Vesper

the absolute 'prongers in the batty' buys (not even going to get into shit loans like Saul, Falcao, and that fat fuck slug Higs) going way back to 2010-11 were bold were disasterclass Torres was wayyy back, and then Bats, Donkeybakayoko, and Drunkwater started the HUGE modern era of misery in the market from every angle bold red (11, 10 modern plus Torres) are just raw fucked, and that could go to 13 if Wes Fofana and Sterling crash out I am being generous and NOT counting Jorginho as a bad buy, nor Kai (yet, he is moving in that direction quickly) nor putting CuCu in the red (he CAN get there though) Wesley Fofana Leicester City Leicester €80.40m (potentially either just an overpay OR it can go red disasterclass) Marc Cucurella Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton €65.30m (we paid double what he was worth, potentially a red) Raheem Sterling Manchester City Man City €56.20m (potentially either a decent buy or disasterclass) Kalidou Koulibaly SSC Napoli SSC Napoli €38.00m (his INSANE salary for 4 years makes it SO bad) Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang FC Barcelona Barcelona €12.00m Romelu Lukaku Inter Milan Inter €113.00m Timo Werner RB Leipzig RB Leipzig €53.00m Hakim Ziyech Ajax Amsterdam Ajax €40.00m Kepa Arrizabalaga Athletic Bilbao Athletic €80.00m Christian Pulisic Borussia Dortmund Bor. Dortmund €64.00m Álvaro Morata Real Madrid Real Madrid €66.00m (at least we sold him for a decent price so no truly epic red disaster) Tiemoué Bakayoko AS Monaco Monaco €40.00m Danny Drinkwater Leicester City Leicester €37.90m Davide Zappacosta Torino FC Torino €25.00m Emerson AS Roma AS Roma €20.00m Ross Barkley Everton FC Everton €16.80m Michy Batshuayi Olympique Marseille Marseille €39.00m David Luiz Paris Saint-Germain Paris SG €35.00m Abdul-Rahman Baba FC Augsburg FC Augsburg €26.00m Kenedy Fluminense Football Club Fluminense €8.00m Juan Cuadrado ACF Fiorentina Fiorentina €31.00m Filipe Luís Atlético de Madrid Atlético Madrid €20.00m Loïc Rémy Queens Park Rangers QPR €13.20m André Schürrle Bayer 04 Leverkusen B. Leverkusen €22.00m Fernando Torres Liverpool FC Liverpool €58.50m Yossi Benayoun Liverpool FC Liverpool €7.00m

80 teams (I had 187 when I was including the top few teams from many smaller leagues plus being more generous with the Big 5 and some from their 2nd tier) I am sure this list has what many will see as large faults (such as including Belgium teams, being too harsh on Italy and Spain, too lenient on Germany, etc) and so will make many spit the dummy 🤪 SL Benfica FC Porto Sporting CP Ajax Amsterdam PSV Eindhoven Feyenoord Rotterdam Club Brugge KV KRC Genk KAA Gent Rangers FC Celtic FC Fenerbahce Galatasaray Trabzonspor Besiktas JK Paris Saint-Germain Stade Rennais FC AS Monaco Olympique Marseille OGC Nice Olympique Lyon LOSC Lille RC Lens FC Nantes Montpellier HSC Bayern Munich Borussia Dortmund RB Leipzig Bayer 04 Leverkusen Eintracht Frankfurt Borussia Mönchengladbach VfL Wolfsburg TSG 1899 Hoffenheim SC Freiburg VfB Stuttgart 1.FC Union Berlin Hertha BSC SV Werder Bremen FC Schalke 04 Hamburger SV AC Milan Inter Milan SSC Napoli Juventus FC AS Roma Atalanta BC SS Lazio ACF Fiorentina Torino FC UC Sampdoria Genoa CFC Real Madrid FC Barcelona Atlético de Madrid Real Sociedad Villarreal CF Real Betis Balompié Valencia CF Sevilla FC Athletic Bilbao RCD Espanyol Barcelona Manchester City Chelsea FC Liverpool FC Arsenal FC Manchester United Tottenham Hotspur Newcastle United West Ham United Leicester City Aston Villa Wolverhampton Wanderers Everton FC Nottingham Forest Crystal Palace Brighton & Hove Albion Brentford FC Leeds United Fulham FC Southampton

Simon Phillips doesn't get enough love on here the bloke writes some really high quality articles exclusive to our site here and so few ever comment on them

if Felix does well and Kai keeps playing like shit then that is a good plan if am so frustrated with Havertz's lackadaisical play he seems to move at 7/8ths speed so disappointed, I thought would be a monster here he has not been a true bust, but not nearly good enough either we always end up with complicated situations, FUCK the only other clubs that I would put anywhere near us in terms of complications are Barca, Manure, now Juve, and those 3 don't have the HUGE stadium problems we do on top of all else (Juve would not even be on the list except for the Agnelli mafia finally going down) maybe soon Citeh too but not even Barca has as many plates of uncertainty spinning as we do

