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Tuesday, 14 August, 2001, 03:12 GMT 04:12 UK
Bargain buy or transfer flop?
The transfer merry-go-round has been in full swing during the close season, with big-money buys and record transfer fees.
Who will be the Premiership's best buys?
Click here for more on the Premiership transfers The Premiership's big boys have been spending this summer, with the British record transfer fee broken once and then again. Juan Sebastian Veron and Ruud van Nistlerooy have cost Man Utd £47.1m, while Chelsea and Arsenal have also splashed the cash. The Blues' summer spending has raised a few eyebrows, with Frank Lampard and William Gallas just two of their major signings. Arsenal's biggest signing didn't cost them a penny in transfer fees, but Sol Campbell's wages will prove a major pay-out. Other big moves include Laurent Robert's £10m switch to Newcastle, and Fabrizio Ravanelli's arrival at Derby. Who will prove to be a wise investment? And who's transfer fee will be money down the drain?
The bargain of the pre-season is Sol Campbell. Van Nistlerooy is a good buy but Veron is surplus and there is bound to be an unhappy dressing room at United.
Van Nistelrooy is the best buy and his goal return in Europe will show that. Disaster of the season is that lightweight striker Jeffers.
Luke Young and Jason Euell are two very good buys for Charlton. Both are young but have a good deal of Premiership experience. Once they gel alongside Rufus, Kinsella, Scott Parker and Johannessen, Charlton could well be on a roll.
Once again the forgotten signings are Jonathan Greening and Mark Wilson from Man Utd. Fergie will regret selling these two extremely talented young players, ravenous for success! Well done Boro!
Pablo Counaga looks like a good deal for Ipswich, especially as he's so young. But Hartson's move to Celtic was a foolish move by an otherwise shrewd manager, and he will prove to be the biggest flop.
Being an Everton fan I would like to think that both Stubbs and Radzinski turn out to be bargains, however I expect both Poyet and Sheringham to turn out to be shrewd bargain buys for Glenn Hoddle.
Charlton's Alan Curbishley has once again used his limited resources wisely in the capture of Luke Young and Jason Euell. Curbs and Charlton will never be able to match the big buys of Manchester United and Chelsea but with shrewd shopping he may well continue to consolidate Charlton's position as a Premiership outfit. Last year he demonstrated one of the bargain buys of the season in Jonaton Johansson so watch this space!
Big spending doesn't always mean wise buys. Watch out for another year of bargain buys from Peter Reid and Sunderland. His track record is second to none with Gavin McCann and Kevin Phillips costing £500,000 each - both are now England internationals. Don Hutchison was inspirational last year for only £2.5 million.
Chelsea have made two great buys in Zenden and Petit but Veron will prove he is worth the money and bring the European Cup once more to Old Trafford.
The worst buy has to be Jeffers going to Arsenal for £10 million.
This has to be viewed as an even worse buy when they could have got Hughes from West Brom for half that. Well done Coventry. What were all the Premiership managers doing?
The best buy of the season will no doubt be Bodo Zenden. At £7.5 million, he'll turn out to be a bargain. Cracking left foot, good passing ability and unbelievable pace. Flop of the season will be Peter Schmeichel. Well past his best. He should have stuck to sunbathing in Portugal
Money has gone crazy this season so the best buy for his price will be van Bronckhorst. He will provide a good goal scoring option from midfield. Veron will also be a sensation. The worst buy would have to be Zenden who has always been a highly overrated player and his ego will cause major problems. Also, Southgate is past his best and will just join the number of bad signings that Boro constantly make!
Phillip Porteous, Cumbria
As a Liverpool supporter, I hate to say this, but the best buy has to be Veron. As for worst buys, there are a few: Riise for Liverpool (who the hell is he?), Schmeichel for Villa (past it when he left United), and Francis Jeffers (not worth half that price). One to watch will be Finidi George.
Shrewdest signing has to be Finidi George for Ipswich, unbelievable talent. Worst signing must be Ravanelli for Derby, too temperamental. As regards Francis Jeffers, watch out! The guy didn't have world class players such as Vieira, Bergkamp and Henry to supply the ammunition before.
There seem to be quite a few nightmares around, but for the money, Lampard and Jeffers are unproven and risky. I Can't say I've ever rated van Bronckhorst or Campbell either, so Arsenal look dubious prospects, particularly if Vieira is still unsettled. For bargains, I'd say Thomas Radzinski at £4.5m if he were playing anywhere other than Everton, but if it's sheer class and proven ability at the European stage you're after, Veron and van Nistelrooy may well prove their worth.
Hassan Kachloul has already fitted brilliantly into Villa's team. That coupled with Schmeichel and a true striker for Villa in Balaban will result in their best season for a long time.
I think that Edwin Van der Sar is a very good acquisition for Fulham as he is a top class goalkeeper with a lot of European experience.
Sol Campbell and Richard Wright were two great bargains. Now Arsenal have the defence to go with the attack to challenge Man Utd.
Most over-rated player and new signing in England? Step forward Frank Lampard.
