5 Ramifications of Gareth Bale’s world record transfer fee.

Calm down, welsh winger Gareth Bale has not yet been confirmed as a Real Madrid player, but when he does sign for the Spanish giants, the fee rumoured will be nothing short of absurd, with most sources quoting a price of over 100 million Euros. When Bale’s move is announced, do not be surprised if the following result… 

1. Ronaldo is going to be really mad
   
   Cristiano Ronaldo is a man with a large ego, there, I said it. He will certainly not appreciate losing his record for world’s largest transfer fee, nor will he enjoy having to share the spotlight with Tottenham’s, soon to be former, Welshman. Is Madrid big enough for the two of them? Yes, yes it is, but only if Ronaldo learns to share. He has had a hard enough time digesting that he has been surpassed by Lionel Messi as the world’s best player, let alone challenged for Real Madrid’s best player; I hear the number 7 at Manchester United has been vacated by Antonio Valencia…
   
   
   
   
   In all seriousness, Ronaldo is a world class talent and the arrival of Bale should only lift the mood in the Bernabeu home dressing room, I certainly do not see an Old Trafford return on the cards for the second most successful Ronaldo ever to play the game. New manager Carlo Ancelotti will no doubt be licking his lips at the prospect of fielding a side which includes the world’s two most expensive players, Ronaldo and Bale, as well as the abundance of other stars already at his disposal. Real Madrid will be a scary side, when he gets it right.

   

   World's largest transfer fees. Bale surpasses new teammate Ronaldo by 13m.
   

   
   
2. Many people will lose all faith in humanity
   
   100 million euros is a ludicrous sum of money, no matter how you look at it. This transfer fee represents a lot of what is wrong with the world. More money is spent on the acquisition of one footballer than most countries’ defence budgets for a whole year! Perhaps, if people cared as much about helping those in need as they did about football then many of the world’s problems would be eradicated. But, let’s face it, that just simply isn’t ever going to happen.
   
   

   

   Bale's transfer fee is rather large....

   
   

   
   
3. Real Madrid will attempt to break the world record again.... obviously not soon
   
   Real Madrid are a club of high aspirations, they like to do whatever it is others are incapable of doing. No other club has the funds to fork out over 100 million in cold hard cash for a player, thus Real Madrid must! Clearly, Real aren’t going to be in any sort of rush to spend this sort of money again, but when they open up their purse again for a player of Bale’s ability and potential, don’t be surprised to see an even larger figure tossed about by the world’s richest club. Albeit, Bale is a special player, one who is coming off a ridiculous season with Tottenham Hotspur in which he claimed the title of the Premier League’s best player and practically carried his side to a fifth placed finish. Players like Bale don’t become available every day, but when one does, Real will be the likely destination considering their financial advantage over every other club. The next hundred million dollar man could already be plying his trade somewhere, nobody knows…
   
   
4. La Liga will become even less competitive
   
   As it stands, Real Madrid and Barcelona are strides ahead of any other side in La Liga, that gap will widen even further with Bale’s arrival in what is considered the world’s best league. It simply does not make for an entertaining league when two teams are head and shoulders above every other, beating teams by rugby scores week in week out. There may not be anything UEFA can do right now to correct this, with the new financial fair play rules seemingly having no impact on the transfer market what so ever, it may be the next step in club football to cap the prices of players and restrict the spending power of sides in order to obtain a more level playing field and make leagues more competitive. 
   
   
5. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy will smile for days on end
   
   Tottenham’s shrewd chairman Daniel Levy will be checking his club’s account balance hourly until the money arrives, and when it does, he will do merry jig and go back to business as usual while people ask him if he was smiling as the wind changed. Tottenham have gone on an almighty spending spree this summer, with Bale’s impending transfer fee their financial backing. They have brought in some top class talent, including Brazilian Paulinho from Corinthians (€19m), French midfielder Etienne Capoue from Toulouse (€11m), Spanish hitman Roberto Soldado from Valencia (€30m) and Dutchman Nacer Chadli from FC Twente (€8m). In addition to this, they have been linked to more big money signings such as recent Chelsea recruit Willian, formerly of Anzhi Makhachkala, and aptly named Zenit winger Hulk. One thing can certainly be deduced from this massive spending, Bale is certain to leave, otherwise Tottenham will find themselves in a spot of financial bother, albeit with a ridiculously talented squad. Spurs manager Andre Villas Boas has spent the money well and he will no doubt be joining his chairman in what could perhaps end up as a season-long smile fest.
   

   

   That's a lot of beans...
   

