Inter Milan have appointed Frank De Boer as their new head coach, it was confirmed on Tuesday. 

The news was relayed in a statement on Inter’s official website, in which it’s noted the Dutchman has agreed a three-year deal. De Boer replaces former boss Roberto Mancini following his departure on Monday.

The Serie A side revealed their new chief will be unveiled at a news conference on Tuesday afternoon.

More to follow.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/2aBRjpr
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

In the summer of 2014 the Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward boasted that his club had the funds and clout to sign any player in the world.

Asked if he could come close to competing with the elite of Real Madrid and Barcelona, and break the world transfer record, Woodward boldly declared, “Of course it is within our capabilities…Are we afraid of doing that? No.”

“The reality is that we’re not afraid of spending significant amounts of money in the transfer market,” he told the Daily Mirror.  “I stand by what I said, there is no budget. We are in a very strong financial position, we can make big signings.”

But for the next two summer transfer windows those words proved to be largely hollow.

Manchester United did spend large amounts on good players, but not the type that would overly concern Europe’s leading clubs.

Overall, United were purchasing players from the middle shelf of world football, never having the confidence to reach higher.

But it appears that is no longer the case, and this week United are poised to break the world transfer record to sign Paul Pogba.

The saga has dragged on for most of the summer, but the club confirmed on Sunday that Pogba would have a medical, possibly on Monday, and be able to join United for a reported fee of around £89 million, a new world record transfer fee.

Still only 23, Pogba is a genuine superstar, and has the talent to become one of the very best players in the world on his return to Old Trafford.

Here is a player Real Madrid and Barcelona would have dearly loved to sign themselves, but they could not compete with United on this occasion. 

The imminent arrival of Pogba, a symbol of United finally using their financial muscle, will of course be a cause of celebration for the long frustrated Red Devils fans, but there should also be a note of caution.

History informs us that breaking the world transfer record certainly does not mean success immediately follows. 

In fact since 1996 on the last ten occasions a club has broken this record, only once (Real Madrid with Luis Figo in 2000) have they actually gone on to win their domestic league that season. 

In the last 20 years the record for the world transfer fee has been held by 10 players, from Alan Shearer, who Newcastle signed for £15 million in 1996, to the current holder, Gareth Bale, who cost Real Madrid £86 million three years ago.

While Shearer and Bale have been obvious successes, nearly half of players signed for a world record transfer fee in the last 20 years have actually been relative failures, and not lived up to their billing.

Just like United are on the brink of doing with Pogba, these clubs thought they were buying a sure thing, a player that would repay their record investment by helping to elevate them and deliver trophies, but it doesn’t always work out like that. 

In the last 15 years Real Madrid have an overall excellent record when they have broken the world transfer fee record: Luis Figo in 2000, Zinedine Zidane in 2001, Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009 and Gareth Bale in 2013, but there is a glaring exception: Kaka in 2009.

Before Ronaldo, or Lionel Messi, Kaka was universally hailed as the best player in the world, and was the last man to stop the fabled duo winning the Ballon d’Or when he put them in to second and third place to secure the individual honour in 2007.

And so Madrid never thought for a moment they were taking a risk when they paid AC Milan a record fee of £56 million for the Brazilian in the summer of 2009.

Only a few weeks later Madrid would of course again break the record when they signed Ronaldo for £80 million, and for the next four seasons Kaka would remain in the Portuguese’s rather sizeable shadow.

The dynamic player that thrilled the San Siro for six seasons never showed up in Spain, hampered by injuries and a loss of form.

His figures dramatically shrunk; in his last two seasons in Italy he had scored 15 and 16 league goals, but in four seasons in Spain he never once managed to get in to double figures, the most he could muster was eight in his first season.

After four seasons he was allowed to return to AC Milan on a free transfer, a mammoth loss of £56 million for Real Madrid.

At the turn of the millennium, Serie A was still the world’s leading league, and where transfer records were broken, but neither Hernan Crespo nor Christian Vieri ever really delivered.

By 1999, Vieri was a footballing nomad; always impressing, but not enough to stick around for long, and so had already passed through eight teams in eight seasons when Inter Milan paid £32 million for him.

Vieri did score regularly for Inter, 103 goals in 143 games over six seasons, but his signing was meant to usher in a new era of dominance for Inter in Serie A, and yet he didn’t win a single Scudetto, the only silverware he helped to bring to the San Siro was the Italian Cup in 2005, his last season for the club.

In 2000 the reigning Serie A champions Lazio felt emboldened to break the world transfer record when they signed the Argentine striker Hernan Crespo from Parma for £36 million.

