Done Deal
Petr Cech
Arsenal finally got their man this week when they confirmed the signing of Chelsea legend Peter Cech. The big Czech keeper provides the Gunners with invaluable title winning experience, and despite spending most of last season on the bench, the 33-year-old can still be one of the best keepers in the league on his day. This move throws the futures of current keepers David Ospina and Wojciech Sczcesny into even more doubt, and it’s unclear if either of them will be willing to spend next season on the bench. This move immediately increases Arsenal’s title chances, and could be the final piece of the puzzle that Wenger needed to top England.
Douglas Costa
Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller already give Bayern Munich a pretty talented frontline. Now, the Bundesliga champions have added even more talent to their already packed squad with the addition of Brazilian forward Douglas Costa from Shakhtar Donetsk. Costa was long thought to be a target for Chelsea, but Pep Guardiola’s side beat them to the punch. The 24-year-old will add the typical Brazilian flair upfront, and provide a different type of threat than posed by Lewandowski. The Bundesliga provides a higher level of competition from week-to-week than the Ukranian league, and it may take some time for Costa to adjust, but if he lives up to his potential he could be deadly in Germany.
Nathaniel Clyne
Brendan Rodgers’ raid of Southampton has continued as Liverpool confirmed the signing of Nathaniel Clyne on Wednesday. Clyne joins former teammates Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and Dejan Lovren in Merseyside, and seems to be a ready-made replacement for the departing Glen Johnson. Clyne, 24, was considered one of the hottest young talents available this summer and was reportedly a target for pretty much every top club in England. This signing will add to an already talented backline of Alberto Moreno, Lovren and Mamadou Sakho. The goal for Liverpool this season will be to get back into the top four, and back into the Champions League and Clyne will definitely help with the push.
Carlos Tevez
The career of Carlos Tevez has never been a predictable one, and the Argentine forward threw another curveball to fans when he signed for boyhood club Boca Juniors over the weekend. Tevez was one of the hottest strikers in Europe last season, and his partnership with Alvaro Morata helped Juve claim a league title and cup title. This move seems to signal the swan song of Tevez’s career, but all of Europe will feel relieved that the Argentine will no longer terrorize their backlines.
Getting Traction
Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba seems to be a name that refuses to leave the rumor mill. The Juventus star is one of the hottest midfielders in the world at the moment and it feels like every team with money wants to sign him. The latest club to be dubbed favorites for his signature is Barcelona. Several media outlets have started to report that the Champions League winners have agreed a deal worth +€60 million to sign Pogba from Juve not this summer, but next summer when their transfer ban is a thing of the past. Now, imagine a team with Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Neymar, Iniesta, Rakitic, and now Paul Pogba. Seems like a recipe for success to me.
David De Gea
Quit dragging me along David. If you’re going to leave just do it already. It doesn’t seem like there’s an end in sight to this summer’s hottest transfer romance between De Gea and Real Madrid, and Manchester United aren’t prepared to let their star keeper leave for cheap. Even though De Gea’s contract expires at the end of next season, Madrid will be sorely disappointed if they think Ed Woodward will sell the keeper for anything less than a top-dollar fee. While I do think that it’s only a matter of time before the Spanish savior leaves, I don’t think it’s going to happen until the dying embers of summer.
Andrea Pirlo
It seems like just a matter of time before New York City FC announce the signing of the classiest midfielder this sport has ever seen. The club accidentally published Pirlo’s player profile on their official website Tuesday night, only to take it down minutes later, but a picture of the Italian in the sky blue kit has already been leaked. Even at 36, Pirlo provides an unmatched passing ability and composure on the ball and could quickly establish himself as one of the best in the MLS when he steps on the field.
Catch up on the rest of this summer’s transfer action!
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