Vesper

great post

LOL good luck finding any takers for a 33+yo (turns 33 next season) oft-injured DMF on £340K PW (that's £17.7m per year in salary) until 2026 I am sure they will be queueing up like it was one of the Oasis gigs at Knebworth in 1996 Tickets went on sale at 9am on Saturday 11 May 1996 - the same day Manchester United beat Liverpool 1-0 in the FA Cup Final. 2.6 million people applied for tickets - which was 5% of the British population at the time. The band could have sold out the venue for two solid weeks.

Chelsea's Treble Winning Year! 🏆 | Gianluca Vialli's Italian Job | 1997-1998

The Very Best Of Gianluca Vialli | Chelsea Legends

€130m (£116m) in salary LOCKED in, for rapidly ageing out players, one who is perpetually injured and the other who looks profoundly out of his depth already is NOT better KK NEVER should have been purchased, let alone given an insane 4 year €70m contract I called it over 2 seasons ago, that he was no longer worth buying for the money we would pay Kante should have been sold in summer 2021 (again, another thing I called for back then), as what we could have gotten for him then would have EASILY paid for Tchou plus a decent backup RB, as Azpi was clearly rinsed as a RB (just look at last season, 2021/22 to see his turgid play there) If you think that all of sudden Kante is going to spring back to fully fit all or even most of the time, and KK is going to magically turn into prime (or even semi prime) Sol Campbell, well I also have a bridge for sale, gently used

WTF that's €130m (£116m) in salary (would be over €150m if Kante signed for 4 years like KK) combined over the next 3 years for Kante and 4 for KK!!!!!!! #fuckthisshit

Jim Fraser promoted to Head of Youth Development & Recruitment by Chelsea https://trainingground.guru/articles/fraser-promoted-to-head-of-youth-development-and-recruitment-by-Chelsea Jim Fraser (right) with Ethan Wady. JIM FRASER has been promoted to Head of Youth Development and Recruitment by Chelsea following Neil Bath’s elevation to Director of Football Development and Operations. TGG reported Bath’s promotion in November after the news was communicated to club staff via email. His new role means he will continue his Vision 2030 project - which we wrote in detail about here - and will also remain in overall charge of youth development at the club. However, he will also now have greater involvement with the first team, particularly in terms of the transition of players from Academy to senior football. Bath, who was described as “the fabric of Chelsea” by former Premier League Head of Youth Ged Roddy MBE, is a lifelong Blues fan who joined the club in 1993 as a part-time schoolboy coach. He went on to become their Academy Manager, in 2004, and Head of Youth Development, in 2011. This year, the Blues topped TGG’s Academy Productivity Rankings for the first time (the rankings covered the 2021/22 season). With Bath taking on an even more senior role, his long-time lieutenant, Fraser, has also taken on greater responsibilities. He has now been appointed Head of Youth Development and Recruitment, having previously been Assistant Head of Youth. Fraser joined Chelsea in November 2004 as Assistant Academy Manager for the 7s to 14s and became Assistant Head of Youth Development and Recruitment in 2010. Meanwhile, Jack Francis has been promoted to Academy Manager for the 9s to 14s, having previously been Head of Player Care and 15s/16s programme lead. Francis, who has been with the Blues for 12 years, will be responsible for football, player care, education and all supporting departments for youngsters before they sign their first professional contracts.