Victor Osimhen Dusan Vlahovic Randal Kolo Muani (€100m is crazy though) Jonathan David Ivan Toney (only if cleared of being banned for betting) Marcus Thuram Aleksandar Mitrović Benjamin Sesko Momo Cho Rasmus Højlund (born 4 February 2003) baby Håland in the making

Spanish Football Alonso family join select club where three generations have played for national team https://www.marca.com/en/football/spanish-football/2018/03/17/5aacdeaf468aebe6738b4626.html The Alonso family have entered a rare club where grandfather, father and son have all been picked for their national team, following Julen Lopetegui's decision to call up Marcos Alonso this week for Spain. On March 17th, 1955, Marcos Alonso Imaz made his debut for La Roja who lost 2-1 against France that day and now his grandson has been included in the squad to face Germany and Argentina later this month. In between, Marcos Alonso Pena, the father of the Chelsea full-back played his first of 22 games for Spain in 1981 when they won at Wembley . Despite performing at a high level with Fiorentina and Chelsea, it was beginning to look as though the latest player from the Alonso family would not make it to international level but finally he got the call from Lopetegui. He kept battling but with little expectation and even planned to travel to Dubai during the international break before hearing the news that he was included. Similar cases are few and far between in world football. The Slovac, Vladimir Weiss, who played for Espanyol, turned out for the national team as did his father and grandfather. In Northern Ireland, three generations of the Feeney family have played for their country as is the case with the Emam's of Egypt, the Salvinu's of Malta, the Forlan's of Uruguay and Javier Hernandez's family in Mexico. Marcos Alonso Imaz (16 April 1933 – 6 March 2012), nicknamed Marquitos, was a Spanish footballer who played as a defender. He was best known for his participation in Real Madrid's five European Cup conquests, mainly in the 1950s. Honours Real Madrid La Liga: 1954–55, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1960–61, 1961–62 Copa del Generalísimo: 1961–62 Latin Cup: 1957 European Cup: 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60 Intercontinental Cup: 1960

his net worth is around £12.8 billion he has lost around half from his peak a few years back and I am hearing they want £7 or 8 billion for Manure he will need help, a lot of it

he was a big goal threat back in 2019/19 (10 goals, 5 assists in only 1955 minutes, he was a beast that season), BUT THEN he blew out his Achilles on that fucking yank NFL stadium shit turf, and it destroyed his career, as I predicted) same thing for CHO and his Achilles Injury, after we had turned down £40m from Bayern we are fucking cursed with injuries

Analysis: Evan Ndicka agreement – are Barcelona overstocking? (Vesper's answer is hell NO, he will be their main left footed CB) https://www.football-espana.net/2023/02/03/analysis-evan-ndicka-agreement-are-barcelona-overstocking Barcelona have been very clear that they will pursue free agents under the guidance of Mateu Alemany, as they attempt to manage their salary limit issues over the coming seasons. Last summer Barcelona brought in Andreas Christensen and Frank Kessie on pre-agreed contracts, which has so far produced varying levels of success. Kessie has failed to make a major impact on Barcelona this season, but does have his work cut out. Always likely to be a rotational option at any rate, Gavi, Pedri, Frenkie de Jong and Sergio Busquets are clearly ahead in the pecking order this season. Meanwhile Andreas Christensen has gone from strength to strength. It was presumed by the vast majority that the Danish defender would be a rotational option himself, with Ronald Araujo and Jules Kounde occupying the central roles. Yet Christensen has forced his way into the side, forming a solid block alongside the Uruguayan with Kounde on the right. Barcelona saw Gerard Pique retire in November after the veteran barely saw any game time until an injury crisis required him to step in. Regardless it seems that Pique was forced out in part for financial reasons, with his delayed salary weighing heavy on the club. It leaves Barcelona with four central defenders currently, counting the three mentioned and Eric Garcia. Given Garcia has struggled for minutes in recent months, only being used to rest the others, it is surprising that Todofichajes have reported that Barcelona have a pre-contract agreement with Evan Ndicka. The French centre-back, 23, was an option for Paris Saint-Germain in January but after Eintracht Frankfurt rejected their bid, Ndicka has decided to commit to Barcelona ahead of next season. It would once again leave the Blaugrana with five central defenders. Despite Araujo’s fitness issues, all signs would point to this being one too many for Xavi Hernandez. With Barcelona struggling to register deals currently due to their salary limit, it would be a questionable use of resources, when the squad could likely do with another right-back, midfielder or forward before a central defender. Especially when considering Xavi has shown that he trusts Marcos Alonso as an emergency centre-back. Perhaps the Ndicka move is instructive though. If Alemany sees it as necessary to bring in another central defender, it might hint at one of two things. One of them would be that Barcelona are preparing for a summer departure in that area. While various sources claim the Blaugrana will need to make a major sale next summer, it would be strange to see them let Kounde, Christensen or Araujo out the door. It may be that Garcia looks for a new destination where he can play more minutes. The Catalan defender has been good in fits and bursts, but it looks unlikely he will be a key player at Can Barca for some time. It could also hint at Barcelona giving up on the idea of bringing in a quality right-back in the summer. With Kounde performing well there, the hierarchy may have decided to roll with the Frenchman on the right as a more permanent solution. It would no doubt be to the chagrin of Kounde, but without the resources to bring in a quality right-back, Ndicka could compete with Christensen and Araujo.

