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Chelsea wastes no time, swoops in for Bosingwa

Jose_boswinga_ap

So much for a mourning period.

Less than a day after losing out on the English Premier League title, Chelsea took a step toward trying to build a title-winning squad by making a $32 million bid for Portuguese winger Jose Bosingwa. The 25-year-old fullback had been considered a top target for Manchester United, which was considered the front-runner for his services, but Chelsea swooped in and landed the prized defender.

Anybody else get the feeling this is just the first step in what is going to be a crazy transfer period for Chelsea? I’m calling it now. Roman Abramovich will approve the purchase of at least three more big-ticket players to help bolster the squad, especially if Chelsea loses to Manchester United in the Champions League final.

There is also the matter of rumors linking Chelsea stars Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard to summer departures from Stamford Bridge. If they leave then you can bet your bottom ruble that Abramovich will target the best possible replacements, regardless of cost. David Villa anybody? How about Ronaldinho?

Who do you see Chelsea going after with that bottomless bank account? What does Chelsea actually need? Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Yeah just read they are offering 50mil for Torres… how stupid when they could get Villa for that.

    Also, I just read that they are gearing up to get Queresma instead of Ribery for the left winger spot.

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  2. apologies if this has been addressed on SBI or the general mill, and I wish Barca had kept Frank Rijkaard, but they should try to get him. Want to play some of the best football in the world with the best squad (not a guaranteed title of course)? Sure there are options, but I hate to say (not fond of Chelski) they should grab him, pending assessments of chemistry no one will ask our opinions on ha…

    would not want to see Lamps at Barca, just my opinion

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  3. WHO’S IN

    Bosingwa (RB)

    Ribery (LM/W)

    Gomez or Huntelaar (CF)

    Villa (CF)

    Van der Vaart or Diego (AM)

    A backup CB, someone like Lugano

    A backup RB/LB, someone like Salcido

    WHO’S OUT

    Anelka (to whomever)

    Drogba (to AC or where Jose is)

    Lampard (to Barca)

    Malouda (to Inter)

    Sheva (to whomever)

    Pizarro (to whomever)

    Ben Haim (wherever)

    Balletti (back to spain)

    There’s going to be fairly big turnover. And they’ll have “bottomless pockets” because Drogba, Lampard, and Anelka were good investments as they sell them off.

    The constants (Drogba, Lampard, possibly even Carvalho) will have a HUGE following out with Abramovich, just you watch.

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  4. After the mess with Hargraeves last year I don’t know that Ribery can be pried from the Kaiser’s grip. He’d be a great addition to almost any team, but I sure hope he stays at Bayern.

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  5. This guy is the real deal. A lot is made of how well he gets involved in the attack, but he is solid defensively as well. Granted, he is no Dani Alves, Sergio Ramos, Maicon or Lahm, but he is solidly in that second tier of world class full backs.

    If Ribery went to Chelsea I would be shocked. He has been absoluting mesmerizing for Bayern and I don’t seem him leaving after one season.

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  6. Chelsea will have to give up the farm to get Ribery — Bayern paid a lot to get him last year, since they were in dire straits (read: they failed to make the CL). He has been instrumental in taking them back to the top.

    IMO he’s one of the best in the world and a move to the EPL would only elevate his status.

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  7. BTW, further to the above, my understanding is that Chelsea is looking at Franck Ribery for the left winger/attacking midfielder.

    I don’t know how Ribery has looked this year for Bayern, but he seems to me exactly what they need from the position.

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  8. It’s funny, but I actually liked the Michael Essien experiment at right back. He brings pace and power up the right flank the way few fullbacks do. And he wasn’t half bad as a defender either. But I guess that experiment is over and, if Lampard stays (which I think he will) Michael Essien will again without a position to play.

    What Chelsea needs above everything else is a left wing player. Malouda is horrible and Kalou hasn’t been much better. It’s difficult to say this, given how many games he’s missed over the past couple of years, but Chelsea really haven’t been the same since Robben went downhill.

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  9. I’m glad that Man U missed out on Bosingwa, he seems like a great player, but not for $32 million. I would much rather buy a promising youngster that will switch off with Gary Neville next year and learn United’s game, than some high-priced starlet that is going to demand to play every game. Save the money for a Saha replacement.

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  10. Reported attendance 65k — I don’t think so. That’s obviously counting sold (season/socio) tickets. Ironically, the fans actually applauded Rijkaard as he came out on the pitch. Then again, maybe everyone not at the stadium were busy protesting the players and chanting for Laporta to go next.

    I would love to know who Barca is going after to replace Ronaldinho. I’m shocked by the lack of rumors.

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  11. Speaking of Barca, did anyone notice the abysmal attendance at their game against Mallorca this weekend? I turned on GolTV and was shocked. I know their season is basically over, but this is one of the greatest and most supported clubs in the world and it looked like an end of the season match at Middlesbrough.

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  12. @RK – Could not agree with you more about Barca and big clubs in general coming up just short.

    On a side note – I laugh whenever I pull up the website and see the “Train the Barca Way” event advertisements. What exactly are they going to be training people? How to get paid for not working? How to go clubbing? How to ruin club morale? Half the roster is getting fired for goodness sake!

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  13. I still can’t believe the money they spent on Sheva, and he doesn’t even play!

    In a way it’s refreshing, because the way Chelsea tries to buy trophies makes the money spent by Man Utd., Liverpool, Spurs, Arsenal etc. look like a pittance. Suddenly all the people who constantly complained about big time spending (including Chelsea fans) know what REAL big time spending is.

    I wonder if they’ll go for little Ronnie?

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  14. Needs – A replacement for Drogba, should he leave. I’ve heard some rumblings about Berbatov. I also expect Sheva and Pizarro top be gone, so we might need two strikers. Defense looks like it’s all sorted out, with Bosingwa and Ivanovic, who arrived in the Jan. transfer window. I expect Ben Haim to leave, and Belletti as well. Midfield – IMO SWP will be sold and a new winger brought n. I have no idea who it will be. Finally, Cudicini will leave and I expect we will need a new backup keeper.

    I say Drogba stays if we win the CL.

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  15. It’s amazing how the top teams panic when they come up just short. You’d think Barcelona were being relegated the way that they are acting. They had 17 players absent from training today, plus Rijkaard. I don’t know how you expect a team to completely overhaul its roster and gel. Right, DCU?

    Surely Shevchenko will move on?

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  16. Nah. He’s a right back. Manchester United was looking at him as a replacement for Gary Neville.

    Totally agree, Ives. Should be an interesting summer at Chelsea.

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  17. Doesn’t this guy play the same position as Ashley Cole?

    If so – safe to say Cashley’s days might be numbered at Stamford Bridge.

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  18. I don’t know, but given how much a dollar is worth to them I think I will be sending in my resume with cover letter. I can be had very cheap in comparisson.

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