SOCCER: Claude Makelele's £16.6million move from Real Madrid to Chelsea has brought an end to the biggest summer spending spree in history.
The Zaire-born France international midfielder agreed a four-year contract and was registered with UEFA by yesterday's noon deadline for his participation in the Champions League to be authorised.
Makelele's transfer took the club's expenditure on players since its takeover by Roman Abramovich on July 1st to £110.65 million.
Before linking up yesterday with his national team for their Euro 2004 qualifiers against Cyprus and Slovenia, Makelele said: "Everybody is talking about Chelsea and at Real Madrid it is no different from anywhere else. There's lots of interest, everybody is talking about the ambition of the London club Chelsea."
Chelsea's latest capture will cause problems for the England international Frank Lampard. Though he has been a first-team regular since his £11million transfer in June 2001 and has shown the form of his life in this campaign, Lampard may now - like his former West Ham team-mate Joe Cole, a £6million summer arrival - have to content himself with a place on the Stamford Bridge bench.
Should that be his fate, he will be in good company. Eidur Gudjohnsen has been displaced by the £15.8million Adrian Mutu and Hernan Crespo's £16.8million move from Internazionale has put Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink under intense pressure.
The greatest strain, though, is on Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri. Lampard had heralded turbulent times ahead at the Premier League Asia Cup in Malaysia in July when he said: "It is unsettling for the players but I'm looking forward to having someone come in and play alongside me."
As the clock ticked down to the end of transfer deadline, Everton emerged as the unlikely major player in the market swooping for now fewer than four players and sold one. Chief among manager David Moyes's acquisitions was out-of-favour Arsenal striker Francis Jeffers who has returned to Merseyside after a fruitless two years at Highbury after a £10million move from Everton in 2001.
Moyes admitted he was delighted to have recaptured the striker: "This is his chance to put right the things many people have said about him.
"I felt that we needed to add a little bit more so as the season goes on we can have more goals from the squad and adding Francis should help that."
As well as securing the signature of Irish winger Kevin Kilbane from Sunderland, a third move landed Leeds goalkeeper Nigel Martyn for a nominal fee. Moyes's fourth signing, James McFadden completed his £1.25million move to Everton but only after Goodison officials narrowly beat the transfer deadline.
The player had agreed personal terms and Motherwell accepted Everton's offer but Moyes faced an anxious wait while the paperwork was processed by the FA. Clearance came through ahead of the 5 p.m. deadline and a relieved Moyes said: "We see James as a lad with good ability and with the potential to go on and a be a top player."