His signing was intended to cement their position at the summit of Serie A, but even with Crespo, who would score 26 league goals in his first season at the Stadio Olimpico, Lazio failed to defend their title and were toppled by city rivals Roma.

In his second season, an injury-hit Crespo would only score 13 league goals, and Lazio who again failed to add any silverware, were happy to allow him to join Inter in the summer of 2002.

Lazio’s record investment brought goals, but not a single major trophy.

Arguably the most spectacular failure was when Real Betis surprisingly broke the record in 1998 by spending £21.5 million on the Brazilian winger Denilson.

He was blessed with wonderful pace and balance, and had excited at home in Brazil with Sao Paulo, but he did not travel well, and the record fee acted only as a burden in Spain where he so clearly struggled, and scored only twice in his first season.

Worse was to follow in his second season, when he could not stop Betis from being relegated.

Denilson was to be Betis’ passport in to the elite, and though they would win promotion back to La Liga, he would overall preside over a hugely disappointing seven seasons at the club.

And so Pogba now prepares to become the world’s most expensive ever player, and we await to see if this inspires him like Bale, Ronaldo and Zidane, or burdens him like Kaka and Denilson.

Manchester United will make a statement by breaking the record to bring Pogba back to Old Trafford, but then the hard work really begins, because simply spending big offers no guarantee of success. 

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/2b7ICZB
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

In the summer of 2014 the Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward boasted that his club had the funds and clout to sign any player in the world.

Asked if he could come close to competing with the elite of Real Madrid and Barcelona, and break the world transfer record, Woodward boldly declared, “Of course it is within our capabilities…Are we afraid of doing that? No.”

“The reality is that we’re not afraid of spending significant amounts of money in the transfer market,” he told the Daily Mirror.  “I stand by what I said, there is no budget. We are in a very strong financial position, we can make big signings.”

But for the next two summer transfer windows those words proved to be largely hollow.

Manchester United did spend large amounts on good players, but not the type that would overly concern Europe’s leading clubs.

Overall, United were purchasing players from the middle shelf of world football, never having the confidence to reach higher.

But it appears that is no longer the case, and this week United are poised to break the world transfer record to sign Paul Pogba.

The saga has dragged on for most of the summer, but the club confirmed on Sunday that Pogba would have a medical, possibly on Monday, and be able to join United for a reported fee of around £89 million, a new world record transfer fee.

Still only 23, Pogba is a genuine superstar, and has the talent to become one of the very best players in the world on his return to Old Trafford.

Here is a player Real Madrid and Barcelona would have dearly loved to sign themselves, but they could not compete with United on this occasion. 

The imminent arrival of Pogba, a symbol of United finally using their financial muscle, will of course be a cause of celebration for the long frustrated Red Devils fans, but there should also be a note of caution.

History informs us that breaking the world transfer record certainly does not mean success immediately follows. 

In fact since 1996 on the last ten occasions a club has broken this record, only once (Real Madrid with Luis Figo in 2000) have they actually gone on to win their domestic league that season. 

In the last 20 years the record for the world transfer fee has been held by 10 players, from Alan Shearer, who Newcastle signed for £15 million in 1996, to the current holder, Gareth Bale, who cost Real Madrid £86 million three years ago.

While Shearer and Bale have been obvious successes, nearly half of players signed for a world record transfer fee in the last 20 years have actually been relative failures, and not lived up to their billing.

Just like United are on the brink of doing with Pogba, these clubs thought they were buying a sure thing, a player that would repay their record investment by helping to elevate them and deliver trophies, but it doesn’t always work out like that. 

In the last 15 years Real Madrid have an overall excellent record when they have broken the world transfer fee record: Luis Figo in 2000, Zinedine Zidane in 2001, Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009 and Gareth Bale in 2013, but there is a glaring exception: Kaka in 2009.

Before Ronaldo, or Lionel Messi, Kaka was universally hailed as the best player in the world, and was the last man to stop the fabled duo winning the Ballon d’Or when he put them in to second and third place to secure the individual honour in 2007.

And so Madrid never thought for a moment they were taking a risk when they paid AC Milan a record fee of £56 million for the Brazilian in the summer of 2009.

Only a few weeks later Madrid would of course again break the record when they signed Ronaldo for £80 million, and for the next four seasons Kaka would remain in the Portuguese’s rather sizeable shadow.

The dynamic player that thrilled the San Siro for six seasons never showed up in Spain, hampered by injuries and a loss of form.

His figures dramatically shrunk; in his last two seasons in Italy he had scored 15 and 16 league goals, but in four seasons in Spain he never once managed to get in to double figures, the most he could muster was eight in his first season.

After four seasons he was allowed to return to AC Milan on a free transfer, a mammoth loss of £56 million for Real Madrid.

