Vesper

Good post. I agree that you are inhabiting a sound logic area of thought.

I thik the only ones on that list we would MAYBE make a move for would be Sandro Tonali (I think he would cost £60 to 70m) Adam Wharton Elliot Anderson Felix Nmecha (maybe) after that, going down in age I see us sniffing around (remember these are all CMFs or DMFs) Valentín Barco (already a BlueCo player) plus Ayyoub Bouaddi Senny Mayulu (TOUGH PULL, as it is PSG) Johan Manzambi Victor Froholdt Jobe Bellingham Noah Sadiki Marc Casadó (Barca DMF) Kees Smit Nathan De Cat plus Kennet Eichhorn (summer 2027, as he is too young to move until then) Bayern want him SO badly, so probably not going to happen

Tonali is close to, if not now world class for me. A great MFer and is only 25yo, a close to perfect age for me (in terms of being a very experienced vet but not closing in on 30yo) but NOT BlueCo! Ffs, VITINHA is older than Tonali, would we say, OMG, he is too old!!! Here are the top DMFs and CMFs in the world, just to show where he fits in (he can play either one to a uper high level) The ones older than Tonali are in italics. Many of the ones younger than him are only 1 or so years younger than him as well. In order of valuation (I personally would take Caicedo over any of them, even Pedri) and also, every single CMF or DMF valued over €40m is listed here: Pedri Federico Valverde Declan Rice Moisés Caicedo João Neves Vitinha Ryan Gravenberch Enzo Fernández Alexis Mac Allister Bruno Guimarães Sandro Tonali Martín Zubimendi Rodri Aurélien Tchouaméni Aleksandar Pavlovic Tijjani Reijnders Adam Wharton Elliot Anderson Nicolò Barella Carlos Baleba Pablo Barrios Warren Zaïre-Emery Eduardo Camavinga Manu Koné Morten Hjulmand Felix Nmecha Scott McTominay Frenkie de Jong Nico González Angelo Stiller Amadou Onana

why??? he needs actual sr minutes

I would say IF and when Lavia is fit (which is perhaps not going to happen again for a significant stretch of time barring some semi-miracle) and has played he has quite often looked superb. The last time Fofana looked superb was before his leg break at Leicester, never ever with us. Even if Fofana never misses a game again due to injury he is NEVER going to be good enough anymore. He has lost a lot of pace and explosive movement and that has fucked up his overall game.

I had to delete as literally within 3 seconds (NOT having a laff) of me posting 'fuck Disasi' Sky came live saying the deal was back on again

LOLOL he's going, he isnt, he's going.........................

and as I often say on these deadline days NEVER EVER trust the Italian clubs they are the biggest gameplayers and backstabbers on the planet

Sarr recall confirmed

I do not know how much of what he would have been paid he actually got, but I am very certain that Sterling did NOT get a full payout Not a chance that we would do that, as if we did pay full and still just released him we lose twice: 1. we get ZERO potential transfer fee (which we DEFFO would have gotten IF we told the buying club we will pay his full remaining salary for them, ie they would have to pay NO salary for him for the first 18 months) and 2. no further amortisation of the costs, so we would take the full hit now

BIG renewal this was cause a tonne of efforts (and thus potential outcomes) to change at most (not all, but many) of the 10 or so biggest clubs on the planet who are in need of a top CB

On 22 August 2024, Sarr joined Ligue 1 fellow Strasbourg for a transfer fee of €10M and signed a five-year contract with the team. On 9 June 2025, Sarr moved to Chelsea on an eight-year contract. However, on 1 August 2025, Chelsea announced that Sarr would be loaned out to Strasbourg on a season-long loan.

it's all good m8!

Sarr is a right-footer. Colwill is still out for months and we have no idea if he ever fully recovers. Badi is SHIT, never was good enough, a terrible buy. Hato is (at CB) for emergency only. I do not see him being a CB answer. We are, atm, absolutely fucked in terms of left-footed true CBs. It is the most glaring issue on the team, and we have a lot of issues atm.

I approve of this, IF it is for a fair price. Tylel Tati (just turned 18, and is 1.92m) is the 3rd best 20yo and under LEFT-FOOTED CB option out there IMHO, after Honest Ahanor (who is too young by 21 days to come now this window and, unless he is still growing, is going to top out at only 1.84m, so lacks the height I prefer for the EPL) and Karim Coulibaly (turns 19yo right at this season's end, and is 1.91m). Also, because these are all so young, Tati could easily end up being the best of the three. Hard to call it now, but wow do we need a left-footed CB. As I have said so many times, I wanted the veteran Senesi, but BlueCo just refuses to buy players his age, which is madness. Tati Ahanor Coulibaly