   That’s the Rosey wrap on Gareth Bale’s transfer fee,
   
   
   Thanks for reading,
   
   
   By Jake Rosengarten

It’s time to put away FIFA 13; the real deal returns: 5 Predictions for the Upcoming Premier League Season

1. Chelsea to lead after 6 rounds
   
   
   As the self-proclaimed ‘special one’ returns to the helm at the Blues after a 6 year hiatus he will be eager to send the message forth throughout the league… “I’m back.” José Mourinho never was one for modesty, and I believe that his star studded Chelsea side will ultimately be very hard to stop. They begin the season with matches against Hull City, Aston Villa, Manchester United, Everton, Fulham and Tottenham. This is no easy draw, facing three of last season’s top six within the opening six rounds. However, a side which possesses the likes of Juan Mata and Eden Hazard, both members of last year’s PFA team of the season, alongside new signing Andre Schurrle and the always dangerous Romelu Lukaku, can never be underestimated.
   
   

   I predict that Chelsea will burst out of the blocks, in a Usain Bolt-esque metaphorical first 100m of the Premier League season, despite these tough matches and sit atop the ladder after the first 6 rounds. Albeit, I do believe that Chelsea will, as per usual, run out of steam, and find themselves in their usual scrap for third or fourth by next April/May. If Mourinho is to scale the heights as Chelsea and work his magic once more he must keep hold of Barcelona target David Luiz and find a way to effectively rotate his strike force, which includes former football joke of the year Fernando Torres and the injury plagued Demba Ba. Roman Abramovich is not one to play the waiting game, trophies or its back to Spain with you José.
   
2. No Luck for Promotees
   
   
   The lucky Championship sides who earned themselves a berth in the premier league for this season are Cardiff, Hull City and Crystal Palace, whether they will consider themselves lucky when they are sitting on a lowly sub-35 point score come the end of next season is a different story. This is more directed at the quite under strength squads possessed by Hull and Palace  rather than a Cardiff side which boasts former Liverpool and Manchester City player Craig Bellamy and impressive new Chilean signing Gary Medel. I believe that Cardiff will hold their own and avoid relegation this season, whilst the other two promotees will not be quite as lucky. Put simply, I am rather skeptical of whether either of these two sides possesses the raw talent to win more than the odd game in a very competitive premier league competition.
   
   
   Thinking back to the struggles of Aston Villa last season, as well as the relegation of Community Shield 2013/14 participants Wigan Athletic, I can confidently say that the promotees will struggle as their sides are simply not up to the standards of even these struggling sides of yesteryear. Put simply, their managers must beef up their squads with some premier league quality additions or they will be back in the Championship quicker than ex-Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha signed his Manchester United contract.
   
   
3. Swansea to Challenge the Top 7
   
   
   A bold prediction I know, but I believe that Swansea really do have the squad that it takes to challenge the previously relatively stable top 7 sides of the competition. Led by Michael Laudrup, the Swans, who feature the talents of Spanish bargain Michu and new boy former Vitesse Arnhem striker Wilfried Bony, will be a tough proposition for any team who come up against them. Liberty Stadium saw a trophy last year and will see European football this season, and there is absolutely no reason why they can’t secure it again for next season perhaps even through qualification from league places.
   
   
   

   If last season is anything to go by, the swans will be a force to reckon with, and no one will fancy a trip to their backyard, not even their opening round opponents and last year’s champions Sir Alex Ferguson-less Manchester United. Mark my words; do not underestimate Swansea this season.
   
   
   
   
4. Controversies Aplenty
   
   
   What is a premier league season without controversy? That’s like Theo Walcott without pace, Raheem Sterling without a stupid haircut, and well… Luis Suarez without controversy… it just doesn’t make sense! So I’m here to tell you don’t take your eyes off that screen because there will be controversies whether anyone likes it or not. In the past few seasons we have been privileged to some awful yet entertaining instances such as the Suarez-Evra racial row, the Suarez-Ivanovic biting incident and others that, I can’t believe it either, didn’t involve Luis Suarez!
   
   
   The controversies will be back in 2013/14, along with Suarez (in round 5), so don’t miss a minute of England’s premier footballing competition! I promise it will be more entertaining than anything non-football related you could possibly be watching, which might consist of, god forbid, something non-sport related whatsoever.
   