Rolling tally as of February 10th, 2023 of the 30 best (IMHO) overall under 30yo (Oblak is 30yo) players/targets who are still on the board for this summer (I am leaving Felix off this, as we should get him in the summer) and also not injured seriously or recovering (so no Chiesa, Wirtz, Oyarzabal, etc) Last criteria is that there is at least one player for every position (obviously IF Alphonso Davies were to become available, it is bye bye Theo as the only LB on this list). Jude Bellingham Josko Gvardiol Victor Osimhen Dušan Vlahović Rafael Leão Nicolò Barella Declan Rice Khvicha Kvaratskhelia Moussa Diaby Jonathan David James Maddison Moisés Caicedo Jan Oblak Randal Kolo Muani Bernardo Silva Sergej Milinković-Savić Jurrien Timber Leroy Sané Mikel Merino Marcos Llorente Martín Zubimendi Manu Koné Denzel Dumfries Alexis Mac Allister Matheus Nunes Roméo Lavia Dominik Szoboszlai Giorgi Mamardashvili Dani Olmo Theo Hernández and, as I always say, we must buy this youth: Arsen Zakharyan and in two years we must buy Warren Zaïre-Emery

saw this whilst looking at older posts I SO SO hope this is even halfway true

it is crazy puzzling , that is for sure last season he was still a super classy CB now he has just poofed in form (hell, the BASICS of CB play) with no injury(s) to blame I do not buy for a moment it is 'the pace of the EPL' look how many older (as in over 30, 31yo) CBs (who were never world beaters like KK) stick around and play and start for EPL sides Fabian Schär, who is is only 6 months (exactly, to the day) younger than KK, is having a world class season (not joking, he and Sven Botman have been a superb pairing) our Thiago, so much older, as well plus 2 more oldsters having massive seasons Tim Ream 35yo (and a yank) and Ben Mee 33yo

IF we are not going to buy a TRULY world class LB (the only 2 remotely available, and they are not really available, lol, are Alphonso Davies and Nuno Mendes) then we should just give shots to the 3 we have atm first Ian Maatsen Zak Sturge (1.88m 18yo, 19yo in June) Lewis Hall

The £613million reason Brighton are surprising Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and more Roberto De Zerbi's Brighton sit sixth in the Premier League table, ahead of the likes of big-spenders such as Chelsea and Liverpool, and they do it on a fraction of the budget https://www.sussexlive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/brighton-Chelsea-liverpool-manchester-united-8130666 Brighton are continuing to punch above their weight this season, despite spending a fraction of some of their Premier League rivals. The Albion sit sixth in the table, opening daylight between them and big-spenders Chelsea and Liverpool, who are ninth and 10th respectively. Now new figures have shown how the Seagulls are doing more with less. The CIES Football Observatory has broken down the net spending (including add-ons) for transfers over the past five seasons and while it makes for fairly positive reading for the Sussex side, the same cannot be said for the Blues, Manchester United, Arsenal, and more. READ MORE: Alexis Mac Allister issues clue on his Brighton future amid Chelsea and Arsenal transfer links The figures state that Chelsea has the most negative balance since the 2018/19 season with a deficit of €749million (£663million), the Red Devils are second at -€670million (£593million), and the Gunners are third at -€544million (£481million). Jurgen Klopp's team, who lost twice to Roberto De Zerbi's men in January are are five points behind them in the table, have a net spend of -€313million (-£277million). For Brighton, their net spend is at -€56million (£50million) - that's a whopping £613.5million less than the Stamford Bridge side. Incidentally, in 2022/23 the Seagulls have a positive net spend of €104million (£92million), which is the best in the Premier League. Contrast that with Chelsea, who have a very negative balance with a deficit of €620million (£549million) this season, and United (-€240million or -£212million), newly-promoted Nottingham Forest (-€229million or -£203million), and West Ham (-€207million or -£183million) have been the most lavish in this regard. In recent seasons, the Albion have signed Kaoru Mitoma, Alexis Mac Allister, Tariq Lamptey, and Moises Caicedo for under £15million and they have sold Marc Cucurella, Yves Bissouma, Dan Burn, Neal Maupay, and Ben White for more than £150million. This makes the club's success all the more remarkable. The top 20 spending clubs via net spend since 2018/19, according to CIES: Chelsea -€749m Manchester United -€670m Arsenal -€544m Tottenham Hotspur -€477m West Ham United -€435m Newcastle United -€422m Aston Villa -€370m Wolverhampton Wanderers -€355m Juventus -€337m Liverpool -€313m Fulham -€271m Barcelona -€257m Nottingham Forest -€246m Leeds United -€242m Southampton -€237m AC Milan -€227m Everton -€219m Paris Saint-Germain -€202m Olympique Marseille -€192m Bayern Munich -€170m

