Michy Batshuayi

[gdlk 262]

does this mean we wont sign Morata ?? 

[Special Juan 27,093]

1 minute ago, gdlk said:

does this mean we wont sign Morata ?? 

All depends what happens with Costa.

[OhForAGreavsie 5,773]

54 minutes ago, Strike said:

I disagree. Replacing Costa with an unproven Batshuayi (and maybe a new striker) doesn't make sense. Costa, at 27, is naturally to be the senior striker in the team. He is in his prime, playing well and with two years of experience in the Premier League. He's said nothing that suggests he wants to leave and is by all accounts happy at Chelsea. 

I actually think Costa and Conte will be a perfect match. 

 

Diego may indeed be very happy, we don't know. Being happy is not the same as preferring to be here rather than somewhere else, but we don't know his feelings on that either. What we do know is that many accounts have been published claiming that Diego is unhappy in London, unhappy with his treatment by The FA, and yearning for a return to Madrid. Indeed Atleti's president has stated openly that Diego wants to return. It therefore can't be correct to say that by all accounts he is happy at Chelsea. By some maybe, but definitely not all.

[Special Juan 27,093]

Apparently he's passed his medical.

[Strike 6,958]

4 minutes ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

Diego may indeed be very happy, we don't know. Being happy is not the same as preferring to be here rather than somewhere else, but we don't know his feelings on that either. What we do know is that many accounts have been published claiming that Diego is unhappy in London, unhappy with his treatment by The FA, and yearning for a return to Madrid. Indeed Atleti's president has stated openly that Diego wants to return. It therefore can't be correct to say that by all accounts he is happy at Chelsea. By some maybe, but definitely not all.

Atletico wants him doesn't mean he is unhappy here. Yet to find a reliable outlet reporting that he wants out.
 

[OhForAGreavsie 5,773]

21 minutes ago, Strike said:

Atletico wants him doesn't mean he is unhappy here. Yet to find a reliable outlet reporting that he wants out.
 

You said all accounts claim that he is happy. That patently is not true.

Reliable? What on Earth is that in the land of the transfer rumour? If you ask me, a quote attributed to Atlet's president seems as close as we can hope to come to such a thing. It's very unlikely that the head of a major football club is going to outright lie about about the intentions of another team's player. Maybe he is lying or perhaps the quotes have been misreported or maybe my memory is failing me and the stories only reported the president to have said it rather than actually claiming to be quoting him. Any, or all, of those situations are possible. It is not possible however to sustain the idea that all accounts say Diego is happy. They simply do not and you know it.

Edit: Just checked and Enrique Cerezo is quoted as saying Costa wants to return. Major news outlets don't put things in quotes willy-nilly because they know doing so leaves them open to legal action. Further, as far as is publically known, Atleti have not sued any of the organisations which reported those quotes and nor has Diego issued a statement denying that he told Cerezo that he wants to return to Atletico.

[MCM4PR3Z 410]

He is good enough to send Diego Costa to the bench. Strengths: Technically very good, fast, power, scores extremely easy and doesn't need a real chance to score, a lot of his goals come out of nowhere. Biggest weakness: is invisible for the majority of the game. 40M is a good price, Crystal and Tottenham also wanted to pay that amount, so the risk is low.

[Strike 6,958]

12 minutes ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

You said all accounts claim that he is happy. That patently is not true.

Reliable? What on Earth is that in the land of the transfer rumour? If you ask me, a quote attributed to Atlet's president seems as close as we can hope to come to such a thing. It's very unlikely that the head of a major football club is going to outright lie about about the intentions of another team's player. Maybe he is lying or perhaps the quotes have been misreported or maybe my memory is failing me and the stories only reported the president to have said it rather than actually claiming to be quoting him. Any, or all, of those situations are possible. It is not possible however to sustain the idea that all accounts say Diego is happy. They simply do not and you know it.

BBC and Sky rarely get it wrong. 

But it is besides the point. It makes no sense to sell Costa and replace him with Batshuayi (and probably another expensive striker). The club should retain him.  Costa is yet to work under Conte, I doubt he's unhappy about the new setup at the club

 

 

[MefiX19 1,092]

I go to sleep and see that Crystal Palace is signing him and now he is blue wtf?

[MCM4PR3Z 410]

Just now, MefiX19 said:

I go to sleep and see that Crystal Palace is signing him and now he is blue wtf?

At noon, Marseille had a deal with Crystal Palace. In the evening they had a deal with Tottenham. Next morning he signed for Chelsea.

[OhForAGreavsie 5,773]

17 minutes ago, Strike said:

BBC and Sky rarely get it wrong.

I agree, they are usually accurate. I do not know them to be reporting Diego is happy but you are implying that they are and I accept your word on that. Their reports still do not constitute all accounts however so your statement remains wrong and you should stop digging.

