Ah, the transfer window, the one time of year that idiocy seems to gleam over the entire footballing world, especially mischievous writers who like to stir the proverbial pot.

Some hacks have even gone so crazy that they are simply listing transfers for any player that they can possibly think of, i.e. Lionel Messi to Arsenal!

I wrote another article (accidentally published, and not completed) that clearly states the proven fact that Arsene Wenger would not be buying during this window. But it is to my utter annoyance when I see rubbish blogs created for the sole purpose of causing fans to become infuriated by what they read.

'It is to my utter annoyance when I see rubbish blogs created for the sole purpose of causing fans to become infuriated by what they read'


I hope that by writing this I am showing some form of sanity, simply by not making up loads of rumours, but if putting a potential one forward, at least backing it up with something more than fictitious nonsense.

My main argument to put forward is the continual efforts that writers claim against the Barcelona players.

Thierry Henry: Apart from the possibility that he misses Arsenal, there is absolutely no foundation to say that he wants to leave the Nou Camp. So many people take quotes out of context. Thierry simply stated around a month ago that one day he would like to return to Arsenal. Personally I expect him to be spearhead the club in a PR type role, selling the Gunners to potential signings and basically scouting for similar talent to what he himself used to be.

Lionel Messi: The stupidly behind the claim that he is set to leave is farcical, to say the least. Here is a very young man, at a stage of his career where, believe it or not, he is still learning the game, thus making his form very sporadic, leading to the subsequent benching that he has been subjected to (quite rarely). Wayne Rooney went through the same thing only two years ago, simply because he, like Messi, is naïve and still too enthusiastic for his own footballing good.

Ronaldinho: OK, I concede that he seems very disjointed at Barcelona right now, but my simple question is this: Who can afford him? Even if he is beginning to follow fellow pie-face Ronaldo, he is still worth his weight in gold. Inter Milan simply can’t afford him unless they offer mental-case Adriano as part of the deal, which is a very unlikely possibility due to his likeness in style to Eto’o and Henry. The only people who can afford him are Chelsea. My prediction would be; IF they can’t get Frank Lampard to sign an extension they will, in the summer, make a move for Ronaldinho.

Samuel Eto’o: The ONLY place that this guy will go is Arsenal, and the chances of this happening are smaller than my little toe. Mainly because Arsenal just don’t spend big. UNLESS Fabregas moves as any kind of makeweight, there is no real chance of this deal taking off, and with Arsene preferring a great midfield rather than attack, I really can’t see a move on the cards.

Chelsea have courted him before, and there could be an accepted bid with Didier Drogba moving the other way, but personally I don’t think Eto'o would go for the move. My main reason for believing this is the fact that Chelsea are too similar to Barcelona, and the pressures here would not be welcomed. When a footballer moves on, they like to change the type of club they join. This is why, traditionally, players join opposite styles of club, William Gallas for example, Gabriel Heinze to Real Madrid, Ronaldo from Inter to Barcelona and the list goes on.

Of course there are exceptions to the rule like Juliano Belletti. But in general players like to change everything when they find a different club. It creates a new challenge and revitalises the love for the game that these players have, or even helps get over bad reputations or injuries.

Any move that you read about during a transfer window, always consider these simple ideas; they apply in most situations, and more often than not, provide the common sense that help to see through transfers that are made from no foundation or ‘dreams’!