At the turn of the millennium, Serie A was still the world’s leading league, and where transfer records were broken, but neither Hernan Crespo nor Christian Vieri ever really delivered.

By 1999, Vieri was a footballing nomad; always impressing, but not enough to stick around for long, and so had already passed through eight teams in eight seasons when Inter Milan paid £32 million for him.

Vieri did score regularly for Inter, 103 goals in 143 games over six seasons, but his signing was meant to usher in a new era of dominance for Inter in Serie A, and yet he didn’t win a single Scudetto, the only silverware he helped to bring to the San Siro was the Italian Cup in 2005, his last season for the club.

In 2000 the reigning Serie A champions Lazio felt emboldened to break the world transfer record when they signed the Argentine striker Hernan Crespo from Parma for £36 million.

His signing was intended to cement their position at the summit of Serie A, but even with Crespo, who would score 26 league goals in his first season at the Stadio Olimpico, Lazio failed to defend their title and were toppled by city rivals Roma.

In his second season, an injury-hit Crespo would only score 13 league goals, and Lazio who again failed to add any silverware, were happy to allow him to join Inter in the summer of 2002.

Lazio’s record investment brought goals, but not a single major trophy.

Arguably the most spectacular failure was when Real Betis surprisingly broke the record in 1998 by spending £21.5 million on the Brazilian winger Denilson.

He was blessed with wonderful pace and balance, and had excited at home in Brazil with Sao Paulo, but he did not travel well, and the record fee acted only as a burden in Spain where he so clearly struggled, and scored only twice in his first season.

Worse was to follow in his second season, when he could not stop Betis from being relegated.

Denilson was to be Betis’ passport in to the elite, and though they would win promotion back to La Liga, he would overall preside over a hugely disappointing seven seasons at the club.

And so Pogba now prepares to become the world’s most expensive ever player, and we await to see if this inspires him like Bale, Ronaldo and Zidane, or burdens him like Kaka and Denilson.

Manchester United will make a statement by breaking the record to bring Pogba back to Old Trafford, but then the hard work really begins, because simply spending big offers no guarantee of success. 

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/2b7ICZB
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

In the summer of 2014 the Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward boasted that his club had the funds and clout to sign any player in the world.

Asked if he could come close to competing with the elite of Real Madrid and Barcelona, and break the world transfer record, Woodward boldly declared, “Of course it is within our capabilities…Are we afraid of doing that? No.”

“The reality is that we’re not afraid of spending significant amounts of money in the transfer market,” he told the Daily Mirror.  “I stand by what I said, there is no budget. We are in a very strong financial position, we can make big signings.”

But for the next two summer transfer windows those words proved to be largely hollow.

Manchester United did spend large amounts on good players, but not the type that would overly concern Europe’s leading clubs.

Overall, United were purchasing players from the middle shelf of world football, never having the confidence to reach higher.

But it appears that is no longer the case, and this week United are poised to break the world transfer record to sign Paul Pogba.

The saga has dragged on for most of the summer, but the club confirmed on Sunday that Pogba would have a medical, possibly on Monday, and be able to join United for a reported fee of around £89 million, a new world record transfer fee.

Still only 23, Pogba is a genuine superstar, and has the talent to become one of the very best players in the world on his return to Old Trafford.

Here is a player Real Madrid and Barcelona would have dearly loved to sign themselves, but they could not compete with United on this occasion. 

The imminent arrival of Pogba, a symbol of United finally using their financial muscle, will of course be a cause of celebration for the long frustrated Red Devils fans, but there should also be a note of caution.

History informs us that breaking the world transfer record certainly does not mean success immediately follows. 

In fact since 1996 on the last ten occasions a club has broken this record, only once (Real Madrid with Luis Figo in 2000) have they actually gone on to win their domestic league that season. 

In the last 20 years the record for the world transfer fee has been held by 10 players, from Alan Shearer, who Newcastle signed for £15 million in 1996, to the current holder, Gareth Bale, who cost Real Madrid £86 million three years ago.

While Shearer and Bale have been obvious successes, nearly half of players signed for a world record transfer fee in the last 20 years have actually been relative failures, and not lived up to their billing.

Just like United are on the brink of doing with Pogba, these clubs thought they were buying a sure thing, a player that would repay their record investment by helping to elevate them and deliver trophies, but it doesn’t always work out like that. 

In the last 15 years Real Madrid have an overall excellent record when they have broken the world transfer fee record: Luis Figo in 2000, Zinedine Zidane in 2001, Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009 and Gareth Bale in 2013, but there is a glaring exception: Kaka in 2009.

