Transfer Fantasies

By: Martha | January 3rd, 2008

ZOMG A TRANSFER! One of the best things about the opening of the transfer window is that almost anything anyone writes has instant, if precarious, viability, because even the most outrageous things suddenly seem possible, if only for a few weeks. Why, anyone could be on the move, from all those practically pre-teen French stars, to Ronaldo (either one), to Antonio Cassano, who only acts pre-teen. It’s all about potential: Potential for your team to make a big signing, potential for a kid to make it big, potential for a big-money disaster.

Rather than just engaging in wild fantasy, The Times’ Gabriele Marcotti has come up with a semi-viable list of his top 50 transfer targets. There are a lot of lists out there right now, but because of Marcotti’s interest in European football (particularly Serie A) in general rather than just the EPL, his is refreshingly broad, albeit sorely lacking in the South American department. Ronaldinho, not surprisingly, is at the top of the list, and he’s joined by other constant rumor mill fodder like Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, Amauri and Mancini, along with grumpy, put-up on Jens Lehmann.

What’s most exciting to see, though, are all the youngsters on the list: 15 of the 50 are 22 or younger, and several of them have been first team fixtures for several years. Some, inevitably, will move to Bigger Clubs too early and flop (see Roysten Drenthe), but there are others — Udinese’s little-know-outside-of-Italy Cristian Zapata, for example, who’s 21, has been a starter for years, and is ready to compete anywhere in the world — for whom a move now could be transformative. Additionally, “older” players like Ricardo Quaresma (now all of 24), who were the Drenthes of a few years ago, have matured and are now well and truly ready for bigger stages.

So, who would help your club most? Is it a kid, or veteran with a track record of productivity at the highest level? An under-performing Brazilian? (Me, I dream of Inter buying Quaresma, but I realize it’s only a pathetic pipe dream.)