Bellamy signs

It's always fun to buy players, so this counts as good news.

The fee is exorbitant, but that's something we'll have to get used to. I don't know the wage and I don't really want to: I would be surprised if it was less than six weeks weekly though. What rather sticks in the throat is the length of the deal: 4 and a half seasons.

For an injury prone 29 year old stopgap to be contracted until 2013 - as long as only Zabaleta, Richards, Hart and Johnson is pretty weird. Even more so given that Kompany, Robinho and Ireland are only on deals expiring in 2012.

Providing we don't sign any more centre forwards this January I presume Bellamy will be first choice for the rest of the season. But for 2009/10 I'd like to think there will be one or two new ones (the sky's the limit) plus Sturridge and Bozhinov. To think he could still be collecting his £5m+ per year beyond Micah Richards' 25th birthday is a strange thought.

I'll write more after Liverpool v Everton.