Torres and Carroll star in last-day transfer scramble
In the final hours of football’s transfer window, deals take Fernando Torres from Liverpool to Chelsea for £50million and Andy Carroll from Newcastle to Liverpool for £35m, as Keme Nzerem reports.
Liverpool have announced that they have agreed the fee for Carroll – which can only mean they expect the Torres deal also to be signed and sealed in time before the window slams shut at 11pm.
But as the final deals are done, the head of the League Managers Association has said it’s time for an end to the month-long mid-season transfer period.
Chief executive Richard Bevan says that – instead of bringing stability and a level playing field – the “window” has brought more uncertainty and led to the sacking of even more managers.
And the FA’s new head of elite development – the former England defender Gareth Southgate – told Channel 4 News that the present arrangements did not help long-term planning.
“The way the system is at present is very difficult for so many clubs, because if you lose a player there is such a short period of time to replace that player,” he explained.
Such doubts did not prevent the usual last-day scramble of deals, though the biggest are often the last to be completed.
Liverpool
The day has been dominated by the extraordinary events surrounding Liverpool FC. Despite the repeated insistence from the Reds that Torres would be made to fulfil his contract, the weekend news of his written transfer request made it all but certain that he would be allowed to leave once Chelsea had met Liverpool’s asking price.
Tonight it was confirmed that the two sides had reached agreement – and there are reports that Chelsea are planning another big signing – agreeing a £25million fee to sign defender David Luiz from Benfica.
So for Liverpool the hunt was on for someone to replace him up front – and to play alongside Anfield’s other new signing – £23million Luis Suarez.
There was talk of Chelsea’s Nicolas Anelka becoming a makeweight in the £50million deal with Liverpool, but then attention switched northwards – and to the emerging talent of Newcastle’s Andy Carroll. Is he worth £35million?
Professor Stefan Szymanski, of Cass Business School, told Channel 4 News that both clubs may have over-paid for the players “partly because of this sense that time is running out and they must reach a decision quickly.”
He added: “There is no question that if you have to make a snap decision, it is often the case that you will over-pay.”