Jude Soonsup-Bell to leave Chelsea this month https://theathletic.com/4060920/2023/01/06/jude-soonsup-bell-Chelsea-departure/ Chelsea academy striker Jude Soonsup-Bell is going to leave the club this month. The Athletic reported in November that the highly-rated forward, who turns 19 next week, was considering his future at Chelsea and this was likely going to be his last season at Stamford Bridge. Soonsup-Bell’s current deal expires in the summer, but talks over an extension stalled last January when he began to consider his future. The teenager has now decided to bring forward his departure. Clubs in the Premier League and elsewhere in Europe have been monitoring the situation and are ready to take advantage of Soonsup-Bell becoming available. The terms of his exit will have to be discussed between Chelsea and his next team, but won’t be a problem. The teenager made his senior debut for Chelsea under previous coach Thomas Tuchel just 13 months ago and has been touted as a great prospect at the club’s academy for some time. For example, during the 2019-20 campaign, he scored 26 goals in all competitions for various Chelsea youth sides in just 17 appearances. In February 2021, he became the first Chelsea player in 59 years to score four times in a FA Youth Cup tie. Despite playing just 122 minutes for the Under-21s in the Premier League 2 this season, he has still scored two goals and registered an assist. One of the reasons for Soonsup-Bell’s departure, after seven enjoyable years at Chelsea, is that he is considering the pathway into the first team and that he will benefit from going elsewhere.

Gianluca Vialli dies aged 58 https://theathletic.com/4018445/2023/01/06/gianluca-vialli-dies-age-58/ Gianluca Vialli has died at the age of 58. The former Chelsea player and manager had announced last month that he was stepping away from his role with Italy’s national team after being diagnosed for a second time with pancreatic cancer in 2021. The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) confirmed his death on Friday morning. President Gabriele Gravina said: “I hoped until the last that he could perform another miracle, yet I am comforted by the certainty that what he did for Italian football and the blue shirt will never be forgotten. “Gianluca was a wonderful person and leaves an unfillable void, in the national team and in all those who appreciated his extraordinary human qualities”. Vialli enjoyed an illustrious career with Sampdoria, Juventus and Chelsea after starting out at Cremonese. He scored 21 goals in 58 premier league appearances for Chelsea, winning an FA Cup, a League Cup and a UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. He earned 59 caps for Italy and played at World Cups in 1986 and 1990, before retiring from his playing career in 1999. He has also managed Watford and Chelsea, winning the FA Cup with the latter. In October 2019, he was appointed as the new delegation chief of the Italy national football team under head coach Roberto Mancini. The FIGC said “a minute of recollection” for Vialli would take place before matches scheduled for next weekend.

you are conflating 2 seperate things, between holding talks that insinuated we were going to pay it with inner circle intent to apparently NOT pay it

my 'eek' was because they just seemed so negative about everything

this has worked out wonderfully so far! 🤬

eek

Chelsea target Enzo Fernandez 'out of Benfica match tonight' as transfer tussle continues https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1717724/Chelsea-news-Enzo-Fernandez-Benfica-transfer-tussle Chelsea target Enzo Fernandes will not be in the Benfica squad for Friday's match against Portimonense as he continues to be linked with a January move to Stamford Bridge, according to reports. The Blues have been locked in talks with Benfica regarding their interest in Fernandez over the last few weeks, although a deal is yet to be struck at club level as things stand. There have been issues in terms of agreeing a transfer fee, with Benfica adamant that Fernandez will only be allowed to leave the club this month if Chelsea are willing to pay his nine-figure release clause. The Blues are yet to give in, though, and have even reportedly offered three of their own players in a part-exchange deal that was swiftly rebuffed by those in power at Benfica. It was claimed on Thursday that negotiations at club level were at risk of fizzling out, but it seems as though the move remains in the works in spite of Chelsea's reluctance to meet Benfica's demands as of yet. Fernandez will not feature for his current employers against Portimonense on Friday evening, according to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, which suggests that his immediate future is still very much in the balance. Fernandez was said to have skipped training last week in order to make an unauthorised trip to Argentina, which angered Benfica officials prior to his return on Tuesday.

