Viper22

Ramsey is a good player. I like him. But to even put him in the same bracket as a world class player like Fabregas is mind boggling. Like comparing Sterling to Neymar just because Sterling has had 1 decent year. Form is temporary, class is permanent and all that.

General consensus in the Arsenal forums is that they don't want Fabregas, they've already got the "technically superior" Aaron Ramsey.

That's what I was trying to say. I said it badly though, it's late. I'm going to bed xD.

Shaw and Fabregas would go towards filling our quota if we signed them. Along with Zouma, Cahill and Terry as some others have mentioned. If we get a HG 2nd choice GK for next season (assuming either Cech will be sold to facilitate Courtios or Courtios will be loaned again/sold) that'll be our 6th, then hopefully Lukaku can be our 2nd choice striker and then we only need 1 more to fill the quota. Maybe have Kakuta or Moses as a HG squad player. They're both pretty useless anyway so it's not like you'd be hindering the development of a player with top potential.

To my knowledge I think the fact that Zouma is U21 means he doesn't have to be registered. Therefore we can leave a space in the selection which counts as 1 towards our HG quota. So essentially Zouma will count as HG player for next season.

Maybe. They did get a few of those wrong, but they're often right. They do get info before the rest of us after all. they had Lambert to join Liverpool as something like 1/5 about 5 hours before any news of a bid for him from Liverpool came in.

Bookies have him as 2/9 to leave Barca this summer and us as 11/10 favourites to sign him. Bookies very rarely get it wrong, they don't like losing money. Starting to get a little bit excited now. Whether you like him or not, whether you agree with the transfer or not, it's always exciting when you feel like you're getting close to signing a world class player.

For everyone saying Fabregas won't sign for us due to bad blood with the club or Jose... "I'd rather sell groundnuts in my village than play for a pathetic team like Chelsea" - Samuel Eto'o in 2005. Money, time and a chance at success are excellent at changing opinions and minds. So... yeah.

So... what's club football like in Indonesia? Competitive at all? On the way up?

No it won't be a transition year. Title has to be expected. No excuses. Can't see how anyone can think differently tbh.

You've got a personal agenda with logic.

That's because Ramires shouldn't even be defined as a footballer the way he's played this year. No decision making ability, no skill, no quality, just a big engine. He's our own Dirk Kuyt.

Agree with all of that tbh. World class CM is priority. Especially with Luiz gone, Mikel half out the door and Lamps' future up in the air. Pogba, Koke, Vidal, Rakitic or Gundogan. If there isn't the money for Shaw and we can't make it though transfers then I agree with shelving the bid. I hope you're right and we do start to use our youth more. But that will come when we have managerial stability (now with Jose, I hope). I have high hopes for the future if we do.

Richards was crippled by lots of serious injuries and a lack of desire due to too much too early. Shaw might well be the same, but I think we have to take that chance, it'd be the same with any player we signed.

1) That was the impression I got when I read the last 3 or so pages of this thread, for what it's worth I agree that the transfer fee is high. Rodriguez will be at least £20M, probably £25M. Wolfsburg know how to get a good deal. They got £27M for Dzeko and Rodriguez is better now than Dzeko was then. Why would they let arguably their best player go for anything less than £20-25M? Moreno might be as good. Bernat, no, not a fan. 2) £30M is extortionate yes, but I think this (admittedly large) con, is balanced by all the pros and leaves it still as a good bit of business overall. 3) While you are right, and I myself do judge players on their ability, not their nationality, the fact is that we are an English club. The fans will lose identity with the club if it is full of foreign players. I like the influx of foreign talent into the PL, I think it brings a great diversity to the game and make the league what it is: in my opinion the best league in the world. But I don't think it's unreasonable for the clubs around the world to have local/national players as the backbone of their club. It pains me that Chelsea are the first English club to field and entirely non-English starting XI. It's a record we'll hold forever. And that's not even going into the home grown player quota we need to fulfil. And I for one don't want to see players like PVA, Josh and Chalobah rotting on the bench or worse just so we have to fill our quota.

Not yet. Has the potential to be though .

True, but if we want to win the league we need top class players in every position, and a smattering of home grown players good enough for the first team included within that. Bertrand and PVA unfortunately don't fulfil either quality...

Bertrand is almost definitely as good as he's ever going to be i'm afraid. Shaw has the potential to be as good as Ash. Homegrown and good enough for the first team is so much better than homegrown bench/squad player.

Who in your opinion are the most underrated and overrated Brazilian players around atm? Your opinion on the Courtios/Cech situation? You or anyone you know got tickets to the WC?

So many people against Shaw here! What the hell happened? Has everyone forgot how good he's been the last year/18 months? Rodriguez/Moreno and anyone else from foreign leagues are as big a risk as Shaw, maybe even more as they are PL unproven. Shaw is younger, proven in the PL and above all else, English, which will help fill our quota over the coming years. An English player that is good enough to be in our first team squad is not to be sniffed at. While he might be expensive (~£27M), Rodriguez (the only player better than Shaw) will nearly be as much and Moreno and others just aren't as good.

Anyone else find it ironic that he's going to PSG to replace Alex, who we sold them in the first place?

We all get excited then you come and shoot everything down with stuff like 'logic' and 'intuition'. Damn you .

Hindsight makes everyone a genius eh? The fact that you think Griezzman, Robben or Sanchez are as good as Hazard suggests that you would have made many MANY more mistakes than have been made at this club. "We need a striker! Quick, sign Soldado!"

Don't know if you meant fans of other teams there, but I don't think he should go. I think he's about as good as Shaw atm, Shaw is better going forwards and Cole better at defending (as you said), but seeing as Baines would start over either one of them, I think it'd be good experience for Shaw to go to the world cup, even if he sits on the bench. The atmosphere will be one of phenomenal pressure, and i'd rather than he first became exposed to that without the pressure of having to play on top of that. He can get used to the system, and get used to the pressure. Taking him over Cole was always going to be the logical choice in my mind. I understand your sentiment of wanting a reliable 2nd choice at a major tournament, but you've got to bring the kids through at some point, and it's hardly like we're going to the world cup to win it.

Anyone else having problems with the megastore online? Look like the website has expired... Wouldn't think this would happen at Chelsea