Before Ronaldo, or Lionel Messi, Kaka was universally hailed as the best player in the world, and was the last man to stop the fabled duo winning the Ballon d’Or when he put them in to second and third place to secure the individual honour in 2007.

And so Madrid never thought for a moment they were taking a risk when they paid AC Milan a record fee of £56 million for the Brazilian in the summer of 2009.

Only a few weeks later Madrid would of course again break the record when they signed Ronaldo for £80 million, and for the next four seasons Kaka would remain in the Portuguese’s rather sizeable shadow.

The dynamic player that thrilled the San Siro for six seasons never showed up in Spain, hampered by injuries and a loss of form.

His figures dramatically shrunk; in his last two seasons in Italy he had scored 15 and 16 league goals, but in four seasons in Spain he never once managed to get in to double figures, the most he could muster was eight in his first season.

After four seasons he was allowed to return to AC Milan on a free transfer, a mammoth loss of £56 million for Real Madrid.

At the turn of the millennium, Serie A was still the world’s leading league, and where transfer records were broken, but neither Hernan Crespo nor Christian Vieri ever really delivered.

By 1999, Vieri was a footballing nomad; always impressing, but not enough to stick around for long, and so had already passed through eight teams in eight seasons when Inter Milan paid £32 million for him.

Vieri did score regularly for Inter, 103 goals in 143 games over six seasons, but his signing was meant to usher in a new era of dominance for Inter in Serie A, and yet he didn’t win a single Scudetto, the only silverware he helped to bring to the San Siro was the Italian Cup in 2005, his last season for the club.

In 2000 the reigning Serie A champions Lazio felt emboldened to break the world transfer record when they signed the Argentine striker Hernan Crespo from Parma for £36 million.

His signing was intended to cement their position at the summit of Serie A, but even with Crespo, who would score 26 league goals in his first season at the Stadio Olimpico, Lazio failed to defend their title and were toppled by city rivals Roma.

In his second season, an injury-hit Crespo would only score 13 league goals, and Lazio who again failed to add any silverware, were happy to allow him to join Inter in the summer of 2002.

Lazio’s record investment brought goals, but not a single major trophy.

Arguably the most spectacular failure was when Real Betis surprisingly broke the record in 1998 by spending £21.5 million on the Brazilian winger Denilson.

He was blessed with wonderful pace and balance, and had excited at home in Brazil with Sao Paulo, but he did not travel well, and the record fee acted only as a burden in Spain where he so clearly struggled, and scored only twice in his first season.

Worse was to follow in his second season, when he could not stop Betis from being relegated.

Denilson was to be Betis’ passport in to the elite, and though they would win promotion back to La Liga, he would overall preside over a hugely disappointing seven seasons at the club.

And so Pogba now prepares to become the world’s most expensive ever player, and we await to see if this inspires him like Bale, Ronaldo and Zidane, or burdens him like Kaka and Denilson.

Manchester United will make a statement by breaking the record to bring Pogba back to Old Trafford, but then the hard work really begins, because simply spending big offers no guarantee of success. 

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/2b7ICZB
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

In the summer of 2014 the Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward boasted that his club had the funds and clout to sign any player in the world.

Asked if he could come close to competing with the elite of Real Madrid and Barcelona, and break the world transfer record, Woodward boldly declared, “Of course it is within our capabilities…Are we afraid of doing that? No.”

“The reality is that we’re not afraid of spending significant amounts of money in the transfer market,” he told the Daily Mirror.  “I stand by what I said, there is no budget. We are in a very strong financial position, we can make big signings.”

But for the next two summer transfer windows those words proved to be largely hollow.

Manchester United did spend large amounts on good players, but not the type that would overly concern Europe’s leading clubs.

Overall, United were purchasing players from the middle shelf of world football, never having the confidence to reach higher.

But it appears that is no longer the case, and this week United are poised to break the world transfer record to sign Paul Pogba.

The saga has dragged on for most of the summer, but the club confirmed on Sunday that Pogba would have a medical, possibly on Monday, and be able to join United for a reported fee of around £89 million, a new world record transfer fee.

Still only 23, Pogba is a genuine superstar, and has the talent to become one of the very best players in the world on his return to Old Trafford.

Here is a player Real Madrid and Barcelona would have dearly loved to sign themselves, but they could not compete with United on this occasion. 

The imminent arrival of Pogba, a symbol of United finally using their financial muscle, will of course be a cause of celebration for the long frustrated Red Devils fans, but there should also be a note of caution.

History informs us that breaking the world transfer record certainly does not mean success immediately follows. 

In fact since 1996 on the last ten occasions a club has broken this record, only once (Real Madrid with Luis Figo in 2000) have they actually gone on to win their domestic league that season. 