I was refuting what another poster claimed ABOUT HIS TIME AT BARCA nothing more, nothing less smdh

I believe that Benfica are telling the truth, they have never been a dodgy club that I know of, and I have always respected Rui Costa, plus I think Schmidt is a great manager they have been so public and so consistent about it after it happened that it would mean the entire top of the organisation would be making something up if it is not true

hell no to Rice for what West Ham is demanding just hell to the fucking no he has been shit in the majority of the games I have watched him in this year

that is NOT the issue for me it's the duplicitous short-arm play, talk up paying the RC, then when its time to shit or get off the loo, have the cheek to toss in an official offer that was 35m less than a price we knew was basically etched in stone (the wiggle room was on the instalment terms, but that is now blown to fuck for good) you and some others may be all good with that I think it is fucking disastrous way to try and do business

I am deffo pulling Dembele off any 'even remotely available'-based lists

Anyone who thinks the entire Benfica organisation (who are amongst the more straight dealers in the big 10 leagues) is just making shit up is delusional we fucked up badly, and I can see this becoming an ultimate 'split the TC board' event, where you have some hardliners who refuse to admit we fucked up badly Boehly's word is now tarnished across Europe to a point, and if we nightmarishly do this again, we are WELL FUCKED in the transfer market as long as he is involved with us and it. Marina did not do this type of shit, she didn't play games and lead clubs on in monster deals (and I have some gravitas backing me up on that, as most know I was far from her biggest fan) PLUS, we are not getting a profoundly needed player who had a damn good chance of of being quite transformational a good summary: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1717465/Chelsea-transfer-news-Enzo-Fernandez-Benfica-Premier-League-latest Chelsea have reportedly had three meetings with Benfica this month to try and lure Fernandez to Stamford Bridge. But the Portuguese giants quickly made it clear that the 21-year-old wouldn't be going anywhere unless any suitors triggered his £106million release clause. Rife reports earlier this week claimed Chelsea were willing to offer £112m to persuade Benfica to part ways with their most prized asset, but in instalments to adhere to FFP rules. However, Fabrizio Romano later reported that the Blues only offered £75m, significantly less than the demands that would've made Fernandez the most expensive Premier League player in history. And Schmidt has backed up that revelation by revealing an interested party were 'disrespectful' by offering lower than the release clause, despite indicating an intention to pay the full amount. He said: "We don't want to sell Enzo [Fernandez]. There's a club that wants him [and] tempted him, but they know the only way is [by paying the] £106m (€120m) clause. "They're disrespectful. They're leaving the player crazy. They acted like they wanted to pay clause... then wanted to negotiate [a cheaper fee]." The Benfica boss also heaped praise on Fernandez, stressing his desire for the World Cup's Best Young Player to remain in Lisbon beyond January. "Enzo is a good guy and an extraordinary player. We want him to stay," Schmidt added. "The situation is not easy. He played in the World Cup, won the World Cup, had proposals. There is a lot of money at stake."

last season 20 goals in only 2630 minutes the Barca portion tracks to over 30 goals in a full seasons minutes I would kill for that kind of production from a CF of ours

