From Sevilla, through Valencia.

In other news, Gonzalo Castellani should not occupy a foreign player slot on the B team. And Juan Carlos may reunite with his former coach on loan at Levante, despite his promotion to the A team.

La entidad que preside Fernando Roig abonará unos
2,5 millones de euros
al Valencia.
www.as.com

In addition to the 10 mil you mention, there should be another 6 or so from the sale of Godin (assuming the fee is paid over two years), Gonzalo and Altidore are both being shopped. Bringing in cash and reducing debt is a good idea, but at the same time there is value to be had in this transfer market.

     I’m a little surprised it’s a 3-year deal rather than 2 because of his age and the fact we have Dervite in the B team as well as Mussachio, Kiko, Catala, Oriol with the A squad, but Marchena can fill in as a holding midfielder too if need be, and with Capdevila gives us some great experience at the back.

 
  With the Spanish financial situation and the UEFA rules on club finances coming in 2012, it’s been a rather quiet period so far. Villarreal have already said Marchena is our last planned signing of the summer. There will be some players coming onto the market yet—Manchester City is looking to change most of its squad, and new rules on homegrown players in the EPL means there will be some roster-juggling going on in the next week or so.

   Looking at last year’s final table and assessing this year’s transfer activity, what would we say: Valencia and Mallorca are clearly weaker now, Atletico Madrid (and hopefully Villarreal) should be stronger, Getafe and Sevilla have basically stayed where they were?

Interesting comments:
Marchena admits that Valencia did not want to pay his salary. He hopes that the transfer fee can put a brick in the new stadium. And Valencia fans are sad.
Godin slaps the club by calling it “structured but small.” He claims that Atletico will fight for titles, forgetting their 14-year title drought until last season’s Europa League. And Atletico was relegated in 1999-2000. Not classy, Diego.

Marchena came across as very classy. Godin not so much. It’s fine to refer to a ‘small’ club (in terms of population of the area, at least) as a good place to get used to Spain, so I didn’t mind that, but “now I’m ready to compete for a trophy”?? Hello?

There seems to be a good deal of buzz in the last day or so about Rossi maybe returning to Man Utd. I know Sir Alex has said they don’t plan any more major moves in this transfer window, but then he would say that.

    It is interesting to note though: Rossi, I believe, would qualify as a “homegrown player” under the terms of the new Premier League rules, at least as I read them, due to his affiliation with Man Utd for three years prior to him turning 21. Premier League clubs are required to have 8 such players in their first 25 by the end of this transfer window; Man Utd probably has a greater chance than most of meeting that number, but I do not know how many of their current roster qualifies—and some that do like Welbeck might get loaned out….so I think a Rossi move to Man Utd might be plausible. I believe the buyback clause is for something like 10 million Euros, isn’t it?

my bad…I meant to say first option TO buy back. “We’ve got a clause in his contract where he could come back to us at some point” is what Ferguson said when he sold him.
       Of course who knows what is actually going on, if anything, but so far I’ve heard Rossi saying he’d welcome a big Italian club to make a bid for him, I’ve heard his agent claiming Inter is interested, but haven’t seen that confirmed anywhere else…. the Man U rumour seems to be generating some Twitter traffic, at least.
   Of course with Berbatov, Rooney, Chicharito et al. they need another striker like a hole in the head….so there’s probably nothing to it, just another scheme to sell papers and increase internet traffic….

Godin will remain on vacation until his transfer is finalized. Good idea. And Gonzalo is on his way out, if some team will take him.

Random question – did Pires retire or is he playing somewhere else in the world?