The first contender for “most predictable transfer of the summer” materialised this evening as Chelsea confirmed the signing of Deco from Barcelona [source]. The Portugese playmaker arrives at Stamford Bridge for a reported fee of £8 million and is the first official signing under the reign of Felipe Scolari.

An inevitable but very interesting move by Chelsea which surely must cast doubt over the future of the likes of Sidwell, Wright-Phillips and most significantly, Frank Lampard. The England man and fantasy favourite now looks odds on for a move away from the club with Jose’s Inter the odd’s on destination.

As for Deco, he himself acknowledged that he’ll take time to settle in this evening’s press conference but, as a big favourite of Scholari, you can see him handed plenty of time to adjust to the pace and physicality of the Premiership.

There have been doubts about the 30-year-old’s fitness at Barcelona and it’s perhaps significant that the deal is for just 2-years. Clearly, the club don’t see him as a long-term prospect but perhaps another piece of the jigsaw in their quest for Champions League glory. I’d certainly expect Chelsea to save Deco for that competition. That’s likely to see him rotated often in the Premiership, with Ballack and Essien perhaps better equipped for 35+ games in midfield.

Nevertheless, 20+ appearances could see him notch a couple of goals (Deco has scored just 2 goals in his last 49 La Liga appearances), more than a few assists and, in the Fantasy Premier League game, a bucket-load of bonus points. The question is, what will the fantasy games be asking for him? I’d wager a handsome sum that would seriously cast doubt over his overall potential as a fantasy signing. I for one don’t see him as a fantasy replacement for good old Frank. Time will tell though.