In the last 20 years the record for the world transfer fee has been held by 10 players, from Alan Shearer, who Newcastle signed for £15 million in 1996, to the current holder, Gareth Bale, who cost Real Madrid £86 million three years ago.

While Shearer and Bale have been obvious successes, nearly half of players signed for a world record transfer fee in the last 20 years have actually been relative failures, and not lived up to their billing.

Just like United are on the brink of doing with Pogba, these clubs thought they were buying a sure thing, a player that would repay their record investment by helping to elevate them and deliver trophies, but it doesn’t always work out like that. 

In the last 15 years Real Madrid have an overall excellent record when they have broken the world transfer fee record: Luis Figo in 2000, Zinedine Zidane in 2001, Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009 and Gareth Bale in 2013, but there is a glaring exception: Kaka in 2009.

Before Ronaldo, or Lionel Messi, Kaka was universally hailed as the best player in the world, and was the last man to stop the fabled duo winning the Ballon d’Or when he put them in to second and third place to secure the individual honour in 2007.

And so Madrid never thought for a moment they were taking a risk when they paid AC Milan a record fee of £56 million for the Brazilian in the summer of 2009.

Only a few weeks later Madrid would of course again break the record when they signed Ronaldo for £80 million, and for the next four seasons Kaka would remain in the Portuguese’s rather sizeable shadow.

The dynamic player that thrilled the San Siro for six seasons never showed up in Spain, hampered by injuries and a loss of form.

His figures dramatically shrunk; in his last two seasons in Italy he had scored 15 and 16 league goals, but in four seasons in Spain he never once managed to get in to double figures, the most he could muster was eight in his first season.

After four seasons he was allowed to return to AC Milan on a free transfer, a mammoth loss of £56 million for Real Madrid.

At the turn of the millennium, Serie A was still the world’s leading league, and where transfer records were broken, but neither Hernan Crespo nor Christian Vieri ever really delivered.

By 1999, Vieri was a footballing nomad; always impressing, but not enough to stick around for long, and so had already passed through eight teams in eight seasons when Inter Milan paid £32 million for him.

Vieri did score regularly for Inter, 103 goals in 143 games over six seasons, but his signing was meant to usher in a new era of dominance for Inter in Serie A, and yet he didn’t win a single Scudetto, the only silverware he helped to bring to the San Siro was the Italian Cup in 2005, his last season for the club.

In 2000 the reigning Serie A champions Lazio felt emboldened to break the world transfer record when they signed the Argentine striker Hernan Crespo from Parma for £36 million.

His signing was intended to cement their position at the summit of Serie A, but even with Crespo, who would score 26 league goals in his first season at the Stadio Olimpico, Lazio failed to defend their title and were toppled by city rivals Roma.

In his second season, an injury-hit Crespo would only score 13 league goals, and Lazio who again failed to add any silverware, were happy to allow him to join Inter in the summer of 2002.

Lazio’s record investment brought goals, but not a single major trophy.

Arguably the most spectacular failure was when Real Betis surprisingly broke the record in 1998 by spending £21.5 million on the Brazilian winger Denilson.

He was blessed with wonderful pace and balance, and had excited at home in Brazil with Sao Paulo, but he did not travel well, and the record fee acted only as a burden in Spain where he so clearly struggled, and scored only twice in his first season.

Worse was to follow in his second season, when he could not stop Betis from being relegated.

Denilson was to be Betis’ passport in to the elite, and though they would win promotion back to La Liga, he would overall preside over a hugely disappointing seven seasons at the club.

And so Pogba now prepares to become the world’s most expensive ever player, and we await to see if this inspires him like Bale, Ronaldo and Zidane, or burdens him like Kaka and Denilson.

Manchester United will make a statement by breaking the record to bring Pogba back to Old Trafford, but then the hard work really begins, because simply spending big offers no guarantee of success. 

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/2b7ICZB
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

In the summer of 2014 the Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward boasted that his club had the funds and clout to sign any player in the world.

Asked if he could come close to competing with the elite of Real Madrid and Barcelona, and break the world transfer record, Woodward boldly declared, “Of course it is within our capabilities…Are we afraid of doing that? No.”

“The reality is that we’re not afraid of spending significant amounts of money in the transfer market,” he told the Daily Mirror.  “I stand by what I said, there is no budget. We are in a very strong financial position, we can make big signings.”

But for the next two summer transfer windows those words proved to be largely hollow.

Manchester United did spend large amounts on good players, but not the type that would overly concern Europe’s leading clubs.

Overall, United were purchasing players from the middle shelf of world football, never having the confidence to reach higher.

