Transfer of the day: No. 2: Sunday is the Lord's Day

It appears that no transfer business is done on Sundays. Anyway, my sources indicate no deals have gone through today. So, instead of talking about a specific transfer, I'll discuss the transfer policy of a club. And who better than the biggest spenders of the transfer window, Barcelona?

Catalonia's flagship club has thrown 92.5 million Euros at a squad that could already have been justifiably called the world's most talented. Under Frank Rijkaard's low-key, dignified management, the club accumulated some of the world's best players--Ronaldinho, Eto'o, Deco, Henry, Zambrotta, Marquez, Yaya Toure--to add to the cream of their fantastic youth system--Messi, Xavi, Puyol, Iniesta, Bojan. As a fan, I began to feel tenderly for many of these players. But last season, it was clear that something wasn't working. Maybe there were too many personalities, maybe not enough wide players, maybe Rijkaard's tactical inflexibility and permissiveness had grown stale. Whatever the cause, there needed to be a clear-out and the club installed former great Pep Guardiola as coach to make it happen.



Departures: Ronaldinho and Zambrotta (Milan), Deco (Chelsea), Giovani (Tottenham), Valiente (Sevilla), Edmilson (Villarreal), Ezquerro and Thuram (out of contract). Total: €45m. I'm sad that Ronaldinho and Deco have to go. The former has more magic in his feet than anyone I have ever seen play the game, but though his gifts will be missed, he has not been a crucial member of the squad for a while. Deco is the real loss. He is the engine that has powered the team's great victories since his arrival, the reservoir of grit and fluidity and the club owes him a lot. And selling Giovani is a move I just don't understand. He doesn't keep his head down and do the business like Bojan, but he definitely has the talent to succeed and his confidence and will to win are something missing from many of his now-former teammates. I hope he does well in London.



Arrivals: Dani Alves and Keita (Sevilla), Caceres (Villarreal), Hleb (Arsenal), Henrique (Palmeiras), Pique (Man Utd), Pinto (Celta). Total: €92.5m. There are promising signs, such as the purchase of Alves, who will provide the width the club has lacked. But most of these transfers confuse me. The signing of Keita seems superfluous with Yaya Toure, who had a great season last year, already at the club. The strangest buy, though, is Caceres, when the club already has two central defenders under 180cm. Considering Guardiola's lack of experience and the infighting in the board room, it's difficult not to feel nervous.

Probable lineup for next year: Valdes; Alves, Puyol, Caceres, Abidal; Xavi, Toure, Iniesta; Messi, Henry, Hleb

Transfer of the day: No. 1, Matuzalem

This is the first of a series that will span the entire summer of profiles of players who have just moved clubs.


Matuzalem
Real Zaragoza to Lazio, loan
Nationality: Brazil
Position: playmaker


I think it's common knowledge that Brazilian playmakers are the most exciting players in soccer. And I've always entertained the idea that there are three or four out there better than our wildest dreams who simply haven't been discovered yet. Matuzalem, I have always believed, is such a player.

Of course, I have never seen him play. He's been in only 14 games since his move to Real Zaragoza and who has ever been able to watch the Ukrainian league. And, judging by how Zaragoza played this year, he must have been pretty bad not to get in the side. But come on: he has a really cool, biblical-sounding name. His highlights reel shows someone capable of precise finishing and great movement. It is also said that he can track back. And Lazio is a team where playmakers like Veron and Nedved have historically fulfilled their potential.

I have terrible instincts for this type of thing, but I'm bound to get it right some time, so here goes: Matuzalem will be a reasonable success at Lazio if he manages to stay there rather than returning to Zaragoza after his loan expires, he will draw interest from a bigger club, probably Juventus or Inter.