Arjblog covers the most biggest transfers this summer - not just the ones with the highest transfer fees but those that made the biggest impact both negative and positive, at new club and old. These are the ten players who either greatly weaken their old side, strengthen their new one, or in some cases, do both.
Any difference is assumed to measure negative impact at the club being left and positive impact at new outfit.
Alexis Sanchez - Udinese to Barcelona
Sanchez is a rampaging bull on either flank who can play wide and drift in or start centrally and move wide. One of the game's premier wingers, his loss reduces the potency of Udinese's attack significantly. Without him the Zebra's lacked a killer punch while Antonio Di Natale had minimal service. Now at Barcelona, he adds yet another dimension to the Blaugrana, where he will play as a robust winger who cuts both in with the ball or goes wide without it. Udinese will drop several places due to his exit alone.
Difference - Massive at old club, significant at new club.
---Francesc Fabregas - Arsenal to Barcelona
Essentially, Arsenal's key player and the best creative midfielder, statistically, in Europe's top five leagues over the last five seasons, Cesc was more than just a captain at Arsenal. Mesmerising yet controlled with the ball, hard-working and dogged without it, Fabregas' retention is equal parts consistent and prolific, with a tidy ability to finish as well. Scorer of the winning penalty in the quarterfinal shootout over Italy at Euro 2008 and supplier of the winning pass in the final at World Cup 2010, Fabregas, was arguably the best player in the Premiership, when fit. Barcelona are already great but Fab allows them to get even better while securing their midfield for another generation.
Difference - Tectonic at old club, significant at new club.
---Arturo Vidal - Bayer Leverkusen to Juventus
The creator-in-chief at Bayer, the Chilean maestro was crucial to a workmanlike squad, bereft of its top scorer post Christmas; making the runners-up spot in the Bundesliga last season. His vision and awareness are layered on top of solid technique and his craft comes with no small dose of typical Latin flair. At Juventus he is the creative energy that has gone missing for so long and will be tasked with generating the service that allows the Bianconeri's stable of strikers to prosper. Vidal alone will take Juventus back into the top four in Italy.
Difference - Massive at old club, absolutely crucial at new club.
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Samuel Eto'o - Inter to Anzhi (Russian Premier League)
Inter had a stop-start campaign that saw them slouch into second, slip out of Europe and only manage to put together a run of decent results late in the year to win the Coppa Italia. They also lost two coaches and looked sluggish and tired throughout. The main reason they competed at all is because Eto'o chipped in with 21 goals, in yet another season of prolific goalscoring. With him gone, Inter revert to being a dangerous but not intimidating. Anzhi on the other hand suddenly look good for a Champions' League spot with the best striker in the league on their rolls. However, one must mention the exorbitant salary of 300,000 pounds per week that convinced Eto'o to agree to the move.
Difference - Huge at old club, epic at new club.
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Santi Cazorla - Villarreal to Malaga
Only the best playmaker outside the Nou Camp and Bernebeu, all of Villarreal's good work over the latter part of the previous decade has been fashioned through him. So it's safe to say that his loss is a critical one to the Yellow Submarine, whose, to use a continuing metaphor, reactor has just dropped out completely. Malaga, on the other hand, need to ascend and cement their rise as they do so. Hence, the need for a master builder to guide their superstructure, must be met. And in Santiago, they have their playmaking creative genius, equal part reactor and master mason.
Difference - Criminal at old club, central at new club.
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Kevin Gameiro - Lorient to PSG
Every successful club needs a prolific striker, an effective spearhead of their attack, the focal point of their offense. PSG have acquired the next great French striker, established, accomplished and at his peak. With Gameiro knocking them in with regularity and giving solid returns on PSG's investment up front, that aspect of the club's ambition has been taken care of. They already have assist-makers and supporting forwards in spades, but now have a genuine finisher as well. And in his absence Lorient will struggle to compete altogether having welded their attack on his 25 year old shoulders.
*Note the contrast with the acquisition of fellow recruit Javier Pastore, who although costing much more, is more of a bauble.
Difference - Terminal at old club, critical at new club.
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Ashley Young - Aston Villa to Manchester United
When the club's best player and the most clinical crosser in the division, moves to the current champions, the wave sweeping over the division is tidal. All of a sudden Villa has a massive hole on the flank while United seemingly have a versatile winger on both flanks, suddenly able to produce an endless supply of balls into the box, for their waiting players to power in. United were already impressive without Young but with him are altogether intimidating. And while the United fans were initially sceptical of him making the grade, Young has already won them over. Villa on the other hand, are significantly weakened and will have to alter their game tactics altogether.
Difference - Significant at old club, important at new club.
