The Real and City effect

Have love, don't hate... that could be harder to do these days when clubs like Man City and Real Madrid are flaunting their cash around, grabbing up players by the dosens from the most popular clubs in football.

Man City has been eating away at their closest competitors this summer. Champions Man Utd has lost Carlos Tevez to their city rivals. Liverpool has lost their top transfer target Gareth Barry to the Blues as well. Arsenal lost both Adebayor and Toure to the riches at Eastlands. Chelsea? Well, they were the first club to feel the effect when the loss of luring Robinho to Stamford Bridge last season eventually cost them a Premiership title.
Those which finished above Man City suffered huge losses as well. Aston Villa no longer have their captain Barry, Everton looks like they might just lose Manchester homeboy Jolean Lescott as well... West Ham has already lost Craig Bellamy to them last season. No one is spared from the new cash floating around in the league, a new financial power in football.

Real Madrid meanwhile looks set to disrupt Liverpool's plans to overtake Man Utd this season. Arberloa has already left for the Spanish giants, reinforcing the backline of Real but weakening the options at the Kop. But the most painful must be the impending departure of Xabi Alonso who handed in a transfer request. His loss looks set to handicap the Liverpool midfield badly, in fact it could be fatal to their title hopes. Without Alonso, it is hard to see who can replace his role since Gareth Barry has already joined Man City. And Rafa looks like he has a major crisis on his hands with Mascherano seemingly unsettled by Barcelona's interest. That is three very important players from their best season. If Liverpool does not get replacements fast enough in central midfield, this season will be really really challenging.

Real and Man City are already starting to shift powers in world football even before a ball is even kicked. They might have a lot to prove with the massive spending, but they have also created some questions for their close competitors as well. Intriguing season ahead...