King Kante

I am torn on Sancho. Currently, he is still performing as one of the top AM's in the world when based on stats and everyone still needs to remember he is just 19. For me he has massive potential and could end up in Robben territory in regards to ability. As for his current attitude, I am of the opinion he has been tapped up. For me, the way he is acting now seems text book 'how to engineer a move away from your club'. Imo, he is angling for a move in Jan and definitely wants out by Summer. As for whether we should go for him is open to question. Currently, I list our most important areas to improve as: 2CF, LB, CB, AM and CM (GK should really be on the list too but as Kepa somehow cost 72 large ones that is not going to happen.) AM is so low down the list because if we could pull off Werner (which has got to be the biggest no brainer deal since Kante) or a similar type signing that would leave us with a AM cohort of: Puli, CHO, Werner/CF2 and Willian (with an extension.) That for me, would make that area of the squad pretty strong and much more than other areas. That said, if Werner is not possible, then I think we should be looking closely at Sancho as his potential is very high.

This. We need another CB that can marshall the defence. Zouma, AC and Tomori are all CB2/Covering defenders (think Gallas/Riccy C) and Rudi is the only one that is a CB1/Leader (think JT/Cahill). That for me is the second biggest reason we are still conceeding too many goals, with the first being Kepa's inability to control his box and specifically his 6 yard area. So yes, CF2, CB and possibly a AM to replace Pedro (depending on who the CF2 is) are priorities over a LB as Emerson at LB1 and Alonso at LB2 is not the worst combo.

Revolutionised is a bit strong. I have no doubt he would have been a good player for us but Alonso in a LWB position was actually fairly effective, the down fall of the 343/351 system was more to do with the midfield than lwb/lb.

I dunno Sandro whilst a good player was over priced and I think that Juve were just not selling. It is not like the Alves situation where another couple of mil would have done it or the Torres over Kun decision (although I do appriciate these were earlier than the date you stated.)

Our lack of being able to deal with set pieces or high balls is down to a) Kepa and b ) neither Zouma nor Tomori are CB's that are able to organise the defensive line. For me, Kepa is the real issue as our problems with this directly correlate with his arrival. Now people can argue about coaching but I find it hard to believe that two coaching teams have failed to recognise that Kepa stays on his line and does not controll his box (and particualrly his six yard area.) This for me is a massive issue and something that TC never got credit for because if you do this as a keeper you stop a lot of attacks early, which means it goes unnoticed. Whether Kepa can actually improve on this is up for question as I believe that a big reason for it is because he is only 6"1'. The only reason in my book he has not got more flak is because he is very agile and a good shot stopper which means he pulls off some great showreel saves which everyone remembers. To further compound Kepa's weakness is that of all our CB's Rudi is the only one that can organise the back line and he has been injured all season. I know a lot of people are fans of Tomori and Zouma but the problem with those two are that both are what I class a CB2/covering defenders (think Riccy C/Gallas) and not CB1's like JT and Cahill who can marshall the defense. Therefore, until Rudi is back I do not see any improvement as AC also does not seem like a player that can organise, which consequently means we are defending as individuals and not as a team. This is also why I think Zouma will lose his place and possibly be sold as we have three CB's who are CB2's and only one injury prone CB1 (although AC could end up being sold instead.) Either way, until Kepa learns to controll his box (or is replaced) and Rudi returns I do not see how we improve defending set pieces/balls into the box as the tactics seem ok as we are not actually conceeding that many chances but rather we are conceeding too many in relation to the chances that are created.

I agree.

How is it hilarious? I said a January or Summer transfer. Also, I do not see the buy in Jan get in Summer as such a great deal. Most clubs would want the player straight away. I also did not say that he would not cost an obscene amount of money, as he clearly will.

I think Sancho is wanting to move here. Again he is in the press talking, this time that SFL and Drogba were two of his idols. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/jadon-sancho-credits-chelsea-pair-frank-lampard-and-didier-drogba-as-early-inspirations-a4286881.html%3famp This comes on top of similar comments and the picturs that he has with the other youung lads. I would not be surprised if he is brought this January and comes in then or during the Summer.