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Dario Conca - Fluminense to Guangzhou (Chinese National League)
A bit off the beaten path, but Conca's loss is not just Fluminense's but Brazil's on the whole. If the defending champions, one of the biggest clubs and teams from one of the biggest cities (Rio De Janeiro) cannot hold on to their start striker from advances at a club in a different continent altogether that is not even on the global footballing map, it says a lot about the purchasing disparity between the two. China, like Brazil, is an up and coming BRIC nation but have a financially affluent league that is making noises by snapping up stars as and when they can. And this is no acquisition of a grizzled veteran or washed up legend - Conca is at his peak and one of the best forwards in the Brazilian Serie A. At time of writing, Conca has scored four in five with Guangzhou 10 points clear at the top of the table. Fluminense are ninth in Brazil.
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Radamel Falcao - Porto to Atletico Madrid
The Colombian marksman is the complete striker, comfortable off either foot, inside or outside the box and powerful in the air. With Porto last season, he had an explosive season that established him as one of Europe's most sought after forwards. Porto lose an important cog in their team and about a third of their effectiveness and in their return to the Champions' League as well. With both him and Hulk, Porto were nigh unplayable but without Falcao are much less so. Now at Atleti, he replaces the departed Sergio Aguero, but with more all round strengths and a deadly aerial ability. Madrid are back as an attacking force with the Colombian in tow with Diego Forlan. Porto's great loss is indeed Atleti's massive gain.
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Manuel Neuer - Schalke to Bayern Munich
The only free transfer and defensive player on this list, it says much about the merits of Germany's 'keeper for the next generation that an ailing Bayern Munich chose him as their prime target this summer and got him to sign on the dotted line as soon as possible. Neuer is a prodigy and in an inconsistent Schalke side, was often the last and only pillar of defence at Gelsenkirchen. Time and again he bailed his old club out of trouble with saves and reflexes straight out of a dramatic comic. Although he has to endure hatred from a section of the Bayern faithful on account of being a key figure at a rival club (Bayern fans even gave him a five point code of conduct in the stadium), his class will soon bring everyone onside. With his departure Schalke are vulnerable at the back knowing that the goalie of a generation has left. Bayern on the other hand has a long legacy of both building from the back and retaining top custodians. Neuer is the future at Bavaria both in net and for the armband.
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Honourable Mentions:
Juan Mata - Valencia to Chelsea - Valencia's best player and key midfield presence moving north to revise a stagnant engine room in West London. Will he get kicked out of games though ?
Nuri Sahin - Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid - Dortmund and Turkey's best player, moving to the Spanish giants to further bolster their attacking corps. Will he get a start at the Bernebeu though ?
A bit off the beaten path, but Conca's loss is not just Fluminense's but Brazil's on the whole. If the defending champions, one of the biggest clubs and teams from one of the biggest cities (Rio De Janeiro) cannot hold on to their start striker from advances at a club in a different continent altogether that is not even on the global footballing map, it says a lot about the purchasing disparity between the two. China, like Brazil, is an up and coming BRIC nation but have a financially affluent league that is making noises by snapping up stars as and when they can. And this is no acquisition of a grizzled veteran or washed up legend - Conca is at his peak and one of the best forwards in the Brazilian Serie A. At time of writing, Conca has scored four in five with Guangzhou 10 points clear at the top of the table. Fluminense are ninth in Brazil.
Difference - Significant at old club and league, epochal at new.
Radamel Falcao - Porto to Atletico Madrid
The Colombian marksman is the complete striker, comfortable off either foot, inside or outside the box and powerful in the air. With Porto last season, he had an explosive season that established him as one of Europe's most sought after forwards. Porto lose an important cog in their team and about a third of their effectiveness and in their return to the Champions' League as well. With both him and Hulk, Porto were nigh unplayable but without Falcao are much less so. Now at Atleti, he replaces the departed Sergio Aguero, but with more all round strengths and a deadly aerial ability. Madrid are back as an attacking force with the Colombian in tow with Diego Forlan. Porto's great loss is indeed Atleti's massive gain.
Difference - Possibly paralysing at old, timely at new.
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Manuel Neuer - Schalke to Bayern Munich
The only free transfer and defensive player on this list, it says much about the merits of Germany's 'keeper for the next generation that an ailing Bayern Munich chose him as their prime target this summer and got him to sign on the dotted line as soon as possible. Neuer is a prodigy and in an inconsistent Schalke side, was often the last and only pillar of defence at Gelsenkirchen. Time and again he bailed his old club out of trouble with saves and reflexes straight out of a dramatic comic. Although he has to endure hatred from a section of the Bayern faithful on account of being a key figure at a rival club (Bayern fans even gave him a five point code of conduct in the stadium), his class will soon bring everyone onside. With his departure Schalke are vulnerable at the back knowing that the goalie of a generation has left. Bayern on the other hand has a long legacy of both building from the back and retaining top custodians. Neuer is the future at Bavaria both in net and for the armband.
Difference - crippling at old, era establishing at new.
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Honourable Mentions:
Juan Mata - Valencia to Chelsea - Valencia's best player and key midfield presence moving north to revise a stagnant engine room in West London. Will he get kicked out of games though ?
Nuri Sahin - Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid - Dortmund and Turkey's best player, moving to the Spanish giants to further bolster their attacking corps. Will he get a start at the Bernebeu though ?
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