More World Cup Stars to join Premiership Clubs for the new season?

Posted by Cathal Breathnach on July 16, 2010 | 1 Comment

With the World Cup footy fest over and the start of the new Premiership season on the horizon there has been a lot of speculation about some of the players who made a big impact in South Africa moving to English clubs before the transfer window closes on the 31 August.

There can be no doubt that showcasing your football talents on a global stage like the World Cup can certainly raise your profile in the minds of the viewing millions and it may spark interest from clubs looking to strengthen their squads too. Big-name signings would be sure to affect the football betting odds on clubs winning the Premiership.

Players like Japan’s midfield star Keisuke Honda, who is currently signed to CSKA Moscow, have been linked with a number of English clubs, including Tottenham. Just two years ago CSKA paid only £4.9 million to sign him and if they choose to let him go they could expect a massive return on their investment after his great performance in South Africa. Take a look at the goal he scored against Denmark from a free kick to see what Harry Redknapp would be getting for his money. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eybIMmivSHQ&NR=1

Another player rumoured to be attracting interest from English clubs is Thomas Müller, the Golden Boot winner. The 20 year old Bayern Munich forward, who was also awarded the Young Player of the Tournament title, is said to be a potential target for Chelsea. Bayern would be looking for around £25million for him. Take a look at his World Cup goals here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzA4njC01kg

The influx of foreign stars to the Premiership after recent World Cups has been a declining trend with few players being signed immediately after the Germany 2006. The most notable signings then were Argentina duo Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano who were signed by West Ham (the club was later fined for breaching Premier League rules over the signings) and Ecuador’s Antonio Valencia who joined Wigan. It would seem that clubs have to be more cautious in their transfer dealings due to the growing financial pressures that many are facing these days.

Not all clubs are in that position though. Let’s not forget the elephant in the room i.e. Manchester City, who have the sort of financial resources at their disposal that makes major signings for big money a very real possibility. Even before the World Cup had got under way Roberto Mancini had splashed out over sixty million quid to bring the Ivory Coast’s Yaya Toure, Spain’s David Silva and Germany’s Jerome Boateng to Eastlands. The latest footy odds from online betting websites have Manchester City at 9/2 to win the Premier League and no one, not even Paul the octopus, should bet against them doing it if they continue their spending spree.

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