On the Blue Vision of Europe; and Transfers

With regards to the Premier League, it's been a couple of hectic days so far this transfer season. Just recently, Carlo Ancelotti has been confirmed as the man to take Chelsea forward, and has bombed the newspapers with a surge of Chelsea-Milan transfers. One claims that Andrea Pirlo is bound to head to the Bridge, with Essien going the other way. Brazilian starlet Pato is another one currently linked to join the Blues, as well as veteran midfielder Clarence Seedorf. And, in what probably tops all of these, Chelsea are now set to throw £73.5 million to the San Siro for another Brazilian, but this time it's Kaka making the paper rounds. The very same Kaka who's said a million times that he wants to stay at Milan. The very same Kaka, who, a mere 24 hours ago, was being tipped to join Real Madrid at £65 million. Talk about absurd, but welcome to the crazy world of football transfers.

Now, let's first look at the new coach himself, Carletto. Was this the right move for Chelsea? The Rossoneri were finally getting things back on track, People shake their heads and point to Ancelotti's less than impressive domestic record. For a team who has to compete with gigantic Manchester United, resurgent Liverpool and young Arsenal, one would say that there are better coaches out there to take on this role. Surely, Roberto Mancini or Frank Rijkaard, people argue, could bring silverware to Chelsea. But with the appointment of Carletto at Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea's recent track record, one could discern why Chelsea brought him in in the first place – to conquer Europe.

No other team has been as unlucky as the Blues in recent years, especially in Europe. Two years ago, they lost out on the most cruel of deciders – penalties – with the image of John Terry's comical slip in the shooutout etched in everyone's mind. That put the nail in the coffin, and in Moscow they suffered a heartbreaking defeat to bitter rivals United. Nevertheless, summer came, and with it a new mood in London. Renowned coach Felipe Scolari took charge, and the signing of Ricardo Quaresma had people's hopes up. Again, all that ended in naught – Scolari was sacked, Quaresma flopped (again), and Chelsea were eliminated in the Semifinal of the Champions League, this time against a free-flowing Barcelona side, who, thanks to sneaking past the Chelsea bus courtesy of Andres Iniesta, as well as the referee, would go on to beat defending champs United in the final, 2-0.

Fast forward to the present, and another look at the Chelsea situation. As it is, Ancelotti has inherited a squad brimming with talent, yet have consequently failed to deliver. He could always take a note from Hiddink and play much in the same way – Hiddink revived the careers of Florent Malouda and Didier Drogba – but that is not the way to go. The Blues are in danger of becoming the next “AC Milan” - a retirement home. Players such as the aforementioned Drogba, Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack are fast approaching the old age, and do not have enough time to mount consecutive pushes at Europe. It's now or never for them, and Ancelotti is going to be responsible for bringing this team to the top.

Which brings us back to where we started – who do Chelsea pick up? Is Essien worth giving up? I'm actually agreeing on this proposed Pirlo-Essien swap. One, John Obi Mikel has proven himself to be the kind of player Essien is, so it's as if they'll really miss him. Two, Pirlo is the kind of player that will spark creativity – mouthwatering for a team long accused of Ballack/Lampard punts to Drogba goals. Pirlo will create a buzz at the Bridge, and he could be the man to succeed where Deco failed. To me, this is a move that will be good for both parties involved – Essien can definitely find his place in an ageing Milan squad, while Pirlo adds the dimension to take the Blues to the next level. There are other players, too, which Chelsea have looked at – the Wolfsburg duo of Edin Dzeko and Grafite have attracted continent-wide interest, and could be interesting for Chelsea to pick up, given that Nicolas Anelka now plays a wider role, Drogba might have to carry the team on that side of the pitch. He could certainly use a hand, no? Stephane Sessegnon has also been linked, along with a host of other viable names. It remains to be seen whether these players will flourish in London, but Carlo Ancelotti will certainly look to that happening.

Before I wrap up this post, though, I'd like to say a couple of more stuff on the Premier League transfer window. Bear with me, but I'll keep it as short (maybe not) as possible.

a. Michael Owen begins the “Let's Get Out of the Sunken Newcastle Ship” brigade, with a couple of links to Premier League squads. Rafa Benitez has supposedly been told by his players to “get him back”. Harry Redknapp is reportedly keen to bring him in a Tottenham, who want to add him to their ever-growing list of forwards. The more interesting rumor though, is that David Moyes is offering Owen 50 grand a week to play for his Everton team. Yes, you could argue that the Toffee's loss of Jo and their lack of health up front are a reason of concern, but is adding another injury-prone striker the solution? How many games do you think a trio of Yakubu, Saha and Owen can play in? And another thing, would the former Liverpool man play in navy blue in a Merseyside derby? Nonetheless, it's an interesting issue.

b. In a deal that has actually been confirmed, Manchester City have snapped up Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry for a mere £12 million. Yes, you read it right. The man who dreams of European football has left the Europa League-bound Villans for Eastlands, where he has now become member #3 of the “Manchester City are the Future” club, behind Robinho (who most people think has gone loco) and Liam Gallagher (who is also crazy, but makes good music). For a player who was once bound to move to Liverpool, this comes as a shock, especially when you consider that City aren't even going to be in Europe next year. A class move by the Sheikhs, but only time will tell if Barry made the right decision. Meanwhile, a cry of joy is heard all the way over at Anfield, where Barry's signing now means that the #1 candidate to replace Xabi Alonso is out of the question, fueling rumors that the Spaniard will once again stay.

City, however, refuse to stop there. Now they're planning on plucking Carlos Tevez from their red rivals, with reports that the Citizens will cough up enough money to outbid everyone else for the Argentine striker. It's not helping that Ferguson is hoping to bargain, with a supposed offer of £20 million. For Fergie, though, it's slowly looking inevitable that he has to let go of his best weapon off the bench. The fact that Tevez might still play in Manchester, but not in Old Trafford, however, is a scary thought.