But it appears that is no longer the case, and this week United are poised to break the world transfer record to sign Paul Pogba.

The saga has dragged on for most of the summer, but the club confirmed on Sunday that Pogba would have a medical, possibly on Monday, and be able to join United for a reported fee of around £89 million, a new world record transfer fee.

Still only 23, Pogba is a genuine superstar, and has the talent to become one of the very best players in the world on his return to Old Trafford.

Here is a player Real Madrid and Barcelona would have dearly loved to sign themselves, but they could not compete with United on this occasion. 

The imminent arrival of Pogba, a symbol of United finally using their financial muscle, will of course be a cause of celebration for the long frustrated Red Devils fans, but there should also be a note of caution.

History informs us that breaking the world transfer record certainly does not mean success immediately follows. 

In fact since 1996 on the last ten occasions a club has broken this record, only once (Real Madrid with Luis Figo in 2000) have they actually gone on to win their domestic league that season. 

In the last 20 years the record for the world transfer fee has been held by 10 players, from Alan Shearer, who Newcastle signed for £15 million in 1996, to the current holder, Gareth Bale, who cost Real Madrid £86 million three years ago.

While Shearer and Bale have been obvious successes, nearly half of players signed for a world record transfer fee in the last 20 years have actually been relative failures, and not lived up to their billing.

Just like United are on the brink of doing with Pogba, these clubs thought they were buying a sure thing, a player that would repay their record investment by helping to elevate them and deliver trophies, but it doesn’t always work out like that. 

In the last 15 years Real Madrid have an overall excellent record when they have broken the world transfer fee record: Luis Figo in 2000, Zinedine Zidane in 2001, Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009 and Gareth Bale in 2013, but there is a glaring exception: Kaka in 2009.

Before Ronaldo, or Lionel Messi, Kaka was universally hailed as the best player in the world, and was the last man to stop the fabled duo winning the Ballon d’Or when he put them in to second and third place to secure the individual honour in 2007.

And so Madrid never thought for a moment they were taking a risk when they paid AC Milan a record fee of £56 million for the Brazilian in the summer of 2009.

Only a few weeks later Madrid would of course again break the record when they signed Ronaldo for £80 million, and for the next four seasons Kaka would remain in the Portuguese’s rather sizeable shadow.

The dynamic player that thrilled the San Siro for six seasons never showed up in Spain, hampered by injuries and a loss of form.

His figures dramatically shrunk; in his last two seasons in Italy he had scored 15 and 16 league goals, but in four seasons in Spain he never once managed to get in to double figures, the most he could muster was eight in his first season.

After four seasons he was allowed to return to AC Milan on a free transfer, a mammoth loss of £56 million for Real Madrid.

At the turn of the millennium, Serie A was still the world’s leading league, and where transfer records were broken, but neither Hernan Crespo nor Christian Vieri ever really delivered.

By 1999, Vieri was a footballing nomad; always impressing, but not enough to stick around for long, and so had already passed through eight teams in eight seasons when Inter Milan paid £32 million for him.

Vieri did score regularly for Inter, 103 goals in 143 games over six seasons, but his signing was meant to usher in a new era of dominance for Inter in Serie A, and yet he didn’t win a single Scudetto, the only silverware he helped to bring to the San Siro was the Italian Cup in 2005, his last season for the club.

In 2000 the reigning Serie A champions Lazio felt emboldened to break the world transfer record when they signed the Argentine striker Hernan Crespo from Parma for £36 million.

His signing was intended to cement their position at the summit of Serie A, but even with Crespo, who would score 26 league goals in his first season at the Stadio Olimpico, Lazio failed to defend their title and were toppled by city rivals Roma.

In his second season, an injury-hit Crespo would only score 13 league goals, and Lazio who again failed to add any silverware, were happy to allow him to join Inter in the summer of 2002.

Lazio’s record investment brought goals, but not a single major trophy.

Arguably the most spectacular failure was when Real Betis surprisingly broke the record in 1998 by spending £21.5 million on the Brazilian winger Denilson.

He was blessed with wonderful pace and balance, and had excited at home in Brazil with Sao Paulo, but he did not travel well, and the record fee acted only as a burden in Spain where he so clearly struggled, and scored only twice in his first season.

Worse was to follow in his second season, when he could not stop Betis from being relegated.

Denilson was to be Betis’ passport in to the elite, and though they would win promotion back to La Liga, he would overall preside over a hugely disappointing seven seasons at the club.

And so Pogba now prepares to become the world’s most expensive ever player, and we await to see if this inspires him like Bale, Ronaldo and Zidane, or burdens him like Kaka and Denilson.

