paul McShane had arrived from Sunderland. On the end of Brown's boot was the backside of Hull old boy (and the most well traveled footballer in the England), Dean Windass, who at 76-years of age must surely be contemplating being put out to graze. One-time 'next big thing' Michael Bridges and ex-Liverpool 'prospect', John Welsh have also been released without charge, while highly-rated Michael Turner has agreed to personal terms further up the North East coast at Sunderland.
Liverpool Bet On Aquilini To Replace Alonso Despite Injury Worries
Having only a few retail vouchers for Cheshire Oaks Outlet Village to spend this summer, despite offloading the most aptly named adopted scouser ever to pull on an LFC shirt, Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid for £30 million, Rafa Benitez hasn't got a lot to show for his wheeling/dealing. Save Glen Johnson (£17 million, Portsmouth end of season sale) and ex-Roma lynchpin, Alberto Aquilini who cost in the region of £15 million to add straight to the red's injury list. Sotirios Kyrgiakos on the other hand is fit to play and cost roughly £1.5 million from AEK Athens. Shown the Anfield door during the summer were Alvaro Arbeloa, who followed Alonso to Madrid and Paul Anderson (who?) who was snapped up by ambitious Nottingham Forest.
Manchester City of course have been spending money as if it's going out of fashion, adding the trend-setting likes of Roque Santa Cruz (£17 million unwanted gift from Blackburn Rovers), Carlos Tevez (Manchester United free agent/contract rebel), a right pair of Gooners going by the names of Emmanuel Adebayor and Koulo Toure (rumoured to be £25 and £15 million respectively) and Joleon Lescott (Everton, £22 million) to their credit crunch-blind eye turning squad. Hughes has however bode a fond-ish farewell Daniel Sturridge, Ched Evans, Elano, Richard Dunne and Tal Ben Haim as a half-arsed gesture at balancing the books.
Across the city at Stretford, Sir Alex Ferguson hasn't let the Carrington Moss turf grow under his feet either, ensuring that Wigan Athletic's Antonio Valencia committed his £17 million signature to paper and that Bordeaux wide-boy, Gabriel Obertan followed the South American winger's example shortly afterwards. Someone who's no stranger to signing lucrative contracts (just before resting from the excursions on the physio's table for a few months) is Michael Owen who joined United on a free transfer from relegated Newcastle United the moment the celebrity gambler realised he'd have to take a massive drop in wages were he to compete in the Coca Cola Championship this term. Escorted to the Old Trafford car park and then off the premises was Carlos Tevez, Cristiano Ronaldo (£80 million from Real Madrid passed the other way from the boot of a Ford Mondeo), Frazier Campbell and Manucho.
Portsmouth Tipped For Relegation By Online Bookies Despite Late Flurry Of Activity In Transfer Market
Portsmouth decided to plug the alarming gaps in their ever decreasing squad by replacing the small army of 'star' players they'd relinquished control of earlier in the summer with cheaper alternatives. Paul Hart was seen meeting and greeting Steve Finnan, Antti Niemi, Michael Brown, Tal Ben Haim and Spurs duo, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Jamie O'Hara for varying 'undisclosed' amounts, while handing P45's to Djimi Traore, Noe Pamarot, Lauren and Glen Little, having had no say in the previous departures of Peter Crouch (Tottenham Hotspur), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Sean Davis (Bolton), Sylvain Distin (Everton) and David Nugent (Burnley) and still desperately trying to hang onto David James in the face of Harry Redknapp's continual carrot-dangling.
There's no mistaking where Stoke City's Tony Pulis spent his summer holiday this year – the Northumberland coast – as the Potter's boss returned from his jollies with Middlesbrough's Robert Huth (£5 million) and Tuncay Sanli (£5 million) in his suitcase. Adding to his previous keepsakes - Dean Whitehead and Danny Collins (£undisclosed and £2.75 million respectively) reminding him of his time spent in a little further up the North Eastern seaboard in Sunderland. Extended the warm (and Mr Tickle-like) hand of friendship to Diego Arismendi (Club Nacional, £2.6m) for good measure, he even found time to drop off Seyi Olofinjana and Ibrahima Sonko at Hull City on the way home.
Sunderland's biggest close season expenditure was the £16.5 million ensnaring of Darren Bent from Spurs, yet new boss (and lifelong Newcastle United fan), Steve Bruce didn't put his employer's cheque book away immediately, as he found that Frazier Campell (£3.5 million, Man Utd), Lee Cattermole (£6 million, Wigan) and Michael Turner (undsiclosed fee, Hull) caught his eye too. A mass clear-out/exodus included the ending of relations with Dwight Yorke (heave-ho), Dean Whitehead and Danny Collins (Stoke-bound), Paul McShane (Stamped with a Hull postcode), Greg Halford (Wolves) and Newcastle, Sunderland, Cardiff City boomerang, Michael Chopra as Bruce goes about hallmarking his own team.
Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United And Wigan Athletic Not Amongst The Transfer Window Big Spenders This Summer
Miraculously, Tottenham Hotspur have got the player's they made do with last season to work for Harry Redknapp better this term, having only flashed the plastic for one of his favourite sons (along with Jermain Defoe), Peter Crouch, Newcastle United's Sebastien Bassong and Sheffield United's brace of Kyles; Messrs Naughton and Walker. All in all a realistic summer recruitment policy countered by kicking any deadwood into touch by the master wheeler dealer then, who bode good riddance to Didier Zokora, Darren Bent, Pascal Chimbonda, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Jamie O'Hara.
West Ham United bought some players know-one other than gaffer Gianfranco Zola had ever heard of (amongst his finds, Luis Jimenez, Harlow Town's Jack Lampe, Fabio Daprela and Alessandro Diamanti), whilst awkwardly suggesting that Lee Bowyer, Lucas Neill, James Collins and Diego Tristan shouldn't bother returning for pre-season training or the Christmas party this year.
New Wigan Athletic head honcho - Roberto Martinez - made the service securing of former charge, Jason Scotland his top priority on arrival at the JJB, along with dragging Scott Sinclair 'oop north' from Chelsea on loan, to see how if it fits or not. Of course the Latics recouped vast swathes of team rebuilding money from the sale of Antonia Valencia (£17 million-ish) to Sir Alex and Lee Cattermole to former coach, Steve Bruce, now ensconced in the Sunderland hot-seat.
Finally, Premier League misfits, sorry, newcomers Wolverhampton Wanderers acknowledged the level of the task facing them this season, when they ticked the boxes next to catalogue images of Kevin Doyle (£6 million from Reading), Greg Halford and Chelsea's very bright England prospect, Michael Manciene on a loan agreement. Wily campaigner Mick McCarthy also signed the delivery notes attached to Nenad Milijas (of Red Star Belgrade) and Marcus Hahnemann (previously of a Reading abode) to complete his jigsaw-piecing ahead of challenging nine months.