   
5. City to win the League
   
   
   I am making the call right now. Manchester City will bring the premier league trophy back to the Etihad Stadium at the end of season 2013/14, but it will by no means be pretty. Having brought in new manager Manuel Pellegrini and made more big money signings including Fernandinho, Jesus Navas, Stevan Jovetić and Alvaro Negredo, the citizens will have a squad unrivalled in depth and talent. Their only problem may well be keeping all the stars happy due to the fact that there simply isn’t enough places in the first team to fit them all in. Just simply looking at their strikers, along with new boys Jovetić and Negredo, they already have Sergio Agüero and last season’s top scorer Bosnian Edin Džeko on their books.
   
   
   With a squad like this, I just don’t see them being beaten, the league is theirs to lose as far as I’m concerned. In my eyes, their main challengers will be Chelsea and perhaps Manchester United if David Moyes can get his act together in time. Manchester City to be champions of 2013/14.
   
   

   

   
   
   
   
   That concludes Rosey’s predictions for the 2013/14 Premier League season,
   
   
   Thanks for reading,
   
   
   Jake Rosengarten

5 Predictions for the Upcoming July/August Transfer Window

Below are my five predictions for the upcoming transfer window, feel free to comment below on anything you agree or disagree with… Enjoy!

1. Cristiano Ronaldo to Manchester United transfer saga

In every transfer window there is one rumour which keeps coming back, in this window I predict Ronaldo to United to be in the papers almost constantly. As the window progresses, the move will look more and more likely, however it will not manifest, no doubt due to the unwillingness to haggle of modern day Ebenezer Scrooge, Sir Alex Ferguson.

Frankly, I can’t see Ronaldo leaving Madrid for a long time, he seems to be perfectly happy and scoring at will, what more could a player ask for.

2. Spurs to sign a world class striker

Andre Villas Boas will surely be looking to open up his wallet this window in order to take some scoring pressure off his team’s seemingly only goal threat, PFA player and young player of the year, Gareth Bale. The Welshman has been in scintillating form this season and has won all sorts of plaudits, but it has come time that someone else with the ability to put the ball into the net signed for Tottenham Hotspur. Hopefully it will help Spurs fans to put behind them the disturbing displays they have witnessed from Emmanuel Adebayor this season.

Who will be signed is anyone’s guess, it could be any one of a number of strikers, one thing is for certain though, they will already be on the verge of signing for Liverpool. But on a more serious note, options range from Brazilian Leandro Damiao to relegated QPR’s Loic Remy to Borussia Dortmund’s Polish hit man Robert Lewandowski. I am unsure who AVB will sign, but my gut tells me it could be Lewandowski.

3. Arsene Wenger to say he will spend big.... then sign Thierry Henry again

All in good fun! But seriously, I can see Wenger promising to spend big again this window, as he does every window, and only delivering an average player. I feel sorry for Arsenal fans around this time of the year, as their hopes sky rocket with their claims “in Arsene we trust,” only for their dreams to be dashed by the very man in which they held their faith.

The gunners have done well this season to hold onto a top four position thus far, and if they wish to perform well in Europe next year as well as even have a run at the title, they will need reinforcements. Wenger will surely know this, but whether or not he will make the right choices in the market remains to be seen.

4. Jose Mourinho to return to Chelsea 

It’s been all over the internet for the past week or so, but I am just going to come out and say it, I believe that José Mourinho will be the manager of Chelsea next campaign. Rafael Benitez has given it his best, but the fans are simply not all behind him and this is a big problem at a club whose fans have such high expectations as those of Chelsea. Sure, Benitez’s side hasn’t been in all that bad form but he certainly does not have them at the levels which Mourinho could. Knowing Roman Abramovich, the axe well be wielded as the Russian oil tycoon moves to reunite with his former Portuguese colleague.

If the rumours are to be believed, then Mourinho will be bringing with him Atletico Madrid’s Columbian powerhouse Falcao. This could spell trouble for the rest of world football, as a Mourinho led side which features Falcao as well as Eden Hazard, Juan Mata and others could well stake their claim to the premier league title and even the champions league title in the coming season. 

5. Luis Suarez to stay at Liverpool

After his controversial bite on Branislav Ivanovic and subsequent 10 match ban from the FA, there was talk that Luis Suarez could well have played his last match for Liverpool Football Club. However, I do not believe that this will be the case; I believe that the Uruguayan will come back stronger than ever in the 7^th match of next season. I cannot give a rationale for this prediction, it is just a gut feeling, based on Suarez’ previous behaviour. Whilst some feel he is of questionable character, he has always showed nothing but loyalty to Liverpool for everything they have given to him and I believe he will remain at Anfield for long enough to see them return to the champions league.

That’s Rosey’s predictions for the upcoming transfer window,

Thanks for Reading!

By Jake Rosengarten