Chelsea complete another transfer with £3million signing of Southampton wonderkid Jimmy-Jay Morgan has left Southampton to sign a three-and-a-half-year contract with Chelsea after tearing up youth football with his prolific goalscoring exploits https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/Chelsea-southampton-wonderkid-transfer-news-29177845

he can fuck right off he has ripped the club so many times there is no way back with me

Chelsea want to sell £33m player to promote young loanee to the first team https://www.thechelseachronicle.com/transfer-news/im-told-Chelsea-want-to-sell-33m-player-to-promote-young-loanee-to-the-first-team-journalist/ Journalist Simon Phillips has claimed to GiveMeSport that Chelsea are keen to listen to offers to Kalidou Koulibaly in order to create a path to the first team for Levi Colwill. The Senegal international was brought in to try and fill the void left by the departure of Antonio Rudiger to Real Madrid. However, Koulibaly has struggled to bring the form he promised from his days as a defender in Serie A. The tough time he has endured since his £33m move from Napoli has been culminated with his dropping from the team in recent weeks. His place has been taken by January signing Benoit Badiashile, despite coming into the club with little fanfare. The Blues are yet to concede in the three games the Frenchman has played since joining. Chelsea want to sell Koulibaly for Colwill Now, Phillips has claimed that the club are open to listen to offers for the player who joined just a few months ago. He said: “I’m told that Chelsea would be open to listening to offers for him in the summer, purely because they’ve got Levi Colwill coming back in.” Colwill has been enjoying a second consecutive successful loan spell away from Stamford Bridge, this time at Brighton. His performances have seen him break into a competitive backline that has been overachieving this season. He was even reportedly threatening the England squad, with him in Gareth Southgate’s thinking for when the next squad is announced. However, an unfortunate injury has proven to be a roadblock in his development, with him set to be out for a number of weeks. Chelsea fans will be delighted to hear that they are not looking to give up on the youngster already though, seemingly defying the temptation to cash in at a time money would be appreciated.

Declan Rice nutsack-cupping hype machine in full effect Chelsea ALREADY LAYING GROUNDWORK TO SIGN MARQUEE 'FORCE OF NATURE' AS OPTIMISM GROWS THIS WEEK https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/Chelsea-fc-transfer-rumours/declan-rice-Chelsea-transfer-latest-groundwork/ Chelsea have ‘already started laying down some groundwork’ to sign West Ham captain Declan Rice this summer, according to reports. THE LOWDOWN: RICE ATTRACTING Chelsea’S INTEREST… The England international has been attracting interest from Premier League leaders Arsenal alongside the Blues as both clubs aim to further enhance their midfield options. Despite the marquee signing of Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez last week, the west Londoners and owner Todd Boehly are thought to be targeting Rice heading into this summer. The 24-year-old has been in brilliant form for an under-performing West Ham side, and with his contract slowly running down towards its June 2024 expiry, it’s entirely possible that he could be on the move this year. THE LATEST: Chelsea HAVE ‘ALREADY STARTED’ LAYING RICE GROUNDWORK… According to journalist Simon Phillips, writing for GiveMeSport, Chelsea have ‘already started laying down some groundwork’ to sign Rice ahead of a proposed summer move. While there will be ‘serious competition’ from London rivals Arsenal, Phillips has also shared ‘more optimism this week’ that the Blues can land the 24-year-old. THE VERDICT: PERFECT PLAYER FOR Chelsea? Rice will be expensive, with some reports suggesting that West Ham could be set to demand as much as £120m for the signature of their prized asset. Homegrown tax and his status as a proven Premier League player will have contributed to such an eye-watering demand, but the figures suggest that the 24-year-old is justifying such a valuation. As per WhoScored, the Three Lions ace stands out as West Ham’s best performer in the league this season and averages a higher rate of intercepted passes per 90 than anyone in their squad. Named club captain last year after Mark Noble’s retirement, Rice has also gone on to add goals (one) and assists (two) in the top flight under David Moyes. The colossal midfielder has been called a ‘force of nature’ by members of the press who hold him in very esteem following several years of heroics at the London Stadium. Chelsea may well attempt to whittle down his £120m price tag but could still have to pay a marquee sum for such a brilliant player.

Chelsea still confident about Andrey Santos work permit No hope lost https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/Chelsea-fc-transfer-rumours-news/2023/2/8/23591497/Chelsea-still-confident-on-andrey-santos-work-permit-as-brazilian-clubs-enquire-over-young-player Seemingly “just” another signing for the future, young midfielder Andrey Santos is evidently held much higher in Chelsea’s immediate regard, with the club hoping to use a special talent exemption to get him a work permit that would allow him to play for us this year already. The 18-year-old’s classy and consistent performances for Brazil at the CONMEBOL U20 Championship have not dissuaded that notion, and according to reports from Fabrizio Romano and Goal, Chelsea remain confident that we will indeed get that permit. This is contrary to a few recent rumblings out of Brazil, which also claimed that the likes of Palmeiras and Andrey’s former team, Vasco are circling in case he cannot stay with Chelsea. However, even if Santos fails to get a work permit, Chelsea would not necessarily have him go to Brazil, apparently preferring a European loan instead. We would have to wait with that until the summer, but in the meantime, it’s unlikely to be in anyone’s best interest to loan Andrey for just four months to play in the state championships, where the level of play is well below Brazil’s national league, which only starts in April.

