Interesting...

[beejay]

Blues move for Simao

By Peter ORourke - Created on 14 Apr 2006

Simao Sabrosa

Chelsea could be set to beat rivals Liverpool to Benfica ace Simao Sabrosa.

 

Reports emanating from Portugal claim Chelsea are close to agreeing a deal with Benfica for the winger.

 

Simao has been a long-term transfer for Liverpool and he was close to moving to Anfield last summer only for Benfica to pull the plug on the deal at the last minute.

 

Chelsea have been keeping tabs on the former Barcelona man and it has been suggested that they are ready to make a move for Simao.

 

Benfica are keen to keep their captain, but they know they are likely to have to field further bids for the player when the transfer window reopens.

 

Blues boss Jose Mourinho is believed to be a big fan of Simao and sees him as a key addition to his star-studded squad at Stamford Bridge.

 

Simao has admitted in the past he would be interested in a move to England and Chelsea's financial muscle would mean Benfica would find it hard to resist their overtures.

 

Should Simao seal a move to West London he could be one of three new signings Mourinho wants for next season.

 

Chelsea are already in talks with German star Michael Ballack and Mourinho believes he needs three new faces to freshen his squad up this summer with departures expected at Stamford Bridge.

 

"We change three players," Mourinho told The Times. "Three players who want to play more and are not very happy in the club, or some players I am frustrated with and have nothing to give us.

 

"I change them for three other players. I would say three players will come in in the summer. It is the natural process.

"We have a good squad, players at a good age, not players finishing their career. [Claude] Makelele is the oldest player [33] and he looks the youngest one.

 

"We don't have big needs. The natural tendency is we get a defender, a midfielder and an attacker."

 

 

Does that sound like SWP to anyone?

[bazz]

  beejay said:

Does that sound like SWP to anyone?

 

Yep, they can have Simao for 15million and we will take SWP for a knockdown price of 5million Great doing business with you!

[McBain]

Life is rarely that kind

[Guest baronvonskidmark]

  beejay said:

 

Does that sound like SWP to anyone?

 

Could well be SWP mate. Unfortunately I think that Mourinho would rather have his left testicle removed by a rabid hamster than sell to us. He'd probably end up somewhere like Newcastle or Spurs.

Edited April 14, 2006 by baronvonskidmark

[Rimbeux]

SWP, Del Horno, Geremi

 

I think there are issues with Robben also

[Falconhoof]

  baronvonskidmark said:

Could well be SWP mate. Unfortunately I think that Mourinho would rather have his left testicle removed by a rabid hamster than sell to us. He'd probably end up somewhere like Newcastle or Spurs.

 

 

Rumour has it (posters on this site) that he agreed to loan Shaun to us in the January transfer window but the deal fell through at the last minute.

[Gomez]

Even if they were willing to sell to us (which I can't see), they wouldn't do it lightly, we'd be talking £15m-£17m.

 

Where would that leave Owen + Kuyt (allegedly £12m each) - both supposedly as good as done deals accorinding to some credible people on here.

 

Would be about a £40m outlay, not including any Momo Sissoko-esque surprises in the £2-£5m range.

 

Just can't see that myself.

[Guest baronvonskidmark]

  Cardinal Fang said:

Rumour has it (posters on this site) that he agreed to loan Shaun to us in the January transfer window but the deal fell through at the last minute.

 

Really? I'm quite new here so I wasn't aware of this. That has certainly surprised me - any ideas why it fell through?

[floyd]

  Elisha_Scott said:

Relations between us and Chelsea at board level aren't quite as bad as people think.

 

Another reason to Sack Parry. How can he be freindly with the weasil Kenyon??

[OakHey]

  Elisha_Scott said:

Maybe SWP will tell Mourinho he wants to come to us and thats all he wants, in which case Chelsea would probably ask for 12-15 million and we might pay that. Relations between us and Chelsea at board level aren't quite as bad as people think.

  Elisha_Scott said:

Obviously this is very speculative.

 

Right

[Ombudsam]

  RafaShanks said:

But didn't Simao say a while ago that he prefered a move to us over the Chavs???

 

so did mourinho and we did alright out of that

[alias75]

Not forgetting Victor who we could get on a Bosman and is good enough to fill in for certain games if we get injuries / suspensions and need to play Stevie in the middle or rest one of the central midfielders.

 

Dont think right wing is as much as a priority as it was at the beginning of the year with the emergence of Sissoko and the success of Stevie out there. Maybe even we could look at another central midfieder, and class Gerrard as a wide right player or someone that can support the front man.

[DarthVader]

My hunch is that Torres is Rafa's top summer transfer target.I think he will buy Torres,Pennant and Kuyt.I don't think he is interested in Owen at all.

[wacko]

  Gomez said:

Elisha reckoned that they will finally get shevchenko this year, so I wouldn't be surprised if that deal included Crespo

Could see a defender being involved, too. Maybe Gallas.

[Paul_LFC]

There was something in the Echo last night, in the showbiz column, saying what is it about Shaun Wright Phillips and Liverpool, because apparantly he is always around the place, and has been spotted on loads of occasions the last few weeks.

[Maldini]

  Paul_LFC said:

There was something in the Echo last night, in the showbiz column, saying what is it about Shaun Wright Phillips and Liverpool, because apparantly he is always around the place, and has been spotted on loads of occasions the last few weeks.

He used to go out in Liverpool all the time when he was at City, he's mates with Cisse, probably has a lot of other mates around the city too.

[koppper]

  DarthVader said:

My hunch is that Torres is Rafa's top summer transfer target.I think he will buy Torres,Pennant and Kuyt.I don't think he is interested in Owen at all.

 

If we got them, I would be over the moon - not that I've ever seen any of them play mind.