Yes, and the reason was super simple and obvious: the recall of Mamadou Sarr and the big verbal and financial (financial as in regusal to sell or loan) backing of Josh. Add in Trevoh, Wes Fofana, plus the utterly turgid, shambolic (but BlueCo pet) Tosin.... and Jacquet would make it SIX right footed CBs we would be carrying, 7 next summer if you add in Anselmino (and I am not even counting the horrific trainwreck known as Disasi Disaster). Meanwhile, we did FUCKALL to adress the far more dire need, aka a decent left-footed CB. We only have (healthy) the utter shite Badi. If Colwill never fully recovers (what I call becoming a Wes Fofana) we are simply rat-fucked at LCB. I simoly do not see Hato as a viable EPL CB, at least for now, especially in a back 4. LB yes, CB no. BlueCo somehow manage to make FOUR of the worst expensive CB buys in the club's history, all of which I went bonkers over as soon as we bought them: KK We waited at least 5, 6 YEARS too long to buy him and then spent £33m plus an insane £295K PW gross salary. At least we sold him, albeit at a massive loss. Badi trash, always was Disasi trash, always was Wes Fofana Insane we paid £75m for an obviously perma-wrecked player (ie no longer ever going to be WC again after the Leicester horrorshow leg break). £179.2m in gross transfer fees AND then add in the salaries. Shambolic.

Oh ffs!!!! Dont tell me we have ANOTHER glassman! Emmanuel Emegha has suffered an injury setback and could miss the next six weeks according to reports in France. https://Chelsea.news/2026/02/emmanuel-emegha-Chelsea-strasbourg-update/ Chelsea agreed a deal with Strasborug to sign Emegha last year, and the Dutch international has penned a seven year deal at Stamford Bridge. Emegha will join up with Chelsea at the end of the season, and is expected to go straight into the squad and compete for minutes with Liam Delap and Joao Pedro. The Emegha transfer reportedly caused issues according to Strasbourg president Marc Keller, and the fans weren’t happy with the striker. Emegha scored 14 goals in Ligue 1 last season, and has seven goals in 11 appearances in all competitions this season. The 22-year-old hasn’t played since picking up a muscle injury in December, and it’s thought he was close to a return. However, L’Equipe have reported Emegha has suffered a setback and is likely to miss the next six weeks in a big blow to him and Strasbourg. The Dutchman is the club captain, and a really important player for Strasbourg, but it’s important he takes his time before returning to minimise the chance of ay further setbacks. Emegha has also had off field issues and was suspended for comments he made about Strasbourg in an interview, and Chelsea will hope his discipline improves before he arrives.

I am not that bothered about Jacquet. I am, however, enraged we did not grab a solid left-footed CB, as that is a far bigger need, especially with the recall of the right-footed Sarr now. Badi is SHIT! He and whatever LCB stopgap we use have and will costs us vital points. We have no other healthy lefty CB, as Colwill is out still for months. We should have nailed down Senesi (vet, the smartest move IMHO) or Karim Coulibaly (youth).

That is a moving of the goalposts. Your statement had nothing to do with attainability. It was a simple declaration of top quality in an age cohort.

Erm, your are forgetting someone (and he just so happens to play the exact same position as both of them, RWer, and all 3 are 18yo)........ Lamine Yamal 🥇

it is pretty crazy that Pool are paying £62.3m (the highest number quoted yet the whole long drawn-out time between them and us and Rennes that I have seen) and NOT even getting the lad NOW

Liverpool reach €72m agreement with Rennes to sign Jérémy Jacquet https://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/2026/liverpool-reach-e72m-agreement-with-rennes-to-sign-jeremy-jacquet/ Liverpool and Rennes have reached a €72m agreeement over the signing of France U21 international centre-back Jérémy Jacquet (20), according to RMC Sport’s Fabrice Hawkins. The highly-rated 20-year-old centre-back will join the Reds in the summer after rejoining Rennes on loan to see out the remainder of the Ligue 1 campaign with Stade Rennais. Rennes have reportedly agreed to a €72m total transfer package, which would beat Rennes’ previous club-record sale of €64m-rated Jérémy Doku to Manchester City back in 2024. According to Fabrizio Romano, Jacquet has also agreed personal terms with Arne Slot’s Liverpool FC. In Liverpool, Jacquet could reunite with fellow Frenchmen Hugo Ekitike and Ibrahima Konaté. Although the former RB Leipzig is out of contract next June, it would not be a stretch so consider Jacquet as the replacement for Konaté. GFFN | Bastien Cheval EXCLUSIVE Deal between Liverpool and Rennes for Jérémy Jacquet. €72M bonuses included. The center-back would be loaned out immediately to Rennes until the end of the season. Jacquet must give his approval. Liverpool is on the verge of winning its battle with Chelsea for Jérémy Jacquet. @RMCsport