Having watched Ravanelli in some of Derby's warm up games, I can assure all the doubters out there that he is looking very sharp and the combination of him, Kinkladze and Christie will be giving defences nightmares all season.
A lot of Van the Man bashing going on but he will be the top Premiership goalscorer. Poyet is a brilliant signing for Spurs, but I have to agree that Jeffers and Lampard will struggle to justify the fees. Juan Veron for Player of the Year.
Rory Delap at £4million is a great buy; he will come good - trust me.
The worst buy this season has to be Lampard. I can't honestly understand why Chelsea bought him. What has Lampard actually achieved in the Premiership? On the other hand Poyet is a bargain.
Schmeichel could easily turn out to be the signing of the season, giving Villa some much-needed spirit. Ravanelli has to be the nightmare buy...he's already gone off the rails once at Boro.
Zenden and Petit will prove to be the best signing this summer. Chelsea now have one of the best midfields in the Premiership. As I Liverpool fan I am envious, I would have loved to have Zenden at Liverpool.
Best buy : look out for Sunderland's Laslandes. Worst buy: Jeffers - a lot of dosh for a little boy.
Ravanelli will prove all his doubters wrong with around 20 goals while overrated Lampard will struggle!
Teddy Sheringham has been the bargain of the summer, double player of the year on a free. The nightmare signing this year has to be Ravanelli. Derby have their work cut out with that one!
Can't quite understand the Van Nistlerooy nonsense, particularly with reference to the Charity Shield, his first competitive outing for Utd in a Premiership environment. As for "a goal a game", when was the last time a striker, even one rated at £30m got a goal a game over a season? At £29m, Veron is a bargain, when people are willing to pay almost £50m for Zidane. Worst buy is Jeffers; a combination of poor discipline and poorer fitness should see him spend most of the season on the touchline.
As a Liverpool fan who witnessed the signing of last summer lead us to the treble - Gary Mac - I think it will be another player over 30 who steals the plaudits - Gus Poyet. He will give Spurs a new dimension and provide 15 goals or so from midfield. My prediction for player of the year is our very own Steven Gerrard, not one of the multi-million pound men!
So far the biggest waste of money has to be Jeffers, definitely a good player but never worth the cash! Best buy is the re-signing of Patrick Vieira - the best midfielder around!
Veron will be the buy of season even though he was the most expensive. His skills and passing ability will unlock most defences, not just in England on the European stage as well. As for the worst buy, it would have to be Ravanelli. He's had his day but he's just another player wanting to finish his career in England for some big pounds.
One of the most promising buys could turn out to be Fulham's Van der Sar. He is vastly experienced, will put the defence at ease and could make all the difference between mid-table and a Uefa Cup place.
Best bargain is going to be Robert at Newcastle. He is going to be the surprise package of the year. Disaster: Ruud van Nistelrooy because of his injuries.
Watch out for new striker Juan Pablo Counago for the mighty Ipswich Town. Bought cheaply from Celta Vigo, he's got four goals in his last three games for the Spanish U21s. Alongside Finidi George, Burley may well have a couple of the best buys of the close season.
The best buy has to be Van der Saar. Every successful side needs a good 'keeper, and a good keeper and a good manager always have the potential to transform an ordinary side into a successful one. Tigana has bought wisely and spent £7m on a player in a position that can guarantee Premiership football next year. Van der Saar will be worth 10-15 points - how many other players are worth the same?
Chelsea have bought well this summer with quality across the middle. The side looks well balanced with Zenden and Gronkjaer on either flank providing a huge threat and Petit protecting the back four. The test will be how quickly will the new additions bed in, whether Lampard lives up to his potential and, most importantly, if we can avoid losing Desailly to Roma.
Matt, England v Sol has to be the best bargain as he cost nothing. But in terms of the rest, Giovanni van Bronckhorst may be the best buy. He was outstanding for Rangers and I feel he will be able to raise his game for the Premiership.
The most disappointing purchase could be his
Dutch counterpart Van Nistelrooy. He may score a fair
amount this year but I feel he may not perform to his
price tag. His goalscoring record was good in a now
substandard League and feel his impact may not be as good
in the Premiership. His fitness also has to be a worry after his knee problems.
\the most expensive flop will be Man Utd's Van Nistlerooy. He looked good in pre-season, but when they played in the Charity Shield he didn't look sharp enough. The best signing will be Gerard Houllier's John Arne Riise. Only £4m and he looks very promising.
Gus Poyet will make a big impact at Spurs. Riise was a bad buy for Liverpool. He looks weak at the back.
Poyet is probably the biggest bargain, but I can't understand the Delap signing by Saints. The biggest surprise has got to be Van der Saar
at Fulham for £7m. It might just be the biggest signing yet. As for Van Nistelrooy, at £19m I would expect a goal a game. Anything less is a failure.
Best bargain so far: John Arne Riise. Recipe for disaster: Van Nistelrooy. What were Man Utd thinking about?
Bargain: Sol Campbell. Nightmare: Ravanelli.
Best bargain so far: Gus Poyet. Recipe for disaster: Ravanelli. What were Derby thinking about?
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