The Skipper

This is a good signing. If we’re going to sign cheap players, let’s buy projects like Palmieri and Barkley. Not too bad. Wish we could top it off with a top class signing.

To be honest, he’s on his way with his current goal drought.

Well, if it really is that much then, congrats United.

Genuine question, if he leaves, will you still support/follow CFC?

Come on Tomo. Liverpool are definitely showing more ambition than us. Barkley and Ox draw some similarities, but they’re both good transfers. Keita is a top player and as good as Rüdiger has been, Salah has been on another level or two. The point is, do you really think the board are capable of reinvesting the money as well as LFC are right now? When we’re targetting dross like Carroll, have signed average players like Zappacosta or Drinkwater or even Bakayoko who has a lot to prove? This is the problem. The club’s been signing dross for ages now. What the hell is going on?

Would be interesting at least. Not sure he’d be the same player after that ACL injury he’s coming off. We love signing injured players?

He’s being sarcastic.

If we must go for a “cheap” English targetman can’t we even go for Chelsea fan Charlie Austin instead? Jesus.

Jesus Christ it’s actually happening. Fucking Hollywood FC.

Add Zappa to that, £135m.

I’m just going off media reports tbh for the wages stuff. Logically speaking, we’d have to start offering these guys those sort of wages anyway if we wanted to keep them - they’re world class players. My point is that we should be looking at Sanchez and that the cost is worth it. I’m not saying the club’s interest is real either, in fact I said the very opposite a few pages ago: the main reporters reporting this are Utd/Manchester based reporters, and it’s quite clear that Utd are just looking for a narrative to embarrass us with again. I’m trying to argue against the notion that it won’t be financially worth it - it’s more than likely the same stance the club is taking over this, hence why we aren’t really looking at Sanchez. I just think we should be.

We are offering to make Courtois the best paid GK in the world and Hazard is already being offered a 300k contract, so that’s just a moot point imo. Has nothing to do with Sanchez. If we want to keep Hazard and Courtois we’re going to have to pay up anyway. Also:

Yep. This is spot on. People just look at the money and don’t want to realise that there are way more pros than cons.

He was gonna join City for 300k which is what we’re offering Hazard. Sanchez is pretty much on his level. I would add that 50k because we’re struggling with goals in this side big time. We won’t sign big players at all with that attitude - it won’t be long before having a top player on 300k is the norm. Look at the overall financial package - about a £100m over the length of his contract - that’s fine. If Sanchez had years left on his contract we’d be paying that or more anyway. Mahrez is great, not better than Sanchez imo. Besides, only a year or two younger. Let’s say we sign him for the £60m they want (Puel is now saying he’d be worth a £100m next season) and give him wages at 175k pw over a 3 and a half year contract like Sanchez would probably get. That’s about £90m for his whole contract - is Sanchez worth that extra £10-15m? Absolutely I think.

Logically speaking if we’re getting rid of Batshuayi, Sanchez is not only a perfect foil to play as a back up CF but would also be perfect in the 343. Makes too much sense. Mostly Utd reporters reporting it. It’s not happening guys, don’t get your hopes up. United are just trying to embarrass Chelsea again and Roman won’t stand in the way of it like he used. Sky are fanning the flames for clicks. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

This “Chelsea make late bid” stinks of Utd trying to sell the narrative that they beat us to a signing again. Look how at how it comes from a Manchester based journalist. I wouldn’t get my hopes up at all.

The board don’t quite operate like that. It’s more like - if you’re over 30 and you need a new contract you’re only getting a year’s extension. New players usually get given longer deals. I’d offer Sanchez a 3 and half/4 year deal personally. Won’t ever happen though as we both know.

In the grand scheme of things it really is nothing for a top player like Sanchez.

Said this before but the pace of the game here has shocked him. See Bernardo Silva too. I don’t think we will see him at his best till next season. He does need a break and hopefully Barkley can now allow that.

Only have ourselves to blame. For example just this summer... Maybe we could’ve kept Chalobah, a HG talent, instead of splashing £35m on DD. Could’ve had Danilo for example for only a few more millions on top of what we spent on Zappacosta but we refused to pay it and City came in. Couldn’t convince Ox to sign for us. We then proceed to sign someone like Zappacosta who’s average and adds nothing new. Why not hold off, give one of the youngsters a chance to be Moses’ understudy (like Dujon Sterling) and save that £25m - add it to the pot with that £35m saved on DD for a top player instead? Had the whole Lukaku situation which was embarrassing. We’re way too slow and ineffective in the market.

At the same time, we should be signing smarter than we are at the moment. We have a pretty good core in Courtois, Christensen, Kanté, Hazard and Morata - we can build around these guys with smart signings. Instead we’ve been spending £30m here and there on average players for years now. Whilst letting talented youngsters like KDB, Salah go too. We could aim to be smart in the market like Bayern but we just don’t pull that off.

I’d take any of Weigl, Guerreiro or Pulisic. Maybe Dahoud or Passlack or Sancho worth looking at as well.

Barkley is actually going to be a starter for us by default it seems.

Still no Chelsea win in 2018. Christ.

Puel has out coached Conte here.