17 minutes ago, Strike said:

But it is besides the point. It makes no sense to sell Costa and replace him with Batshuayi (and probably another expensive striker). The club should retain him.  Costa is yet to work under Conte, I doubt he's unhappy about the new setup at the club

I don't agree with you for the reasons I gave above but this statement of opinion is at least a proper subject for us to debate.

For me, Diego would need to be much better to justify the hullabaloo which comes with him. If he should leave, and if his replacement(s) prove inadequate, then I reserve the right to revisit this conversation and change my mind. That is to say, to admit that you were right and that replacing Costa was a mistake. For now however, I'm all for making the change.

[OhForAGreavsie 5,773]

33 minutes ago, MCM4PR3Z said:

He is good enough to send Diego Costa to the bench. Strengths: Technically very good, fast, power, scores extremely easy and doesn't need a real chance to score, a lot of his goals come out of nowhere. Biggest weakness: is invisible for the majority of the game. 40M is a good price, Crystal and Tottenham also wanted to pay that amount, so the risk is low.

This is very encouraging. I hope you are right. On the other hand it's a bit discouraging that he is behind Lukaku for the national team. I don't want Lukaku back because I do not believe he is good enough so I obviously would not be enthusiastic about signing someone who is not as good as our former striker.

I've watched the videos of course but have only seen Bats play 90 minutes once. In that game Marseilles were blown away by Rennes and I was focusing my attention on Dembele & Jed Boga in any case.

[Strike 6,958]

9 minutes ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

I agree. I do not know them to be reporting Diego is happy but you are implying that they are and I accept your word on that. Their reports still do not constitute all accounts however so your statement remains wrong and you should stop digging.

I don't agree with you for the reasons I gave above but this of opinion is at least a proper subject for us to debate.

For me, Diego would need to be much better to justify the hullabaloo which comes with him. If he should leave, I reserve the right to revisit this conversation and change my mind. That is to say, to admit that you were right and that replacing Costa was a mistake. For now however, I'm all for making the change.

 We will likely spend over 50million (conservative estimate) on two strikers should Costa leave. Unnecessary imo

There are several positions where we need an upgrade. Striker is not one of them. Costa is a perfectly good striker to lead the team and signing Batshuayi and whoever else will weaken the squad. I'm not for a change

 

[the wes 7,212]

A December 2015 profiling by FourFourTwo likened Batshuayi to Didier Drogba for his speed, strength, positioning and link-up play, despite being shorter than the former Marseille forward.

[MCM4PR3Z 410]

5 minutes ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

This is very encouraging. I hope you are right. On the other hand it's a bit discouraging that he is behind Lukaku for the national team. I don't want Lukaku back because I do not believe he is good enough so I obviously would not be enthusiastic about signing someone who is not not as Good as our former striker.

I've watched the videos of course but have only seen him play 90 minutes once. In that game Marseilles were blown away by Rennes and I was focusing my attention on Dembele & Jed Boga in any case.

Lukaku has had a career that started when he was 16, Batshuayi had the career of a normal big talent. So you can't compare that. Besides that, Lukaku has visibly improved every year so far, so I don't think he is too light for Chelsea now.

[OhForAGreavsie 5,773]

31 minutes ago, the wes said:

A December 2015 profiling by FourFourTwo likened Batshuayi to Didier Drogba for his speed, strength, positioning and link-up play, despite being shorter than the former Marseille forward.

I hope his link up is better than Didier's which was, in my opinion, generally weak. That's not to say of course that it was not sometimes good. In that famous Napoli game for example, it was out of this world but The Drog had shortcomings in each of the areas that go to make good link up play; control on receiving the ball, retaining possession by dribbling and accurate passing. There were spells in most games and stretches in each season where I would sooner have described his link up as poor rather than good.

[OhForAGreavsie 5,773]

19 minutes ago, MCM4PR3Z said:

Lukaku has had a career that started when he was 16, Batshuayi had the career of a normal big talent. So you can't compare that. Besides that, Lukaku has visibly improved every year so far, so I don't think he is too light for Chelsea now.

I agree with your point about Lukaku having started at 16 and that making a difference about where his game has reached now.

I agree too that he has improved but only in the areas in which players can improve.  He has learned how to make better and better use of his attributes but the thing which is always going to hold him below top level, in my opinion, is his touch and that is something which does not improve. Again, in my opinion of course because I know many people disagree with me. They insist that all players can and do improve their basic talent level. I have never had a satisfactory answer to the question i ask when people make that point, but they keep making it.

The question? If players can improve their natural talent level, then why isn't everybody as good as Lionel Messi? Why don't they just keep practising until they get there? In truth it's a rhetorical question because everybody knows that all players have their ceiling and that no amount of practising is going to turn Jordon Henderson into Lionel Messi. In my opinion Rom's ceiling is below the level I'd like Chelsea's first choice striker to reach.

[milka 3,305]