OhForAGreavsie

Of course Marina was the one signing off on deals. Football staff can't sign the cheques. That would be ridiculous. If you think I said that she didn't then you misread my comment, or are failing to pay enough attention to the varying responsibilities of of different roles in a large company.

Somebody show me evidence that Marina was making purchasing decisions. Then please show me evidence that she was deciding which players to sell. I have never seen any but it's never too late to learn if anyone knows of any. Responsibility for conducting the business side of the deals, yes. Culpability for illegal transfer activity, undoubtedly. Responsibility for actions which took place before she joined the board, no chance.

I wonder how it happened. I've never liked his tackling style. It always seemed like an injury waiting to happen. Whichever way it came about, let's hope the lad makes a full recovery and gets to continue his career without any loss of capability.

Given their ability to attract the players they want, Madrid often need only pick up the phone. In Felix's case however, I feel he would spend a lot of nights in waiting for a call that never comes.

I didn't say they didn't want him. Based on my own prejudice, I find it hard to believe that they did, but, in any event, they certainly didn't want him enough to make him a priority signing. Which is why I phrased my comment as I did.

Presumably there would be a headache resolution clause in his contract guaranteeing the manager free pain relief medication and regular lie downs in a darkened room. Where is he going to play? When's he going to play? We all know that if Felix joins he will look great, but what would he actually achieve? Same as usual? Same as makes Atleti keen to part with him, and prevents Barcelona having any interest in making him a priority?

Is it possible that should read 'are making' instead of 'made'?

Not sure what you mean by this.

I had never seen that stat. It's shocking.

Just to be clear I like Neto. 🙂

I've definitely seen him play left wing, albeit only on Match of The Day.

I sometimes ask people what makes a professional footballer and, when I do, I mean it as a trick question. The answer is that it takes a contract with a club which people are prepared to pay to watch play. That's it. We are the ones who make the people who work in football professionals. It's hard to imagine Lionel Messi playing on a random local authority park somewhere, but that's where he'd be without us.

Sadly no chance of a sell on for us but I read Liverpool will get a slice of the fee.

This has been a truth that somebody should write a book about.

I wouldn't say I've turned on Enzo. I'm waiting for him to impress me, but with reducing expectation that he will. For £106m you would hope for world class, but I'm not seeing that level of performance. Worse, I'm not recognising the potential for it either.

My memory wasn't up to it so I checked with Google and see that Enzo and Moises signed for 8.5 and 8 years respectively. Basing the calculation on those contract lengths*, £100m will more or less cover us for 4 years of their combined amortisation cost. Transfer fees for the other three names you mentioned would take care of most of the rest. That's a stark demonstration of the strategy being followed, though we're not going to be able to sell £200m worth of academy talent to get us out of trouble every summer. A reality which won't be helped by the now alarmingly regular loss of our best academy talents for little or no transfer/compensation fees. Although I have never seen either of the lads we have lost to City and Liverpool this summer play, it's disappointing to read that they are both regarded as extremely high level prospects. We have to work on solving that situation. *These 2 deals were done before the five-year amortisation cap was imposed.

I said to someone at a game last season, can't remember which one, that I doubted if Levi would be selected with everyone fit.

Sounds a little bit like visiting the Chelsea website these days.

I remember when we used to say that the only way to justify playing in the Europa League was to win it. Now, in these reduced circumstances, I think we have to say the same thing about the Conference League. Anyway it's a part of football now so we have to complete it again.

My take is that Connor deserves something better than normal treatment. His parents trusted his footballing future to Chelsea when he was eight years old. Since then his attachment to the club has only deepened. It is not a crime to have your heart set on playing for Chelsea. He knows it's a business, and that with the size of contract available to him it has to be. The club can make it plain to him that he has only a limited role to play here in future, without displaying public signs of disrespect.

https://www.teamtalk.com/news/Chelsea-transfers-statement-98-million-double-man-city-raid-maresca-rival-job-offer

If this is true do people think we should and will Marc want to come back here?

If Palace want £60m their negotiating position is likely to be that this is the amount they want to net from the transfer. This would push the total transfer fee up to £75. Fine by me if Palace can pull it off.

Reports that we've accepted a bid from Villa for Lukaku. Don't believe for one minute that he will want to go there, so I wonder if Villa are just helping us out with our Napoli negotiations?

That's a reasonable argument, though I prefer a good fee and alternative ways to sure up the right of our attack until reinforcements arrive in summer 2025. Sterling, Nkunku, or Gusto for example.