<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Chelsea have signed Portugal midfielder Deco from Spanish giants Barcelona on a two-year deal for a fee of about £8m. The 30-year-old was recently told by Barca's new coach Pep Guardiola that he did not feature in their future plans. "It is good for me to be here and first of all I am very happy to be here," Deco told Chelsea's official website. Deco becomes the Blues' first signing since Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari was appointed manager earlier this month. However, his signing is Chelsea's second of the summer after international team-mate Jose Bosingwa. Brazil-born Deco joined Barcelona from Porto in 2004 after helping the Portuguese side win the Uefa Cup, Champions League and domestic league titles under former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho. He won two league championships with the Catalan giants, and was part of the team that beat Arsenal in the Champions League final in Paris in 2006. However, a series of injuries hampered him during the 2007-08 season, and he made just 14 starts in Barcelona's La Liga campaign. "I am sure I have come at the right time to do great things and be able to help Chelsea go back to the way it was and come back to being the first one, not only in England but also to win the Champions League that has been their dream for so long," added Deco. "The Premier League is a great league and it is getting better and you can see that with the Champions League final, where you had two English teams." Deco's arrival significantly boosts a midfield line-up already featuring the likes of Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack, Michael Essien, Jon Mikel Obi and Claude Makelele. "It is great that we have so many great players here at Chelsea and it is great that there is the competition which is healthy for everybody and this just makes the team better," he added. "To have great players in any position of the club just enhances the club. I know it is a new challenge but I am looking forward to it." BBC Radio 5 Live football correspondent Jonathan Legard said that Deco caught the eye in Scolari's midfield during Euro 2008 more than team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo. "A two-year deal suggests he is not a long-term building block. He will be 31 in August but his winners' pedigree, Champions League triumphs with Barcelona and Porto will balance recent fears about fitness and consistency," said Legard. And Legard believes Deco's arrival makes Lampard's possible exit to Inter Milan even more likely. "Deco's arrival looks like hastening the departure of Frank Lampard, who has done little to quell long-term speculation that he is bound for a reunion with Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan. "Barring a last-minute change of heart on both sides it's a question of when he signs in Italy, not if."</div> [Source] Best signing so far IMO.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Main Event @ Jun 30 2008, 03:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>[Source] Best signing so far IMO.</div> Maybe, but there are strong rumors of Lampard leaving. I think they need Lampard more than Deco as they don't have many goal scorers after Drogba. -Petey
Lampard has already agreed to a deal with Inter. (or so they say) I agree, its a damn good signing by Chelsea.
lol BBC keeps changing its view every day, first a coach signs with a team, the next day the don't, first a coach leaves a country and then the next day they don't. I don't know what to believe. haha
Yep, I don't even know if I should believe this transfer... :-| EDIT: Nevermind, it is true: http://www.chelseafc.com/page/NewsHomePage...1336411,00.html
well i was doing Electronics, english, french coursework and i had to prepare for this banaytyne (ducan) project where we put our idea towards him. It happened last night, we came close to winning as said by businessmen but we were beaten by lasses in skimpy dresses, judge = P*r*e. Thats why i missed the euro pick'em last bits I see ricky evbery now and then on msn i will ask him soon as this section has gone into overdrive