Is Chelsea target Enzo Fernandez worth £105million after so few senior matches? https://theathletic.com/4054592/2023/01/05/enzo-fernandez-worth-transfer/ Breakthrough seasons don’t get more dizzying than the ride Enzo Fernandez has been on since signing for Benfica from River Plate in a deal worth €14million (£12.3m) in July. Within the space of six months, the 21-year-old went his first 22 matches unbeaten with his new club, announcing himself on the European stage by shining in midfield as Benfica topped a Champions League group featuring Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus, then broke into Argentina’s starting XI during the World Cup and immediately established himself as an indispensable contributor to a historic triumph in Qatar. Having deservedly walked away with the FIFA Young Player of the Tournament award, Fernandez is now second only to the Borussia Dortmund sensation Jude Bellingham in the ranks of the most-coveted young midfielders in the world. Chelsea have been particularly proactive in the early days of January as they search for a high-level successor to Jorginho, who is set to become a free agent in the summer. Benfica, who are under no obligation or financial duress to sell, have made it clear they will not part with Fernandez for any less than the value of his €120million (£105million) release clause. Even by the standards of aggressive spending that Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have set since their acquisition of Chelsea last May, it would be a jaw-dropping outlay on a player with little more than 100 professional appearances for club and country to his name. So the key question is: just how special is Fernandez? Is he really worth that kind of transfer fee? Any data-led analysis of Fernandez quickly runs into the issue of small sample size; he simply hasn’t played enough high-level football for clubs to comprehensively model his strengths and weaknesses and confidently predict the player he can become. With that important disclaimer noted, the advanced numbers from his 14 Primeira Liga appearances for Benfica indicate a talent that merits the close attention of Europe’s elite teams. Using Smarterscout, which can create a statistical profile of a footballer using ratings from zero to 99 to show how often they perform a specific action compared to others playing in their position or how effective they are at it, we can see that Fernandez projects as an exceptional progressive midfield playmaker who has the ability to impact matches defensively. Many of those attributes were on display in the World Cup final against France — by far the biggest match of Fernandez’s career. For more than an hour, he provided the passing foundation and defensive balance for Argentina’s total control against the defending champions. Then, once momentum shifted and Kylian Mbappe led a remarkable fightback, he played an integral role in weathering the storm and powering a thrilling extra-time push. Fernandez was helped by the fact France under Didier Deschamps do not often hunt the ball high up, but he also gave them little encouragement whenever they did try to press. Here, with six French players near him in the Argentina half, Fernandez recognises that Angel Di Maria will immediately be pressured by Mbappe and Adrien Rabiot if he receives the obvious pass — so, instead, he skips him out, clipping the ball into the space ahead of Nahuel Molina… When given more space to receive the ball in midfield, Fernandez showcased the ability to quickly turn defence into attack. Here, a sharp pass from Cristian Romero finds him free behind Antoine Griezmann… … and with minimal touches to control and pivot, he swiftly looks up and floats a precise ball out towards an unmarked Nicolas Tagliafico on the left touchline… Later in the game, with a resurgent France now level, he advances over the halfway line with the ball at his feet and uses the presence of two team-mates to his left to disguise a pass through the opposition midfield to Julian Alvarez. The aim here — as it was with virtually every Argentina attack at the World Cup — is to get Lionel Messi involved as quickly as possible… On this occasion, Messi is stifled and France counter quickly but, 10 seconds later, Fernandez has worked back effectively enough to help pressure Marcus Thuram into the least immediately dangerous option — a pass out to Mbappe on the left flank… Fernandez never neglected his defensive responsibilities at the base of Argentina’s midfield, and his contributions without the ball became more important as fatigue grew for both teams. His reading of danger was evidenced early in the first half. Here, Ousmane Dembele lays the ball back and Fernandez anticipates that the next pass is heading towards Griezmann… … and he closes the distance quickly to make a perfectly-timed tackle… In the opening minutes of the second half, as Nicolas Otamendi’s loose touch pops up into the air, Fernandez is already on the move towards Mbappe, who is well positioned to capitalise if the French substitute Randal Kolo Muani wins his header… Kolo Muani does just that, but almost as soon as Mbappe brings the ball under control, Fernandez gets in front of him, eventually conceding a corner kick… In the manic exchanges that followed in extra time, Fernandez is dispossessed inside his own half, under pressure from Thuram and Kolo Muani… Kolo Muani races away to the edge of the Argentina penalty area but, before he can threaten the goal, the recovering Fernandez hooks a leg to take the ball away… Then there was Fernandez’s most-important defensive contribution of the match: popping up in his own box in the final seconds to brilliantly poke the ball away from Mbappe who, having already scored a hat-trick, has beaten two Argentina defenders and is shaping up to score the winner… Argentina’s triumph will be remembered primarily as the definitive affirmation of Messi’s greatness, but it