Who will top the big summer transfers to the Premiership?

Mourinho to Manchester City? Or will he wait for Sir Alex Ferguson to call it a day?£50 million, 5 appearances, 0 goals. That is the Premiership story of the January transfer window’s biggest story; Fernando Torres. It is fair to say that he has not quite lived up to his expectations since his rose-tinted arrival earlier this year but, with the summer window coming up fast, he is already, my fellow football fans, old news. Oh yes, there’s plenty of bigger fish to fry than ‘El Nino’.

It is rumoured that Chelsea will remain at the forefront of the transfer-stage with the signing of Brazilian playmaker Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite. Who? I hear you ask. Well, who else? Kaka.

Like many of the greats to have moved to the Bernabeu – Owen, Beckham, van Nistelrooy to name but a few – Real Madrid has not done Kaka any favours and he has had a miserable time there, though partly through injury, bearing in mind that he was signed for a world record £56 million.

For this reason, it is suggested that Chelsea may be able to purchase the 28 year old for a relatively low fee. The speculated price at the moment is £25 million including Didier Drogba. Not the smallest price to pay, but for someone of Kaka’s calibre and ability I think, should it go ahead (which is looking increasingly likely as time goes on), it could be the signing of the season. As for Drogba being exchanged, it would be a difficult decision to make, given Drogba’s track record for the club. Having said that, he is now 33 and way past his prime, whereas Kaka still has 3 or 4 years left in him of high quality football, should he steer clear of injuries.

The most exciting potential transfer of the summer, for me, is not one of a player. Oh, a manager then, you would guess. I have to correct you there; this man is more than a manager. The Special One is coming back. At least that’s what Manchester City are hoping for. Success follows Jose Mourinho wherever he goes, in particular with Chelsea and Real Madrid. With them failing to reap any kind of reward for their outrageously high expenditure, City will be keen to grab a slice of this success. Mourinho has made it clear for quite a while now that he would like to return to England, albeit preferably to replace Sir Alex, which is looking unlikely with United on their way to their nineteenth title. To avoid him going to their local rivals, City will be offering him an audacious £10 million per annum, according to The Daily Mail. Will the money override the dream? Time will tell.

From a Brazilian Icon and the self-proclaimed Special One, we move on to the son of a Welsh school caretaker from Cardiff. The all too familiar question of “why can’t he play for England?” is being resonated around the country, regarding a certain Welsh left-winger. Gareth Bale has well and truly announced himself on the world footballing stage over the past six months, epitomizing his class with his epic hat-trick against Inter Milan at the San Siro last October.

Although no solid information as yet, there is speculation regarding Bale’s departure from White Hart Lane. He has been described as the next Ryan Giggs who, of course, is the lifelong Manchester United servant. Fitting, then, that Bale tops the Devils’ manager’s wish list for the summer. Among several others, including Ashley Young and Jack Rodwell, Ferguson has made it evident that he is looking to splash the cash in order to build his squad for next season. The price is said to be in the £30-40 million bracket – a price well worth paying for the 21 year old who I think could surpass even Giggs’ prolific reputation – and there is no doubt as to Harry Redknapp’s reluctance to let his speed merchant go easily, especially seeing as Bale has recently signed yet another contract extension.

So, my three big signings for this summer; Kaka, Mourinho and Bale. Will one or all of these take the headlines, or will the likes of Pirlo or Ibrahimovic to Manchester City, Gago to Spurs or Pastore to Chelsea steal the spotlight? Who knows, we might even see Mourinho bring our old friend Cristiano Ronaldo back to Manchester, having both enjoyed each other’s achievements at Real Madrid. We can only hope, eh?

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