Manchester United will make a statement by breaking the record to bring Pogba back to Old Trafford, but then the hard work really begins, because simply spending big offers no guarantee of success. 

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/2b7ICZB
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Romelu Lukaku reportedly remains hopeful of getting a move back to Chelsea this summer, but Everton believe they can persuade him to stay at Goodison Park by offering him a new £135,000-a-week contract. 

According to Simon Johnson in the Evening Standard, Lukaku remains “keen” on a return to the club he left for Everton in 2014 and Chelsea are prepared to offer £60 million plus Loic Remy for the Belgian striker.

The Toffees, though, are not open to selling Lukaku and claim they have yet to receive a bid from Chelsea, while they are now preparing to open talks with the 23-year-old’s agent, Mino Raiola, over a new deal, added Johnson.

Chelsea are in desperate need of added firepower in attack, and Lukaku would be a perfect solution to their strike problems given that he is already familiar with the club and a proven goalscorer in the Premier League, per WhoScored.com:

It is understandable that Lukaku would want a move back to Stamford Bridge as, while Chelsea finished only a place above Everton in the 2015-16 Premier League table, their prospects are much better heading into the new term.

The Blues’ 2015-16 campaign was something of an anomaly as they plummeted from Premier League champions to mid-table anonymity.

However, with new manager Antonio Conte now at the helm in west London and no European football to contend with, Chelsea will surely be competing for the title again in 2016-17.

Everton’s prospects are also on the up with Ronald Koeman installed as their new manager, but Chelsea’s bigger stature and resources mean Lukaku is much more likely to win medals and trophies at Stamford Bridge.

Per Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe, Conte is likely to play two men up front in the coming campaign, meaning Chelsea need depth in attack:

They have already added Michy Batshuayi from Marseille in the summer transfer window, but current No. 1 striker Diego Costa could be on his way out of Chelsea—he has reportedly been offered to Inter Milan and Napoli, per the Sun‘s Geoff Sweet.

Thus the Blues need a reliable goalscorer on their books who can slot straight into their system and has proven to be an effective goalscorer in the Premier League.

Belgium international Lukaku is one of few who fits the bill and, although he will be very expensive, he could still surely improve further at Chelsea as he has yet to reach his peak.

With the player himself seemingly agitating for a move back to Chelsea, the Blues still have a great chance of signing him up despite Everton’s reservations.

But they need to get a deal done as soon as possible with the new Premier League season beginning on Saturday.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/2aV9YgW
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Romelu Lukaku reportedly remains hopeful of getting a move back to Chelsea this summer, but Everton believe they can persuade him to stay at Goodison Park by offering him a new £135,000-a-week contract. 

According to Simon Johnson in the Evening Standard, Lukaku remains “keen” on a return to the club he left for Everton in 2014 and Chelsea are prepared to offer £60 million plus Loic Remy for the Belgian striker.

The Toffees, though, are not open to selling Lukaku and claim they have yet to receive a bid from Chelsea, while they are now preparing to open talks with the 23-year-old’s agent, Mino Raiola, over a new deal, added Johnson.

Chelsea are in desperate need of added firepower in attack, and Lukaku would be a perfect solution to their strike problems given that he is already familiar with the club and a proven goalscorer in the Premier League, per WhoScored.com:

It is understandable that Lukaku would want a move back to Stamford Bridge as, while Chelsea finished only a place above Everton in the 2015-16 Premier League table, their prospects are much better heading into the new term.

The Blues’ 2015-16 campaign was something of an anomaly as they plummeted from Premier League champions to mid-table anonymity.

However, with new manager Antonio Conte now at the helm in west London and no European football to contend with, Chelsea will surely be competing for the title again in 2016-17.

Everton’s prospects are also on the up with Ronald Koeman installed as their new manager, but Chelsea’s bigger stature and resources mean Lukaku is much more likely to win medals and trophies at Stamford Bridge.

Per Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe, Conte is likely to play two men up front in the coming campaign, meaning Chelsea need depth in attack:

They have already added Michy Batshuayi from Marseille in the summer transfer window, but current No. 1 striker Diego Costa could be on his way out of Chelsea—he has reportedly been offered to Inter Milan and Napoli, per the Sun‘s Geoff Sweet.

Thus the Blues need a reliable goalscorer on their books who can slot straight into their system and has proven to be an effective goalscorer in the Premier League.

Belgium international Lukaku is one of few who fits the bill and, although he will be very expensive, he could still surely improve further at Chelsea as he has yet to reach his peak.

With the player himself seemingly agitating for a move back to Chelsea, the Blues still have a great chance of signing him up despite Everton’s reservations.