[Guest Les Howard]

  Stevie H said:

sounds about right. i could even see him replacing carvalho.

 

 

I'd be surprised at that. Very suprised.

 

Glenn Johnson, Wayne Bridge and either of Crespo/Robben are the names I think most likely to want out.

[Elisha_Scott]

  Paul_LFC said:

There was something in the Echo last night, in the showbiz column, saying what is it about Shaun Wright Phillips and Liverpool, because apparantly he is always around the place, and has been spotted on loads of occasions the last few weeks.

 

Yes, I think he was out in Baby Blue with the Liverpool captain and his mates and Kevin Nolan and his mates. Allegedly.

[Guest Jack Bauer]

He's going to Bolton!

[Falconhoof]

  Elisha_Scott said:

Yes, I think he was out in Baby Blue with the Liverpool captain and his mates and Kevin Nolan and his mates. Allegedly.

 

 

Does he drink pints or shorts ?

[Powelly]

If Simao would prefer to move there and not get a game or be respected as a player rather than to come here to play first team football with great fans then let him do it.

[kop205]

  Knox_Harrington said:

Definitely. Let's not mess about. We have a great chance at the title next year but only if we have 20 outfield players able to pull their weight. We need at least one wide right of genuine quality coming into the club - Anderson, however impressive was last night is not the man to hang any hats on. It's unfair for one. Gonzalez is left sided, Gerrard is a luxury but would himself be happier at centre mid, and it negates our options - one injury to Gerrard or Sissoko and who plays right? Garcia has never convinced wide right.

 

I'd be happier if we signed two - one cracking player and a free who can do a job.

 

Some valid points, though I don't see any use in bringing someone in on a free to simply 'do a job' wide right. Whatever you think about Garcia, the very least that can be said about him is that he 'does a job' for the team - his goals record at least outweighs his surrendering of possession and given that he hs been used there for the majority of his time here it appears that Rafa would agree.

 

Nor am I advocating hanging any hats on Anderson - or any of the other youngsters. I just feel that if they are the real deal then they will be forcing themselves into the reckoning at some point next year. Buying a stop-gap right winger would only either hinder their progress or be a pointless exercise if they were overtaken by one of the kids anyway.

 

Where Gerrard would be happier himself playing is irrelevant. The manger will decide where he can best beneift the team and play him there. I suspect that when Alonso and Sissoko are fit that will often be at right-mid, where there are few better.

 

I take the point about needing quality cover out there in the event of injuries, and someone who would give genuine width and pace (which Garcia, Kewell, Anderson or any of the options at the club either can't do or haven't yet proved that they can do).

 

That being the case, maybe we can justify a big chunk of the transfer budget on a right midfielder (as a centre forward is arguably the only other area that urgently needs addressing). Not sure that SWP is the man though (although I know you weren't particularly claiming that he was), and not just because of his cost. Like I said, SWP is worth however much Rafa is willing to pay for him, but people also need to ask why he hasn't broken into the Chelsea team and whether he is quite all that he is made out to be. I've seen very little of him so can't claim to know either way. If Rafa goes for him, that is good enough for me but as it stands I'm not convinced.

[Knox_Harrington]

  kop205 said:

Some valid points, though I don't see any use in bringing someone in on a free to simply 'do a job' wide right. Whatever you think about Garcia, the very least that can be said about him is that he 'does a job' for the team - his goals record at least outweighs his surrendering of possession and given that he hs been used there for the majority of his time here it appears that Rafa would agree.

Garcia is a much better option up front and to say it again, I think he'll be sold this summer anyway.

  Quote

Nor am I advocating hanging any hats on Anderson - or any of the other youngsters. I just feel that if they are the real deal then they will be forcing themselves into the reckoning at some point next year. Buying a stop-gap right winger would only either hinder their progress or be a pointless exercise if they were overtaken by one of the kids anyway.

We have a cast iron chance of winning the league. At 17 if Anderson can muscle his way in past a stop gap then great. However without one two injuries can scupper us if he isn't ready. It will take ninety points to win the league. That's massive and any slip or inconsistency will hurt us.

  Quote

Where Gerrard would be happier himself playing is irrelevant. The manger will decide where he can best beneift the team and play him there. I suspect that when Alonso and Sissoko are fit that will often be at right-mid, where there are few better.

Phrased that badly. He's a better option centrally and anyway we will need four quality centre mids. Again, two injuries and we get scuppered.

  Quote

That being the case, maybe we can justify a big chunk of the transfer budget on a right midfielder (as a centre forward is arguably the only other area that urgently needs addressing). Not sure that SWP is the man though (although I know you weren't particularly claiming that he was), and not just because of his cost. Like I said, SWP is worth however much Rafa is willing to pay for him, but people also need to ask why he hasn't broken into the Chelsea team and whether he is quite all that he is made out to be. I've seen very little of him so can't claim to know either way. If Rafa goes for him, that is good enough for me but as it stands I'm not convinced.

To not sign any right midfielder would be bloody stupid. Can see how you can just about cobble together cover should we only sign the one but we've missed the option of Tony Nunez this season nevermind a real class act. Two for every position should be the standard with Fowler rogue. I would also blood Anderson before the end of the season and in pre-season. If he grabs his chance with two hands then fine, it might be worth the risk (and it would be a risk), but if not I really think a player like Stelios who knows the league, knows where the goal is and knows the position is worth a punt alongside a Wright-Phillipsesque signing.

[Ombudsam]

  kop205 said:

Like I said, SWP is worth however much Rafa is willing to pay for him, but people also need to ask why he hasn't broken into the Chelsea team and whether he is quite all that he is made out to be.

 

 

Cos Chelsea are f*cking fick. SWP is The Sh*t.

 

I'm getting emotional talking about him

Edited April 14, 2006 by sammya