OhForAGreavsie

We definitely do. As @Tomo points out however, what you say here is not quite right.

That sounds odd. What would be the point of a binding buy-back clause if it can be circumvented merely by bringing the selling date forward? I'd be very surprised if that is really the case. Obviously if that loophole does exist then Real are a non-factor until July but, even if Real's buy back option is binding as of now, that needn't hold up the deal. If the two clubs want to do it, all that needs to happen is that we, or any buyer, just pay Real a fee to waive their right to repurchase Morata's contract. Rumour has it Real want €40m for his registration. If that is the figure agreed then the buyer just pays Juve the amount stipulated by the buy-back clause, and the rest to Real. Deal done.

Absolutely true. The quality of player we'd like to sign probably doesn't have to choose however. We want, and need, top level performers. Once they've established themselves, assuming we think Kante is established, such players will be in high demand which makes it highly likely that they'll find a club which meets their footballing and personal ambitions as well as their financial ones. Given they can earn silly money in a number of places, the other factors are likely to get more consideration than would be the case if there was only one big pay cheque on the table. For example, some players go to China or the Middle East but some turn them down.

As for Kante, it seems certain that he will have options he's likely to find more attractive than Chelsea.

As I've changed my post to say, although you quoted it before I did, I can't be bothered. People will believe what they want to.

Sell on clauses, as with KDB for example, are exactly what we do because it amounts to pretty much the same thing as a buy back. In the whole history of football how many players can we name between us who have returned to their former club as a result of a buy-back clause being exercised? I say between us but I don't think I'm going to be much help to be honest. Instead of being exercised, the buy back clause ends up being bought out by the purchasing club in any new move. This is what will happen with Morata if he goes to a third club this summer. Twitter and the media are full of stories of Madrid buying him back then selling him on. That won't happen. Whoever signs the young Spaniard will just pay his former club a fee in return for them waiving their rights.

No there isn't. Meanwhile, if we were into floating boats, I and people who see things my way would need a fleet of cruise liners to take to the waters.

Absolutely 100% yes, I am going to chant his name. Did we chant SFL's name before kick off vs City season before last? Did we* continue to do so throughout the time he watched from the bench? Did we do so again, but louder, when he came on and did we even cheer him after he scored an equaliser which, for all we knew at the time, might have cost us the title? Absolutely 100% we did, yes. And quite rightly so. Frank is a legend, Jose is a legend. Along with many others, they deserve an ovation whenever they return and they will get one. I simply do not understand this black & white, 2D view that you recommend. You get a much clearer, more informative and more interesting look at things when viewed in 3D with colour. Stamford Bridge is going to do that, Jose's name will be sung and you are going to have to deal with that. *I say 'we' in a collective sense but I don't go to away games so I was not there personally on that day.

I can't deny that everyone making this point is absolutely correct. I just doubt that's how it will be.

Let's keep perspective, relatively few Chelsea fans have a problem with Jose's move. The vast majority of us love the man and respect his right to do what he thinks best for himself. Like me, I suspect most wish he hadn't joined United, but only because it strengthens them and because we will now be in the very strange position of wanting a Mourinho team to do badly week after week. That will be a new, and a hard, experience. Personally I'll be chanting his name at the top of my voice when he turns up at The Bridge next season. No matter what impression some posters here might give, so too will be almost everyone else in the stadium on that day. When the expression Chelsea fans is used that includes me and hundreds of thousand, perhaps millions, of people like me. I am not in the least bit angry with TSO and I expect time will prove that almost all Blues' fans are with me.

I wrote him off too I have to admit but I haven't seen anything of him recently. I put all of the Toulon matches on but I didn't really concentrate on any of them for more than five minutes at a time so wasn't able to form any kind of opinion about Lew, or anyone else for that matter. Hope the reports of his efforts in France, and during the season just gone, are not exaggerated.

Again, you do not know that the board left everything to the last minute last season. In fact doing that would be so stupid that it strikes me as silly to imagine that such a thing happened. More than one club has claimed to have turned down bids from Chelsea for their players and more than one player has claimed to have rejected a move to Stamford Bridge. The truth is out there for anyone honest enough to accept it; just because you do not achieve your aims, does not mean you have not tried. We're in a tough spot. We were never the most attractive club in the pack and now, when competition for players is at it's highest ever, we are less attractive than we have been for a while. We are also burdened with sellers' expectations that we will overpay for overrated players they want to dump. Getting the reinforcements we need is not just a matter of snapping a finger. Meanwhile, I absolutely, 100% support the club in walking away from exorbitant demands made by clubs and players alike. I know the potential consequence of doing so but I gladly restate my commitment to it. This is an important summer for us, We know it, the board know it, the world knows it. I can't say I know what the board is doing but I would bet a fortune that they are working away at the problem. What on Earth else would they be doing?