But they need to get a deal done as soon as possible with the new Premier League season beginning on Saturday.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/2aV9YgW
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Romelu Lukaku reportedly remains hopeful of getting a move back to Chelsea this summer, but Everton believe they can persuade him to stay at Goodison Park by offering him a new £135,000-a-week contract. 

According to Simon Johnson in the Evening Standard, Lukaku remains “keen” on a return to the club he left for Everton in 2014 and Chelsea are prepared to offer £60 million plus Loic Remy for the Belgian striker.

The Toffees, though, are not open to selling Lukaku and claim they have yet to receive a bid from Chelsea, while they are now preparing to open talks with the 23-year-old’s agent, Mino Raiola, over a new deal, added Johnson.

Chelsea are in desperate need of added firepower in attack, and Lukaku would be a perfect solution to their strike problems given that he is already familiar with the club and a proven goalscorer in the Premier League, per WhoScored.com:

It is understandable that Lukaku would want a move back to Stamford Bridge as, while Chelsea finished only a place above Everton in the 2015-16 Premier League table, their prospects are much better heading into the new term.

The Blues’ 2015-16 campaign was something of an anomaly as they plummeted from Premier League champions to mid-table anonymity.

However, with new manager Antonio Conte now at the helm in west London and no European football to contend with, Chelsea will surely be competing for the title again in 2016-17.

Everton’s prospects are also on the up with Ronald Koeman installed as their new manager, but Chelsea’s bigger stature and resources mean Lukaku is much more likely to win medals and trophies at Stamford Bridge.

Per Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe, Conte is likely to play two men up front in the coming campaign, meaning Chelsea need depth in attack:

They have already added Michy Batshuayi from Marseille in the summer transfer window, but current No. 1 striker Diego Costa could be on his way out of Chelsea—he has reportedly been offered to Inter Milan and Napoli, per the Sun‘s Geoff Sweet.

Thus the Blues need a reliable goalscorer on their books who can slot straight into their system and has proven to be an effective goalscorer in the Premier League.

Belgium international Lukaku is one of few who fits the bill and, although he will be very expensive, he could still surely improve further at Chelsea as he has yet to reach his peak.

With the player himself seemingly agitating for a move back to Chelsea, the Blues still have a great chance of signing him up despite Everton’s reservations.

But they need to get a deal done as soon as possible with the new Premier League season beginning on Saturday.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/2aV9YgW
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Romelu Lukaku reportedly remains hopeful of getting a move back to Chelsea this summer, but Everton believe they can persuade him to stay at Goodison Park by offering him a new £135,000-a-week contract. 

According to Simon Johnson in the Evening Standard, Lukaku remains “keen” on a return to the club he left for Everton in 2014 and Chelsea are prepared to offer £60 million plus Loic Remy for the Belgian striker.

The Toffees, though, are not open to selling Lukaku and claim they have yet to receive a bid from Chelsea, while they are now preparing to open talks with the 23-year-old’s agent, Mino Raiola, over a new deal, added Johnson.

Chelsea are in desperate need of added firepower in attack, and Lukaku would be a perfect solution to their strike problems given that he is already familiar with the club and a proven goalscorer in the Premier League, per WhoScored.com:

It is understandable that Lukaku would want a move back to Stamford Bridge as, while Chelsea finished only a place above Everton in the 2015-16 Premier League table, their prospects are much better heading into the new term.

The Blues’ 2015-16 campaign was something of an anomaly as they plummeted from Premier League champions to mid-table anonymity.

However, with new manager Antonio Conte now at the helm in west London and no European football to contend with, Chelsea will surely be competing for the title again in 2016-17.

Everton’s prospects are also on the up with Ronald Koeman installed as their new manager, but Chelsea’s bigger stature and resources mean Lukaku is much more likely to win medals and trophies at Stamford Bridge.

Per Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe, Conte is likely to play two men up front in the coming campaign, meaning Chelsea need depth in attack:

They have already added Michy Batshuayi from Marseille in the summer transfer window, but current No. 1 striker Diego Costa could be on his way out of Chelsea—he has reportedly been offered to Inter Milan and Napoli, per the Sun‘s Geoff Sweet.

Thus the Blues need a reliable goalscorer on their books who can slot straight into their system and has proven to be an effective goalscorer in the Premier League.

Belgium international Lukaku is one of few who fits the bill and, although he will be very expensive, he could still surely improve further at Chelsea as he has yet to reach his peak.

With the player himself seemingly agitating for a move back to Chelsea, the Blues still have a great chance of signing him up despite Everton’s reservations.

But they need to get a deal done as soon as possible with the new Premier League season beginning on Saturday.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/2aV9YgW
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J