Transfer Rumors: What Moves Do United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Others Have in Store

As we enter the second half of July, the pre-season is beginning to crank up. While there has been a good deal of activity in the transfer season so far, the end of July always seems to see more deals completed. The following is a look at some of the things I believe will happen between now and the first whistle of the upcoming seasons.  

Manchester United will sign a central midfielder to replace Paul Scholes, but it will not be Wesley Sneijder. I believe Marvin Martin of Sochaux will be the player Sir Alex ends up bringing to Old Trafford. Martin is an excellent passer, and has shown the ability to orchestrate a team from the middle of the park. The drawback is the perceived lack of physicality to his game, but his pin point passes to the feet of Hernandez and Rooney will open up many defenses.

PSG will make several good signings, but no major signings. Leonardo will be looking to make his mark immediately, but it will not be until January before the oil money makes a truly big signing. By major signings, I mean value over £25 million. Ganso is heading to Italy, and all other high profile players are going to wait until PSG qualifies for the Champions League before jumping onto that ship. I expect PSG to complete a move for QPR’s Adel Taarabt, Roma’s Jeremy Menez, and ASSE’s Blaise Matuidi by close of the month.

AC Milan will beat out the likes of Manchester United and PSG for the signature of Brazilian star Ganso. Milan has a recent track record of success for Brazilian players, and Ganso will be the next in the line of Brazilian greats to show his skills for the Italian giants.

Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez will end up at Real Madrid. I think Tevez has it in his mind to prove to the world he is on Messi’s level. What better way to try and prove it than to go head to head with Messi a few times a year.

Arsenal will finally sign a solid centre back to try and improve their set piece woes. Despite all the Tim Cahill rumors, I expect it to be Samba after the first of August. I also feel the Tevez move to Madrid will open up the move of Benzema to the Emirates, as Wenger uses cash from the Bendtner sale, and the savings from buying Samba instead of Cahill to bring in his dream signing.

Liverpool will not be active buyers in the market after they complete the capture of Aly Cissokho from Lyon. Expect there to be some players moving out of Anfield, but King Kenny did a lot of work early on.

Barcelona will not meet Arsenal’s valuation of Fabregas, and we will all be tortured for another year of Cesc to Barca talk until it finally happens next summer.

Chelsea will capture Luka Modric from Tottenham for an excessive amount. Modric will be a key piece for Chelsea’s challenge to Manchester United, but they need more. Expect Chelsea to secure a top line centre back, potentially Cahill before the window closes.

Everton will acquire midfield playmaker Lucho Gonzalez from Marseille. The pint-sized maestro will be a welcome addition, as he brings a lot of energy to the field to go with his skills.

Newcastle will continue their raid on Ligue 1 and complete a move for German striker Mevlut Erding within the next week. The PSG front man is surplus goods, and Newcastle can get a solid player for a discounted price.

Whether or not these moves go through, the run-in to the season will provide a change of scenery for many players, and watching it unfold is one of the best parts of being a fan. Here is hoping that your team’s shopping provides you a Christmas in July.