Vesper

when next season starts, he will have been at Chels longer than he was at both AC Milan and at Fluminense

What is your fixation with slagging off Boehly? The bloke is putting his money where his mouth is, and is putting together a world class team to run the club (and he is also going to do a multi club model, which is brilliant)

he is NOT Citeh leftovers, smdh is Musiala Chels leftovers? roflmaooooooooooooooo

Romeo Lavia would be great for that role too I am sure that is why we tried to buy him last summer, late late in the game

agree on Datro, the other two need consistent playing time I am super happy with teh young players we are buying hopefully we can close out Arsen Zakharyan soon, and Youssoufa Moukoko too

FIFA’s access all areas accreditation really is good

Chelsea considering the sale of Kalidou Koulibaly https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2022/12/24/Chelsea-considering-the-sale-of-kalidou-koulibaly/ Chelsea are willing to sell Kalidou Koulibaly in January after disappointing with his performances since the summer move. According to Fichajes, Chelsea could listen to offers for Kalidou Koulibaly despite only signing the defender in the summer. The Senegal international’s performances have disappointed the recruitment team, who may entertain proposals in January. Kalidou Koulibaly was a masterstroke of a signing meant to solidify Chelsea’s options at the back. The Senegal international got heralded as a perfect replacement for Antonio Rudiger, who left on a free transfer to Real Madrid. Chelsea paid a whopping €38 million for the 31-year-old centre-back after a few consistent years leading the Napoli backline. The Naples side were happy to take the money for the defender. Koulibaly had a decent start, scoring against Tottenham at Stamford Bridge, signalling his arrival in the Premier League. Known for his physical prowess and speed, Koulibaly had forged the reputation of a hard-fought centre-back in Italy’s top flight. Since moving to Chelsea, he has been nowhere near the player he once was with Napoli. His displays have disappointed the Chelsea recruitment team. Chelsea are reportedly considering a sale of the defender and remains open to entertaining proposals in January. The summer signing has struggled for consistency, and since Graham Potter’s arrival, he has spent more time on the bench than on the pitch. The report suggests Chelsea feels they can recoup a significant chunk of the €38 million invested in the defender in January. They believe, Koulibaly still has a huge market, and proposals could arrive if the defender is up for sale. The Blues are already seeking a new defender in Koulibaly’s position, with Josko Gvardiol their primary target. The Croatian international fits with the project embarked under new owner Todd Boehly. At 20 years of age, he can become the leader of the backline for years to come. Chelsea are the front-runners for Gvardiol, and if they can manage to broker a deal, that would signal the end for Koulibaly. It’s unlikely they would recoup anywhere close to the €38 million they paid for the summer signing. They could still get a reasonable price in the current market. Koulibaly considers himself motivated and could bank on having a long career. He may still get a few chances to save his Chelsea career, but overall it may appear the decision to sell him is already made.

Chelsea set to loan out Datro Fofana, Andrey Santos, Gabriel Slonina in January — report https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/Chelsea-fc-transfer-rumours-news/2022/12/23/23524530/Chelsea-set-to-loan-out-datro-fofana-andrey-santos-gabriel-slonina-in-january-report Chelsea are close to finalizing two deals for the January transfer window, with teenage talents Datro Fofana and Andrey Santos set to join the club from Molde FK and Vasco da Gama, respectively. Given their ages but also the non-trivial amounts that Chelsea are spending on their acquisitions — in the low teens, with some add-ons (€12m reported for Fofana; €13+7m for Andrey Santos) — we had been wondering what the club might be intending for them in the immediate future. Would they join the first-team? Would they train with the Development Squad (like Cesare Casadei and Omari Hutchinson have been)? A few years from now, once the Boehly-Clearlake “multi-club model” masterplan has made some tangible progress, they might be heading out to one of our affiliates, but right now, it sounds like they will be hitting the dusty old loan trail, with all of its usual pitfalls and caveats. Joining them could be goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina, who came over from the Chicago Fire after their MLS season ended last month. That’s the story from Nizaar Kinsella at the Evening Standard anyway, adding that these players are “seen as players for the future” ... which is fine for now, though we do have to be careful in keeping these players happy and challenged in the process as well.

well, as Skriniar is likely leaving on a free in 6 months, the fair play would have been a straight swap Lukaku for Skriniar plus Denzel Dumfries

Liverpool negotiates with Benfica the hiring of Enzo Fernández The English club already has an agreement in principle with the Portuguese entity to incorporate the young midfielder of the Argentine team from June 2023 https://www.lacapital.com.ar/qatar-2022/liverpool-negocia-benfica-la-contratacion-enzo-fernandez-n10035584.html Liverpool accelerated the efforts to incorporate Enzo Fernández and has already signed a pre-agreement with Benfica, the Portuguese club that has the federative rights of the young midfielder of the Argentine national team, who earned a place among the starters of Lionel Scaloni's team during the World Cup in Qatar . The English club in this way anticipated two other greats in the Premier League, Manchester United and Manchester City, institutions that had also planned to add the former River and Defense and Justice since June 2023. Enzo Fernández is ratifying in the World Cup what he had already developed in the first part of the European season, standing out in Benfica's midfield, a level that did nothing more than ensure a place in the list of 26 called in Qatar 2022. The young midfielder started on the bench in Qatar, but already with Mexico he became a starter and even scored a great goal, and from there he maintained his presence among the starting eleven of the national team. This auspicious filming only confirmed the interest of the big European clubs, which is why Liverpool, which seeks to incorporate new talent thinking about the next season, did not hesitate to go for Fernández.