Malo Gusto: Lyon offer positive injury update on Chelsea’s £26m January signing https://absolutechelsea.com/malo-gusto-lyon-offer-injury-update-lille-laurent-blanc-Chelsea/2968/ Chelsea have received an injury update from Lyon manager Laurent Blanc on the fitness of new signing Malo Gusto after he was forced off through injury. The 19-year-old was replaced by Castello Lukeba just after the half hour mark in France on Wednesday night during their Round of 16 Coupe de France clash against LOSC Lille, which Lyon won 4-2 on penalties to progress after it ended 2-2 in normal time. When Gusto was replaced and holding his hamstring, Chelsea would have expressed concern for their January signing who was acquired, loaned back to Lyon for the rest of the season, to provide cover and competition for Reece James who has just returned from a knee injury. However, Blanc confirmed it’s not a major problem for the teenager and Gusto was replaced as a precaution. As quoted by L’Equipe, the Lyon boss said: “It’s a pain he’s been feeling for some time. It’s not a big problem, but it bothers him physically and mentally. “We will try to treat him well… I don’t think it will take too long, but it has to be done.” It leaves the right-back as a doubt for Sunday’s clash against Lens. Chelsea’s injury concerns are also reducing back at Cobham. James, Ben Chilwell and Raheem Sterling made their first appearances against Fulham last week since returning from injury, while Denis Zakaria and Wesley Fofana have both re-joined the group in training. Potter and Co will be hoping Gusto gets back to fitness quickly and available for selection to help Lyon in the run-in for the final months of the Ligue 1 season.

Chelsea move for £71m ‘monster’ now ‘one to watch’ at Stamford Bridge https://www.givemesport.com/88112473-Chelsea-move-dusan-vlahovic-juventus-premier-league-transfer-rumours-graham-potter-stamford-bridge Chelsea’s interest in Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović is “one to watch” ahead of the summer transfer window at Stamford Bridge, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs has told GiveMeSport. Graham Potter is likely to look at a multitude of centre-forward targets as he looks to strengthen his attacking department ahead of next season. Chelsea transfer news – Dušan Vlahović Having left Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang out of their Champions League squad for the knockout stages, Chelsea now lack a senior first-choice out-and-out centre-forward option, ahead of their two-legged European clash with Borussia Dortmund. Attacking midfielder Kai Havertz has frequently operated as an auxiliary number nine whilst Raheem Sterling is also capable of playing down the middle for Potter’s side at Stamford Bridge. However, the former Brighton & Hove Albion head coach is likely to want a striker with experience in leading the line ahead of next season, in which the Blues will want to see a marked improvement from their current ninth-placed standing in the Premier League table. Transfer insider Dean Jones has recently told GiveMeSport that Chelsea could make a move for Vlahović this summer. And Jacobs believes that the Blues are interested in signing “a traditional old-fashioned striker” and that the Juventus star could be “one to watch” leading up to the second transfer window of the year. What has Jacobs said about Chelsea and Vlahović? Jacobs told GiveMeSport: “In terms of incomings, I think that they still may want more of a traditional old-fashioned striker. Dušan Vlahović is one to watch.” Would Vlahović be a good signing for Chelsea? Vlahović – who has been described as a “monster” by journalist Carlo Garganese – would likely be an excellent addition to Potter’s squad ahead of next season, having demonstrated an impressive goalscoring record during his time in Serie A. The 19-cap Serbia international has bagged an impressive 57 goals whilst providing nine assists in 124 Serie A appearances across spells with Fiorentina and current side Juventus. Despite only playing in 879 minutes worth of top-flight action this campaign, the 23-year-old has still managed to earn himself an average WhoScored rating of 6.93, ranking him as the side’s fifth-best-performing player in the Old Lady squad. The 6 foot 3 star – who Arsenal reportedly considered making a £71m bid for last month – compares favourably with his positional peers, ranking in the top 20% of forwards across Europe’s big five leagues as well as the Champions League and Europa League for non-penalty goals per 90 minutes (0.50) over the last 365 days, according to FBref. Therefore, if Chelsea are looking for a top out-and-out goalscorer on the continent, then they may need to look no further than the Belgrade-born talent.

