The Skipper

Three from France - Matuidi, Krychowiak, Seri.

Yeah, it could be improved for sure. But they've improved without spending a bomb.

There is value in the market if you look hard enough. Watford have made some top signings as well.

Rabiot is starting for PSG. He's French. He'd cost a bomb.

Makes too much sense pal.

This would make sense as a 4th choice CM. Like literally a perfect signing. Not too expensive, will come without pressure on him too. About £15m less than what Drinkwater is being quoted for too.

@Jim

Looks like they're after Cancelo too, but it might just be that they're only after one of them. If they signed both Spinazzola and Cancelo then the Sandro signing could still happen imo.

Yep, pretty much spot on on the last few sentences you wrote. I want him to prove me very wrong.

Have you seriously completely forgotten our arguments? Those were literally the main points of my argument.

Not trying to be a knee jerk but he's looking quite average ATM. I know he's been playing out wide but he just doesn't have a presence about him. The opposite defence looks in control of him. I hope he'll be better when Hazard's back, but the performance didn't help my concerns about Morata.

We are so average without Hazard.

Arsenal and Barcelona look to be the most interested as it stands.

Wonder if Krychowiak at PSG is available on the cheap.

I would go for Di Maria.

Should take a chance on David Alaba. Might be attainable for like £50m, and a change of scenery might do for him.

Speaking of Seri...

I just can't really bring myself to agree with the points you bring up. Maybe because I just have an inherit principle where I always want to have a strong, competitive squad. It's proven to be quite sustainable by teams like Bayern and City, Even PSG are showing that they are capable of doing it. The standard of their squad is just better than ours and I don't see why Chelsea couldn't do the same. We'll just have to agree to disagree. Btw, if you want to catch some good midfield talent, have a look at Ajax vs Nice tonight. Some guys like Seri are playing.

I've mentioned some players that I think would probably be available if CFC pushed for them at various stages this summer and now you're saying how signing players isn't easy? What does that have to do with us signing Drinkwater exactly? Are you saying that Drinkwater is going to be an easy player to sign? Well, reports have it that Leicester won't sell him easily. That's not what I'm trying to get at at all. Signing some of these players will be as easy/difficult as signing Drinkwater. Goretzka and Kessie were just an example of how the club could've targeted these players earlier in the window. We've known that Matic would leave for ages now - we also knew that Chalobah wasn't settled here. We should've been looking at strengthening the CM core seriously this summer with that knowledge. Seri is a B2B CM. Cyprien is a creative CM. Both profiles work here in Conte's system. Matuidi's contract ends next year pal - that's why Juventus are offering 15m euros for him. His wages are not that astronomical, and he's reaching the end of his career as a player so a bit of good negotiating would help us seal a decent contract. Wilshere as a 4th CM option is good - yes he's injury prone but we could manage his game time here, and as a 4th CM he wouldn't have had to be available. Badelj is a very similar profile to Matic - deep CM, probably better at passing than him. I was literally just throwing some options out from the top of my head. You can't tell me that none of these players are that unattainable for Chelsea? I have considered all the things you're talking about. Most of the players I've mentioned would fit in Conte's system. Also, how do you know Danny Drinkwater won't ask for high wages either? We can sign as it stands 3 non-HG players, so signing a foreign player isn't that much of a problem. You literally mentioned that Sanches is your preferred option who's foreign so why do you bring that point up for other foreign CMs? Chelsea are champions of England - you think we don't have enough allure to aspire to have a squad as good as Bayern's, Real's or Barcelona (who actually have a pretty average squad btw compared to the other two). Look at Man City - their squad is looking great right now - you're telling me that CFC can't aspire to have a squad like that? Their CM options are KDB, Silva, Toure, Fernandinho, Gundogan - all players that can displace each other if off form or injured. You're telling me we can't aspire to have something like that? I refuse to believe that there is a scarcity of targets at CM left. I've literally just listed players who would probably be interested playing for the Champions. Even so, it's the club's fault for dragging out the summer transfer window to find ourselves in this situation to begin with. Do you genuinely think that Drinkwater at £30m+ is our only realistic option left? The biggest point I'm trying to make here is that £30m is surely a big enough budget to look at other players? Look at someone like Ruben Neves for example moving to the Championship this summer for £15m. Earlier in the summer Leandro Parades went to Zenit for about £20/25m too. That's what you call a smart pick up for Chelsea but people are actually ok with us spending £30m on an average player.

You genuinely don't think there are better midfielders available for £30m? We signed Bakayoko for £5/£10m more. It would be such an uninspiring signing. There are lots of midfielders in France or Germany or even Italy that we could get at that price that would be a much more interesting option than Drinkwater. I'm thinking the likes of Seri, Cyprien, Koziello, Goretzka, Kampl - even someone like Kessie before Milan signed him. Badelj at Fiorentina is probably available for a lot less than Danny is. Heck, even Wilshere who was rumoured to be going to Italy for >£10m would be a better option. Matuidi is available at £15/20m according to latest reports. PSG need to sell. Andre Gomes from Barca might be on the move and would be a much more interesting project. They would all be much better than signing Drinkwater for £30m+. That's literally 10 CMs off the top of my head that I'd rather us sign than Drinkwater.

So you're happy if we spend £30/40m on Drinkwater?

The last sentence is incredible coming from brother. I'm negative about it because the club aren't showing enough ambition. Let me elaborate my thoughts. I would rather have kept Matic here as the 4th CM than see the club spend pretty big money on an average player that won't improve. I don't like the idea of spending £30/40m or whatever it will be to get Drinkwater. There are lots of good midfielders around that I'd rather see the club spend money on. Or I'd rather see the club maybe be a bit more imaginative and find a smart, Azpi-like signing. A Kante, Fabregas, Bakayoko, Matic core isn't bad for example. All midfielders that can displace each other (I know you don't rate Matic but Conte used him lots last year). Drinkwater is worse than all of these players so it doesn't make sense to me that we're gonna spend a huge amount of money on him. If that's negative then I'm sorry I want the club to have a good standard of players across the board as a principle.

Imagine shipping out Matic only to replace him with Drinkwater. What a joke.

Really looks like he'll suit the back three. Comfortable on the ball.

Pogba is the best CM in the league whether people like it or not. In the world? Has to go to main man Luka Modric based on his performances last season. Kroos and Thiago in with a shout too.