isn’t an exaggeration to suggest that Fernandez’s introduction from the bench against Mexico in the group stage — and the subsequent re-balancing of Lionel Scaloni’s midfield around him — changed the trajectory of their World Cup, providing the platform to deliver the ball to the game’s greatest player in positions where he could be at his most decisive. Perhaps it should have been more obvious to Scaloni from the outset that Fernandez was ready to play this role, given his performances for Benfica in the Primeira Liga — they top the table by five points ahead of Porto — and an impressive Champions League group stage in the first half of the season. Benfica emerged unbeaten from Group H, edging out PSG for top spot after two 1-1 draws with the French champions and beating a jaded Juventus team home and away. Fernandez started all four of those matches, operating in a double midfield pivot alongside Florentino Luis, providing a blend of control and creativity in possession and defensive diligence out of it. These meetings with Juventus and PSG also offered useful indicators of how Fernandez might cope with more intense, sustained midfield pressure; contrasting the slower pace of international football. Here, in the home match against Juventus, he receives a pass from the right touchline with two opponents ready to pounce on a poor touch… Fernandez instead uses his first touch to chop the ball away from the advancing opponent, before sending a quick pass left with the outside of his right foot, enabling Benfica to advance the ball into space and send their opposition into retreat… Mixed in with Fernandez’s shorter, more subtle passes are incisive longer ones. His accurate switches of play from left to right have become a feature of Benfica’s possession this season and, perhaps aware of that threat in the same game against Juventus, he instead floats a pass over the right of the opposing full-back into the path of a runner… Fernandez’s most eye-catching performance of all might have been in the 1-1 draw with PSG at Parc des Princes in October. Benfica had just 38 per cent of possession and were required to defend for long periods and make the most of their limited time on the ball. Their star midfielder was crucial to them achieving both. Here, 10 minutes in, Fernandez reads that Sergio Ramos is about to win the ball — and that the lightning-fast Achraf Hakimi has space to attack… Fernandez shuffles quickly to cut off the wing-back’s run, standing up his opponent and ultimately winning the ball cleanly when Hakimi tries to knock it past him… On the ball, Fernandez completed 90 per cent of his passes, and they were not all the safe option of going sideways or backwards. Here, he spots and executes a first-time pass with the outside of his right foot through a narrow gap between two PSG players, taking four opponents out of the game and giving Benfica the platform to attack… In the second half, Fernandez is on the ball facing away from the goal and appears as if he is about to pass back to one of his defenders — something the PSG attackers are certainly expecting… But, having sold them the backwards pass, Fernandez quickly steps over the ball, spins and rattles a sharp pass between two more PSG players into the feet of his more advanced team-mate situated between the lines… Fernandez also demonstrates good instincts in finding advantageous situations for his team. Receiving a pass from the left touchline against Juventus in Turin, the standard play for a lot of midfielders here would be to open up the body and play to the right, either with a short pass or a longer switch of play… But, before the ball comes to him, Fernandez anticipates an onrushing opponent is giving his team a potential two vs one on the left. So he simply steps onto the ball, rolls it under his right foot and quickly sends it back where it came from… Fernandez looks like an elite midfield playmaker in the making, and a comparison with positional peers outside Europe’s top five leagues over the past 365 days on fbref.com places him in the 90th percentile or above for assists (0.2), expected assisted goals (0.22), shot-creating actions (4.67), passes attempted (97.4) and progressive passes (9.4) per 90 minutes, as well as the 77th percentile for tackles (2.5) per 90 minutes. These stats, on top of impactful performances against high-level Champions League opposition and a key role in the emotional cauldron of a World Cup final, show why Chelsea and other elite clubs are casting admiring glances in Fernandez’s direction. But the key question remains: how much is Fernandez actually worth? The best answer, though hardly satisfying, is that the market will determine his value. Right now, Benfica are in a strong position to insist on no less than the full amount of his release clause — though Fernandez appears to be doing all he can to weaken their stance. It will take a high level of urgency (or desperation, depending on your perspective) to prise him away. Look down the list of football’s most-expensive transfers and the fees tend to tell you more about the buying clubs than about the quality of the players involved… It also reads like a litany of disappointment. This is in part because the finances involved often set the bar for success almost impossibly high. In a sport consisting of 11-man teams, how many individual players are impactful enough to be worth in excess of £100million? If paid, Benfica’s asking price would make Fernandez the most-expensive Premier League player ever. His rapid rise to international prominence means there is nowhere near enough data to be anything close to certain — but there is a real chance he could be one of the finest midfielders of his generation, capable of influencing every aspect of top-level matches for the next decade or longer. Yet, the problem will be that if Chelsea agree to pay €120million for Fernandez, they can’t afford for him to be anything less.