Probably as true as ever but the right price for West Ham has gone higher than those bubbles of theirs. With more TV money than they can count, fifty-four thousand season tickets sold, and European football on the agenda, they certainly don't need money..

Agreed but there are other issues which should not be ignored either: We are a less attractive option than a number of clubs for cultural and footballing reasons. Rightly or wrongly we have acquired a reputation for playing dour, unattractive football. This causes some players to prefer other options. Rightly or wrongly we have acquired a reputation for not promoting younger players. This is unappealing to such players. Rightly or wrongly we have become associated with controversial on pitch incidents. This does not act in our favour. Rightly or wrongly we have been associated with racism. This acts against us with players of all ethnicities, not just those of colour. There will certainly be differing opinions about how serious any of these issues are on their own but together they create an image which makes our club a harder sell than it should be, both to players and potential sponsors. Top players, and top sponsors, have many positive alternatives. It's fair enough to say that we should target cheaper and more creative options but that is easier said than done. It's a challenge.

I have not the first clue what moves the board are, or are not, pursuing and nor do you. How do you know, for example, that we have not bid for Kante? That's not going to stop you blaming them anyway I guess.

Not to mention the advantage of a home draw in the quarters is multiplied still more. Arsenal have probably been installed as favourites for every season from 2017 on.

I hate the bloody FA. They have stood idly by as The Cup has become ever more diminished. Every decision they have made about the competition in recent times has been wrong or, worse, stupid. Total betrayal of English football. Jokers from top to bottom.

I'd laugh my head off.

That's not actually what you said so it's no surprise if there is some misunderstanding. Unusually the clubs made Rom's £28m fee public when he joined the Toffees so that's not quite £30m. My guess is that, looked at in this way, the arithmetic is more complicated than you have said since, if we are to include the fee received from Everton, then why not also the fee paid to Anderlect and those presumably collected from Everton and West Brom in respect of Rom's load deals.

You state that as known fact. Sounds good if true and would explain a lot. We're just helping Everton drum up interest in the player. Let someone else buy him and bank the cash. Far rather add £30m to the transfer kitty, than Lukaku to the squad.

To be fair to Rom he has made some good judgements in his career so far. Joining Chelsea was the right choice, as was the decision to leave again. Now, wanting to move on from Everton is once more the right plan. Just so long as he doesn't end up here that is.

Surely to goodness this tells us all we need to know. Where are Barca or Real or Bayern or Paris or Juve or Atletico or the Manchester clubs or Arsenal even, in the chase for this wonderful striker? Nowhere to be seen it seems. I'm inferring that on the assumption that this story is true, because, if it is, that's the only explanation for Rom preferring Chelsea. If any of those clubs put their hat in the ring Rom would undoubtedly be at least considering them. Trouble is for Rom that those clubs have seen him play and that fact is, I'm affraid, always going to put a ceiling on his ambition. Rom has some highly desirable attributes but he lacks the one quality which, ultimately, all of the great strikers possess, high level technical skills. That shortcoming dooms him to being ranked among the good, not the great and the good is not what I want Chelsea to be chasing in the transfer market. Not at £65m, not even at £28m. Buy good players, keep buying good players then buy enough good players and you end up 10th. Unless of course you end up 11th. Like Everton. If we really are contemplating this stupid move there can be only one of two explanations to my mind. Either it suggests a dangerous nativity on Conte's part; it's England so let's get a big lump up top, or it is someone in the decision making group wanting to prove that they were right all along. Bringing Rom back would be a very expensive way to prove that they were not.

When he left I said it was ridiculous to keep Maka and let this bloke go. No one agreed with me then and I bet no one agrees with me still.

Thank you again TW.

Thank you TW. Where do those ratings come from? I'd like to find Kennedy's ratings from the same source. Since I know what I thought of Kennedy when I watched his youtube videos I would then be able to calibrate their ratings with my own and have a better idea how to interpret what they have said.