I don't think I even wrote about the Sergio Ramos to Chelsea rumours that had been floating around this summer, primarily because I thought that they were simply a ploy concocted by his agent in order to see the ace defender secure a higher contract at Real Madrid. Now I wish I'd written something about that, because boy would I have looked smart (and I need all the help I can get there). Ramos has now signed a new contract with the La Liga also-rans, and although we don't know the terms yet we can be pretty sure there's an improved salary in it for him.
So, it was pretty clearly a ploy from the start. Ramos brings up the possibility of a move to Stamford Bridge, leaving Chelsea salivating over the idea of picking up a version of Branislav Ivanovic who can attack (with much love to Bran when I say that) and Madrid in the lurch. Then he mentions the fact the team's attacking players make more money that the defenders. It wasn't too hard to connect the dots, and, well, Madrid did. New contract ahoy! Pepe got one too, but I'm not really that interested in the goings-on of Jose Mourinho's pet ogre.
The right back, of course, has been linked to the Blues for almost as long as our very own Ashley Cole has to the Santiago Bernabeu. Madrid's acquisition of Benfica's Fabio Coentrao has put a stop to the Cole rumours, hopefully once and for all. Maybe, if we're lucky, this new contract will do the same for the yearly Ramos to Chelsea whisperings. As for the fact that we've essentially been used a leverage here, it's not so bad as long as you never got your hopes up that a deal could happen.