Atletico Madrid name their price for Chelsea loanee João Félix, with Spanish giants 'to demand £124MILLION' - but Portuguese superstar 'doesn't want to stay if boss Diego Simeone remains in charge' The relationship between Diego Simeone and João Félix soured in Madrid Félix is currently out on loan in the Premier League, signing a deal with Chelsea A new report in Spain claims Atletico want £124million to sell him permanently https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11727453/Atletico-Madrid-price-Chelsea-loanee-Joao-Felix.html

Fabrizio Romano's Daily Briefing Exclusive: Ben Jacobs Takeover - Aubameyang knows it's over at Chelsea, Arsenal's ambitious summer midfield targets, Man Utd takeover + more My weekly column on the biggest stories in world football, featuring Chelsea, Arsenal, Man Utd and more https://caughtoffside.substack.com/p/exclusive-ben-jacobs-takeover-aubameyang Aubameyang was a ‘band aid’ signing for Chelsea, and the MLS could be next It has been a really tough 12 months for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. This time last year he was unveiled as a new Barcelona player and he really only left the Camp Nou because ex-Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel came calling. Xavi wanted to keep him, but Aubameyang was convinced he’d get game time and goals at Stamford Bridge. Sadly, it just hasn’t worked out. Just before Aubameyang’s move he was attacked in his home in a horrific robbery, so arrived at Chelsea with a broken jaw. Then shortly after joining Tuchel was sacked. Aubameyang just hasn’t settled and has scored only one Premier League goal. It’s pretty obvious he’ll leave this summer, and could theoretically go before if a deal is agreed with an MLS club. This is because although he can only represent two clubs in one season, MLS’ new 2023 season begins in February. Aubameyang has been linked with Los Angeles FC, but there is nothing advanced to date and I understand Aubameyang would ideally prefer to stay in Europe. It’s one to watch whether a club in America can change his mind. Aubameyang knows he’s out of the picture at Chelsea. This was shown by his exclusion from the Champions League squad and omission from the matchday squad for the 0-0 draw with Fulham. In stark contrast, Hakim Ziyech, who was minutes away from joining PSG on Deadline Day – and only didn’t due to paperwork being sent late – made the 25-man list for the UCL and started against Fulham. It felt like Graham Potter wanted to show Ziyech he was still valued. It will be interesting to now see if Aubameyang is given a role against West Ham and a chance to prove himself. But Potter can’t keep rotating to give individuals chances. With key players returning from injury and a host of new signings, he has to start picking a more consistent starting XI. The truth is Aubameyang was a very ‘un-Chelsea-like’ signing when you consider their current project. The owners, and new recruitment team, have clearly learnt a lot and adapted from a frantic summer. January shows the long-term strategy in play, which in the most basic terms is to invest in youth on long-term contracts and view transfer fees as investments not expenses. Aubameyang doesn’t fit that strategy. He was more of a ‘band aid’ signing given Romelu Lukaku had been loaned to Inter and even Armando Broja’s future wasn’t entirely clear when he arrived. I don’t think there’s been some big fall out. Nor is it fair to allege Aubameyang has an attitude problem. It’s just been hard for him. Yet every time I see Aubameyang train, he’s smiling. It’s now a test of Potter’s man and squad management. One final point worth noting: Barcelona couldn’t re-sign Aubameyang in January. Had they been able to get him on free, there might well have been an appetite, but rules prevented him being re-registered even though he would have only played for two clubs this season. So for now, presuming he wants to stay in Europe, Aubameyang is stuck at Chelsea and is firmly down the pecking order. Jorginho deal doesn’t change Arsenal’s big plans for a summer midfielder signing Arsenal will definitely add another central midfielder this summer. The arrival of Jorginho in January from Chelsea doesn’t change that. That move is more one for the relatively short-term. Mikel Arteta views Jorginho as a strong fit and a player who can add depth with Mohamed Elneny injured. The Jorginho transfer also came about because Arsenal realised they couldn’t land Brighton’s Moises Caicedo following two rejected bids. Arsenal are notorious for being methodical and disciplined with their negotiations. They didn’t want to go above their £70m offer for Caicedo and risk damaging their relationship with Brighton if a deal was simply not possible – and it wasn’t so late in the window. It’s smart in many ways because placing a third bid, and effectively doing so ‘blindly’, would have irked Brighton, who directly told Arsenal to stop wasting their time. And more damningly, it would have provided a new and even higher yardstick for Caicedo’s summer valuation. Arsenal could be back for Caicedo, but not necessarily at the same price. There are a lot of midfielders available this summer and that might actually mean Caicedo’s value drops. It will all depend on demand. Chelsea, who also had a failed bid in January, could also return. Arsenal’s midfield priority will be Declan Rice and West Ham are resigned to losing him. David Moyes, as you’d expect, has been quick to argue if Rice leaves it should be for a British-record transfer fee. But suitors are hoping for a fee of £70-80m. This is ultimately because Rice’s contract expires in summer 2024. But Chelsea’s big-spending could inflate the market and thus Rice’s price. You can understand why selling clubs, especially for top-tier central midfielders, will point to Enzo Fernandez’s £107m fee and ask for something similar. I still think Rice will go for cheaper than that, but how much so will depend on whether West Ham get a bit of a bidding war. Chelsea also really want Rice. Manchester United and Newcastle United can’t be ruled out either, although I understand Rice’s preference is to stay in London. That won’t be a deal-breaker, but Arsenal and Chelsea can certainly use it to their advantage. Rice also wants Champions League football. Whether or not that means instantly remains to be seen, but Arsenal can clearly use this to their advantage given where they are heading. Rice has also spoken glowingly about Arteta. So it’s probably fair to term Arsenal the favourites right now, but as we saw with their pursuit of Mykhaylo Mudryk that doesn’t always mean a huge deal this far out. If Chelsea offer big or above market value money, Arsenal would have to go against their transfer-market principles. Youri Tielemans is also expected to leave Leicester this summer on a free transfer, barring a U-turn on signing a new deal. Leicester would love to keep him, but Tielemans has been clear for over a year he doesn’t want to extend. Arsenal still haven’t ruled out signing him on a free transfer. They were reluctant to pay a transfer fee over the past two windows, but now the Belgian midfielder is a bargain. Newcastle also really like Tielemans and Manchester United are one to watch as well. Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi will draw plenty of summer interest, too. He’s so calm on the ball and an intelligent defender, who also wins his fair share of aerial duels and second balls. Suitors in January were told to pay Zubimendi's €60m release clause or no deal would be done. And the player himself wasn’t really pushing for a move. He only signed a new five-year deal at the club in October. But a transfer is very possible come summer, especially considering Zubimendi wasn’t willing to have his release clause raised. That makes him attainable on the market. Barcelona coach Xavi also admires Zubimendi, though it remains to be seen if the finances are workable to proceed. Keep an eye on Tottenham and Manchester United as well. And Edson Alvarez is another name who could be on the move this summer. Chelsea came close to signing the Ajax midfielder last summer, but the club refused a move despite Alvarez pushing for it. Todd Boehly did tell Alvarez at the time he’d be back, but never returned. This is understandable given a new recruitment team came in and the club became obsessed with Enzo Fernandez. Plus, Denis Zakaria impressed before his injury and will return to full fitness soon. It will be interesting to see, if Zakaria finishes the season strong, whether Chelsea try to buy him from Juventus. Arsenal considered Alvarez in January to a degree, but it became quickly clear Ajax didn’t want to do mid-season business. Liverpool have looked at Alvarez before and chose not to proceed and Newcastle are another club to have him at least loosely on their radar. Cancelo exit came as a surprise, but trouble had been brewing Joao Cancelo’s loan switch from Manchester City to Bayern was a real surprise. Cancelo has since claimed it was a move motivated by game time, which is the PR thing to say and true to a degree. He only started three games for Manchester City since returning from the World Cup with 18-year-old academy graduate Rico Lewis increasingly preferred ahead of him. Cancelo only signed a new five-year deal in February last year and has essentially been an automatic starter for much of his time at Manchester City. He’s also made the last two PFA Premier League Teams of the Season. But there was a clear breakdown in the relationship between Pep Guardiola and Cancelo. Pep looked frustrated with Cancelo at times and Cancelo reacted angrily to being dropped. And I also don’t think he enjoyed playing on the right wing against Chelsea in January. There wasn’t just one flashpoint. More like lots of small ones. Guardiola is quite prepared to rotate his squad and Cancelo didn’t deal well with being benched, especially against Arsenal in the FA Cup. That was arguably the final straw. After that match, Cancelo posted a picture on Instagram alongside the quote, “Don’t let anyone dim your shine.” It can be tough for footballers used to playing every week to deal with less playing time, especially if it catches them by surprise. And the feeling within Manchester City is Cancelo didn’t respond well, losing a bit of focus, concentrating less in team meetings and being a bit of a negative influence. Of course, there’s two sides to every story and Cancelo would no doubt argue he remained professional and was just disappointed to lose his place to a teenager. But it was probably lucky Bayern came calling. And Pep and Cancelo both agreed an exit was best. Had the Manchester City boss known things would have transpired this way, I also wonder whether he’d have let Oleksandr Zinchenko leave for Arsenal last summer. Bayern have an option to buy Cancelo at €70m, which is quite a steep price tag. That’s why Cancelo has said (at least publicly) his time at Manchester City hasn’t necessarily ended. Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has also conceded Cancelo’s transfer fee is high. But there is still a very real chance Cancelo joins permanently and that Bayern don’t activate the option, instead trying to negotiate a deal for a lower number come summer. Will Manchester United have new Qatari owners by summer? There is a lot of excitement about Manchester United having new owners in 2023. It’s clear the Glazers prefer a full sale if their price is met – and that’s not a given considering they are hoping for in excess of £6bn. That’s almost three times the £2.3bn Chelsea sold for. Raine Group are overseeing the sale as they did for Chelsea, so they are used to handling speedy takeovers. The Chelsea sale was quite a prescriptive process, with Roman Abramovich keen to safeguard the club. There were specific areas for suitors to address, including pledged internal investment and initial stadium redevelopment plans. The Manchester United sale process is still relatively rigid with an important mid-February deadline to submit initial offers. But the timeline is not quite as fixed or urgent as Chelsea, whose very existence was under threat – and, as importantly, the Glazers could just sell to the highest bidder. The Qatari interest, as revealed by the Daily Mail’s Mike Keegan, is genuine, but sources say several individuals or groups are still basically assessing the market. This may not appear to quite marry with a mid-February deadline given it’s just days away, but as the Chelsea sale proved dates for submissions often get pushed back. More than one interested party has told me they want more time to properly assess the club before committing. What’s important to understand is a takeover is not like a transfer. You don’t just swoop in with a bid. Due diligence informs valuation, and with multiple suitors there’s potentially a bidding war aspect which is not usually associated with a traditional takeover. The Qatar interest is complicated because any group or individual would still effectively (even if not formally) need government and Qatar Sports Investment (QSI) backing. That’s just how business works out there, which I know first-hand from living there. QSI themselves, owners of PSG, won’t be directly involved. They remain committed to PSG. But QSI-chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi is still likely to be a key figure nonetheless. Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) have refused to comment on stories linking them to both Manchester United and Liverpool, but their CEO Mansoor Bin Ebrahim Al-Mahmoud has hinted they are exploring the sports market. Al-Khelaifi also sits on the QIA board, again underling how influential he is in the region. Whether a consortium is private individuals, or an existing singular group, it doesn’t really matter. Any bid would ultimately be aligned with government goals. But there shouldn’t be any issues with PSG and Manchester United, since QSI would not be directly involved and haven’t held any talks with Manchester United. There is also no direct link (contrary to Wikpedia!) between QSI and QIA. It’s a common misconception that QSI are an affiliate of QSA. There is a real feeling it’s a big year ahead for Qatar in sports investment. But multiple sources still say it's "premature" to call anything advanced between Qatar and Manchester United yet, although there is a broad acceptance different investors are circling. But interest, or even entering the process, doesn’t necessarily mean anything concrete will materialise. And there is still a sense a Saudi-led consortium may enter the race for Manchester United as well. This would actually be a perfect scenario for the Glazers since it would probably give them the best chance of getting the price they wish. Coming back to QSI specifically, they have only held exploratory talks with Spurs over a stake to date and remain open to minority investment in the Premier League, further illustrating different groups from Qatar are very much exploring the market. But the fact that Qatar have been linked with Manchester United, held talks with Spurs and are rumoured to be interested in Liverpool (there’s really nothing significant there to date), only shows post-World Cup different groups and individuals are intent on getting a foothold in the Premier League. Over the next few weeks and months, there will be some alignment on what route to take since, as I explain above, whoever moves forward will need wider support and alignment. The names to watch in a Manchester United fire-sale this summer Manchester United are expected to have a number of outgoings this summer. Erik ten Hag is clearly intent on a clear-out. Outgoings for Manchester United are actually easier to predict than incomings due to the ownership situation. United’s football department can plan right now for who they want to let go, whereas it’s premature to say they’ll try for players like Harry Kane or Victor Osimhen, since that would either be pre-spending money from an unknown new owner or reliant on the Glazers (if still there) spending big. Plus, with Kane, as I have reported since October, his priority remains to sign a new Spurs deal if the project goes to plan, and the win over Manchester City certainly helps. Harry Maguire could leave Manchester United this summer because Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez are keeping him out of the team. But Ten Hag still appreciates Maguire and his overall influence on the dressing room. That’s why he didn’t want to let him go in January. Maguire seems to be linked with a new club every day: Inter Milan, West Ham, Aston Villa, Chelsea, even a return to Leicester… but there’s not always a great deal of substance. The first consideration with Maguire will be how much game time he gets between now and the end of the season. Anthony Martial and Alex Telles are two possible exits. Martial has had a torrid time with injures and despite scoring in the League Cup semi-final win over Nottingham Forest, is back on the sidelines again. Martial has missed over 20 games this season and although Ten Hag has been impressed by his attitude, his injury record might be a factor in letting him go. Lyon are still quite keen on bringing him back, especially under ambitious new owner John Textor. West Ham and Newcastle have looked in the past, too. Meanwhile, I would be surprised if Alex Telles isn’t sold and Sevilla, where he’s on loan, are hopeful of buying him, but they’ll potentially need a cut-price deal. Another interesting outgoing could be Scott McTominay, who has fallen down the pecking order following the arrival of the excellent Casemiro. Ten Hag didn’t want to let him go in January, but the summer may well be a different story. Newcastle have a genuine interest and could have moved in January if they thought Manchester United would have sanctioned a sale. Donny van de Beek is another potential outgoing. But it’s tricky now since the Dutch midfielder is out for the rest of the season with a serious knee injury. It’s hard to instantly sell a player returning from a long-term injury. And, during rehabilitation, it can be demotivating for the player if they sense they’ll be straight out the door when fit. Van de Beek is clearly available on the market if the right offer comes, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he sticks around through pre-season and tries to show what he’s capable of. That’s the beauty of how ten Hag is handling all his players. He is frank but fair with them and that creates far more of a ‘player meritocracy’ than Manchester United have had under recent managers. So even those out of the starting XI still feel they can earn a chance.

They would more than likely take £80m (€90m) I am not convinced he is worth that much he also turns 25yo this fall, so is not like a true youth player Lewa was already banging in 30 and 36 goals a year (42 and 49 total produced) starting a year or 2 younger than Kolo is now if he was £50-60m, then yes, I say get all over that