++ [ originally posted by Stuart ] ++
Helguera on a free would be a pretty decent deal but looking at our current crop of central defenders I'd say we need someone younger . Thuram, Cannavaro and Kovac are all the wrong side of 30 so acquiring the services of another player who is closer to the end of his career than he is from the start doesn't make much sense.
Personally I would try for one of the following: Vincent Kompany, Gonzalo Rodriguez, Luis Perea, Nigel de Jong, Jorge Andrade or Andrea Barzagli.