The year in transfers
Saturday, December 25, 2004
Article summary
From Manchester to Moscow there was big money spent in 2004 but no one could match Chelsea FC.
Article body
By Simon Hart
The year opened with English clubs flexing their muscles in the January market. Arsenal FC recruited José Antonio Reyes from Sevilla FC for a club-record €25.6m. Chelsea FC picked up Scott Parker for €14.6m - small change for Roman Abramovich - while Manchester United FC spent the same amount on Louis Saha.
Rooney transfer
Saha was not the only striker on his way to Old Trafford in 2004. Alan Smith arrived from Leeds United AFC following the Yorkshire club's relegation. Then, at the summer's end, United ended weeks of speculation by signing Wayne Rooney. United paid €29.6m for the teenage striker - with another €10m possibly to follow - in a transfer which left Everton FC supporters broken-hearted.
Finalists lose leading lights
They were not the only ones. FC Porto and AS Monaco FC's exploits in reaching the UEFA Champions League final were followed by the defection of both clubs' leading lights. Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira left to join coach José Mourinho at Chelsea while Deco departed for FC Barcelona in a deal which cost the Spaniards Ricardo Quaresma and €15m. Porto used some of that money to sign the Brazilian teenager Diego for €7m from Santos FC.
Monaco departures
Those Monaco players to move on included captain Ludovic Giuly to Barcelona, winger Jérôme Rôthen to Paris Saint-Germain FC and Dado Pršo to Rangers FC, while Fernando Morientes returned to Real Madrid CF. Among their replacements were forwards Javier Chevantón and Mohamed Kallon, and Brazilian full-back Maicon.
Barça sign Eto'o
Those clubs looking to emulate that pair by reaching the 2005 Champions League final include Barcelona and they boosted their forward line considerably. In addition to Giuly and Deco, Samuel Eto'o arrived from RCD Mallorca for €24m and Henrik Larsson on a free transfer.
Madrid strengthen defence
For their arch-rivals Real Madrid, strengthening in defence was the priority yet they still managed to recruit England striker Michael Owen. The big money, however, went on another Englishman, Jonathan Woodgate, and his fellow centre-back Walter Samuel who arrived for a combined €47m. Spanish champions Valencia CF, meanwhile, took the lead of new coach Claudio Ranieri and signed four Italians: Emilano Moretti, Stefano Fiore, Marco Di Vaio and Bernardo Corradi.
Juve swoop
In Italy, Juventus FC made some of the summer's most significant acquisitions. Brazilian Émerson da Rosa followed coach Fabio Capello from AS Roma for €28m. On 31 August, Juve then swooped for Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Italy defender Fabio Cannavaro. For Italian champions AC Milan, their biggest signing was €10.5m defender Jaap Stam from S.S. Lazio, while Hernán Crespo arrived on loan from Chelsea FC. Neighbours FC Internazionale Milano picked up another Chelsea outcast, Juan Sebastián Verón, and the Nerazzurri's other new faces included Edgar Davids.
Big spenders
Chelsea were again England's big spenders. Didier Drogba cost over €35m, Arjen Robben €18m, and defenders Carvalho and Ferreira €48m. And then there were Petr Cech, Mateja Kezman and Tiago. Elsewhere, Liverpool FC signed Djibril Cisse for €21m from AJ Auxerre and paid €16m for Xabi Alonso.
Russian record
In Germany, FC Bayern München spent close to €25m on Lucio, Torsten Frings, Vahid Hashemian and Andreas Gorlitz. Also on the move were Miroslav Klose, who joined Werder Bremen, and Ailton who left the Bundesliga champions for FC Schalke 04, but generally little money changed hands. The same cannot be said for clubs in Russia and Ukraine where FC Spartak Moskva and FC Shakhtar Donestk each paid around €14m for South Americans Fernando Cavenaghi and Matuzalem. PFC CSKA Moskva, meanwhile, splashed out €8m on Brazilian striker Vágner Love.
