English Premiership Major Summer Transfers 2006

Rafa Rings The Anfield Changes
Liverpool continued their quiet revolution with a bagful of signings as manager Rafael Benitez sticks to his policy of throw as many players as possible at the wall and see how many stick, especially at fullback. Most notably, upfront they added Blackburn Rovers’ Welsh tearaway Craig Bellamy who will bring some much needed pace and skill and Birmingham City’s Jermaine Pennant on the wing, another player with a bad personal reputation but all of the requisite skills on the pitch to unlock defences in a red shirt. Liverpool will be looking to force their way into second place this season and it will be a real test for Benitez’s men as to how far they have progressed once the new boys settle in.

West Ham Trump Everyone On Deadline Day
The biggest shock of the transfer window (and maybe of all time in English football transfers) came on the last day if the window with West Ham’s signing of Argentinian superstars Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano. Despite rumours of shady deals and the pair remaining in the ownership of an investment company, Media Sports Investment, West Ham fans are understandably delighted to have two of the world’s most highly prized young players plying their trade in claret and blue next season. They don’t care who owns the players as long as they are turning out for West Ham and really, isn’t that what football is all about?