let's hope Santos gets at least halfway to their level (he is a MFer of course, and Romario, Edmundo, and Bebeto were forwards)

Inter To Negotiate With Romelu Lukaku To Accept Lower Wages To Extend Loan Over Next Season, Italian Media Report https://sempreinter.com/2022/12/23/inter-to-negotiate-with-romelu-lukaku-to-accept-lower-wages-to-extend-loan-over-next-season-italian-media-report/ Inter will try to negotiate lower wages with striker Romelu Lukaku when they negotiate an extension of his loan spell from Chelsea next season. This according to Italian news outlet Calciomercato.com, who report that the Nerazzurri could look to lower the Belgian’s wages in addition to asking for a lower loan fee from Chelsea. Inter are still considering how they want to approach the future with Lukaku. The 29-year-old’s performances over the remainder of the current season will play a significant role in any decision that the Nerazzurri make. Should Inter decide to try to extend Lukaku’s loan, they are likely to ask to renegotiate the fee with Chelsea, on the basis of the striker’s injury troubles this season. Meanwhile, if the 29-year-old is not able to contribute at the same level that he once did, the club could also try to negotiate a reduction in his wages to reflect this.

Blaise Matuidi announces his official retirement from professional football.

wish to shit we could find a DMF like

Chelsea ready to step in to sign Milan Skriniar https://football-talk.co.uk/177006/Chelsea-ready-to-step-in-to-sign-milan-skriniar/ According to Calciomercato.it, Chelsea are ready to step in to sign Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar on a free transfer next summer. The Slovakian international was fancied to leave the Serie A giants last summer, but they decided to keep him as they were no suitable offers on the table. He will now enter the final six months of his contract in January and Calciomercato claim that Inter have yet to convince him over a renewal. The £53 million star has not accepted their latest contract offer of £6.2 million per year. It is reported that Chelsea could capitalise on the situation to sign him on a free transfer at the end of the season. Experience Chelsea lost two key central defenders in Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen last summer. They replaced them with Kalidou Koulibaly and Wesley Fofana, but the duo are yet to have a significant impact on the club’s performances this season. Fofana suffered a serious knee injury within a few matches for Chelsea while Koulibaly has looked out of his depth in English football. Despite his vast Serie A experience, he has had troubles adapting to the Premier League due to the high intensity. Koulibaly will be aiming to prove a point when the season resumes, but Chelsea should be wary of signing Skriniar for the same reason. The 27-year-old has been an outstanding player for Inter with his strong concentration and distribution skills. However, the transition from the Serie A to English football has not been smooth for many players including Denis Zakaria, who is still awaiting his Premier League debut for Chelsea. The Swiss midfielder joined them from Juventus on loan in September. Hence, there is the risk associated with signing Skriniar but the opportunity to land him on a free transfer could be hard to ignore. Chelsea obviously need another central defender for next season as Thiago Silva is already 38 and could call time on his career soon. Skriniar would fit into the club’s requirement for an experienced replacement but whether he would succeed in the Premier League is left to be seen. Paris Saint-Germain could be Chelsea’s main competitors for the Slovakian, having failed to sign him last summer.

I still cannot believe THIS 2005/2006 AC Milan side blew a 3 nil lead in the CL final to the bindippers what the fuck! still one of the biggest CL final upsets in the past 25 or 30 years (us in 2012 is similar) every player in their starting XI was a monster with a great career aged a bit by then for some, that was a key AC Milan (I will not count 1995, when they lost to a SUPERB Ajax side) also had a huge upset in 1993, when they lost to Marseille but Milan did win in 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, and 2007, and would have won in 1992 as well, but their best team ever (the unbeaten 1991/92 Gli invincibili), were banned from the CL for 91/92 for walking off the pitch the year before against, ironically Marseille, in the 'Lights Out' game) the 1993 upset game (Deschamps' first massive trophy, he won more with Juve, CL, Super Cup, and the Intercontinental Cup, ie the old club world championship):

Edouard Mendy Kalidou Koulibaly Thiago Silva Trevoh Chalobah Marc Cucurella Reece James (maybe Azpi if Reece is not 100%) Jorginho Mason Mount Raheem Sterling Kai Havertz Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or maybe Kai at CF and Pulisic at winger, with Auba dropped

two sort of different type of players Martín Zubimendi is almost exclusively a deep holding DMF who almost never scores (4 total topflight goals in 116 games). like a shorter Busquets with more pace but less finesse He is a very solid player, I rate him. Enzo is like Bellingham to a point, as he can play anywhere in the MF, and already has 17 top-flight goals in 118 games, despite also playing at times as a deep playmaker I expect he will become a 8 to 12 goals a season (all comps) scorer (maybe more if he plays more of an attacking role), besides his creativity and defensive nous

£53m (€60m) release clause so basically almost exactly half of what Enzo will cost (€120 RC, so £105.86m atm)

that 40m is in euros zero chance he was only worth £35m, come on, let's be realistic here! Enzo was going to cost (in terms of what he would cost to buy) at least double that (or more) before the World Cup the WC ensured they will hold out for his release clause or damn close Benfica 'reject an £88m offer from an unnamed club for Liverpool target Enzo Fernandez with the Portuguese side holding out for his £105m release clause' after the Argentina star's value soared thanks to World Cup glory https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11565827/Benfica-reject-88m-offer-Liverpool-target-Enzo-Fernandez-World-Cup-win.html

€60 million release clause