Ben McAleer

As this is being written, Joe Cole is waiting on the last finishing touches for his move to West Ham be completed, a move which would bring him back to the Boleyn ground, his boyhood home.

As the January transfer window moves into full swing, Chelsea Football Club are in their usual, frenzied state, people are wondering, who are they going to buy next?

Happy New Year. As resolutions are broken and Christmas decorations come down, the sense of hope that the January transfer window offers a football fan is at least some comfort at a bleak time of year.

Kudos must be credited to Martin Tyler, of Sky Sports, for the provision of this thought provoking comparison. Tyler made the comment in the aftermath of a late Luis Suarez equaliser at Stamford Bridge in November.

Getting promoted to the Premier League was as much of a relief as a joyous occasion for West Ham fans. Another season in the Championship would have done a lot of damage to the club, not just financially but to the squad as many of the players probably would have left.

Arsenal go into the New Year 5^th in the Barclays Premier League after an already up and down season. They have qualified for the second round of the Champions League, but were knocked out of the domestic cup competition by League 2 opposition Bradford City. Now comes the time for change, the time when you can add and dispose, it’s the January Transfer window.

Last May, Chelsea surprised both its fans and neutrals alike in winning the Champion’s League for the first time in its 107-year history, defeating favorites Barcelona in the semi-finals and edging out Bayern Munich on penalties to become the first London-based club to win European football’s most prestigious competition.