Football: An exciting summer in prospect

For football fans, it is a bit sad when the leagues come to a close. Football becomes a part of our daily lives and therefore, with the end of the football season, the banter, beer, passion and the excitement of weekend football also ends. The season comes to a sweet end for some fans and not so much for others. Nevertheless, Saturday and Sunday evenings do seem nonchalant and dull. But, the prospect of the summer transfer provides sufficient excitement before the new season begins in mid-August.

Now, it has been quite a fruitful season for Manchester United fans and hopefully they will make some waves in the transfer window as Rooney filed a transfer request. With David Moyes installed as the new boss, Rooney looking to leave and Ronaldo in the rumour mill, the 2013/2014 season cannot get any more exciting. Add to that the pursuit of an astounding 21st league title which looks luminous, yet mysterious as ever. Major contenders and former champions (yikes! that would bite a few), neighbours Manchester City will be looking to bring in Edinson Cavani, Radamel Falcao or Bundesliga top scorer Stefan Kiessling. They will also look to bolster the wings, where they have lacked impetus throughout the 2012/13 campaign. Manuel Pellegrini, Juergen Klopp and even Roberto Martinez are rumored to replace the recently sacked Roberto Mancini. However, the later of the three is favorite to replace David Moyes at Everton. Also, a certain Roberto Di Matteo might have a say as well. Manchester City will certainly be one of the most active clubs this summer. Abramovic’s Chelsea are planning to bring in Falcao along with the ‘Special One’ from Real Madrid. Manuel Pellegrini and club legend Gianfranco Zola are also in the running for London club’s top job. The sale of Fernando Torres seems imminent with Atletico Madrid showing their faith in the Spanish forward. Liverpool look to bolster their squad this summer and their interest in Ajax star Christian Eriksen and Shakhtar midfield man Henrikh Mkhtariyan has blossomed. Moreover, the departure of Luis Suarez post his ‘Bitegate’ looms over the Merseyside giants. Chaotic?! Well, that’s the Premier League for you!

Elsewhere in La liga, the mighty Barcelona have been subject to defensive lapses and have often been carried by the excellence of the holy trinity of Xavi, Iniesta and Leo Messi. The likes of Adriano and Mascherano have played in the slot vacated by the injured Carles Puyol but haven’t performed to similar levels. Barca will look to add a strong centre-half to their squad with Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany and Philippe Mexes among the favorites. Whereas, rivals Real Madrid were looking to replace the outgoing manager Jose Mourinho with Swansea boss and ex-Real Madrid legend Michael Laudrup, who ended the speculation by signing a 1 year contract extension at the Welsh club. A captivating summer for Madrid fans seems to have begun much before the window opens.

With Mario Gotze set to join the ‘Guardiola revolution’ at Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, the prospect of players arriving and leaving seems imminent. Robert Lewandowski has become one of the hottest properties in Europe after scoring four past Madrid in Champions League semi-finals. The manner in which Juergen Klopp and Dortmund will handle the impending mass exodus situation will be vital.

The hot shots of Europe include a certain Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur, who is valued at an astounding 80 million pounds and will be sought after by top clubs around Europe. Ajax midfielder Christian Eriksen is among the most sought after players with Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham interested in signing the Dane. Another promising youngster is Isco from financially troubled Malaga. The young midfield player offers creativity and clinical finishing while playing in the hole between the lone forward and the centre of midfield. Malaga have been a selling club and it wouldn’t be surprising if Isco is sold. It is such a tough task to choose the right club (insert Fernando Torres, Samir Nasri). Transfer windows are important milestones for a footballer as he looks to boost his career. Similarly, clubs try to get the best players at affordable prices, and hence, a lot of work, drama, emotion and passion goes into every transfer window. Therefore, the 2013 summer transfer window offers to be special.

Every sports journalism website and print media house will be flooded by a fury of absurd yet entertaining and spine tickling rumors. The aim of this article is to keep you upbeat about what is in store this summer. Big money signings, managerial appointments and club takeovers from a perfect drum roll to an exciting 2013-2014 season. Time to write a new song maybe? How does ‘summer of twenty thirteen’ sound? Cheeky? Maybe! But it sure promises to keep us biting our nails and on the edge of our seats.