Not sure about all your figures but if we do get a bid of £90m+ for Kante, I see Granny cashing in.

The biggest problem is that neither of them can organise the back line (Tomori could maybe do this in time but looks more like a recovery CB2.) Both are very good at doing their job and playing well right now but to be CB1 you need to take charge of the back line. This is the reason we have conceeded so many goals as we do not have anyone organising, well that and Kepa being unable to controll his six yard area. I mean the way some people go on about the CB's you would think that as a team we are hardly letting any goals in when we have actually conceeded goals like a midtable team.

Rudi is an issue injury wise. Since 2015 he has had three injuries of over 100 days and another of 70 days+. If he breaks down again questions need to be asked about his ability to stay fit. I also agree on Ake, with a 6"1' keeper who cannot deal with balls into his six yard area, the last thing we need is another short CB. I think it depends on what you're wanting from Zouma. I think most people are ok with him as CB3/4 in the long term but do not see him as a player with the potential to become world class. Further, he would rake in £40m+. Problem is, do you thinking the coaching staff do not know this? I think the conclusion has been made that he is awful at dealing with balls into the box and they are trying to mitigate it as much as possible. Personally, I have never seen a keeper stay on his line for set pieces as much as Kepa does and do not understand why he does it, as any shot/header from 8 yards in he is unlikely to save as it is so close to goal. The biggest problem however, is that teams have started to realise this which is why they are bombarding us from out wide - see Burnley, Ajax and Palace this weekend. For me, Kepa was a panic buy because Granny ballsed up with TC. It was clear he was off from about 18 months prior to Summer 2018 and we did not do anything until he went on strike in mid Aug 2018. I dunno. Chilwell looks way overpriced from my prespective at £60-80m (likely to be the higher end) when players such as Telles and Gaya can probably be had for £30-45m. Totally agree. Our boards dealings have left a lot to be desired and the young boys have kind of bailed them out as lets face it they even thought they would not get a ban this year.

Werner was out of contract at the end of this season and signed an extension in the Summer so that he could leave in 2020 and not completely screw over RB. The figure since he signed has always been stated as €30m which is roughly £27m. The real question that arises is why did he do this? Is it because RB said you're not going Bayern this Summer but if you sign and give us one more year then you will go with our blessing? Is it because he feels a sense of infinity to RB and felt they could do well this year, so he would stay and achieve something meaningful before he left? Or is it because the club that he wants to sign for did not want him this Summer (whether than be due to a ban (us) or because they have players/squads they do not want to unsettle? (Bayern (Lewandowski), Liverpool (their front 3.) Imo, I do not see him signing for Liverpool. I say this as Klopp has already indicated that he only has a few years left there, while the competition for places against their established three will be super tough. I reckon he will end up at Bayern as for the first year he can act as Lewandowski's back up, then the season after he can take over, which makes a lot of sense as there is no international competition in 2021. I do think we have a chance, and a bigger one than Liverpool, but I reckon its likely that he will want to stay in Germany.

Will he? If he waits then a large proportion of the transfer fee he would attract could be taken by him and his agents instead through signing on fees and wages. Moving next Summer only really benefits Dortmund. Further, he does not have to move to a club or early if he does not want to. I mean, Real and Munich seem to be able to do this sort of thing all the time i.e. a) target a player you want, tap him up and c) get him two years later when his value is less. I do not really see why this cannot play out with Sancho as Dortmund is a big club, so it is not like playing another season while you're aged 20-21 with them is going to affect you that much, especially as the next season has no international competition you want to play in and the team you play in do not have a ready made player to replace you with. Further, if he whittles down his contract he gets a larger slice of the pie when he does move.

He does look a good player and it seems slightly crazy that someone did not take that £30m option. However, I think in general most Chelsea fans want Sancho because he is exciting, has a high ceiling, is English and is a Chelsea fan. Problem with Sancho is going to be cost. In my opinion, he is someone we should be looking to get in 2021 or 2022 as he would only be 21-22 at that point and he would either be in his final year or out of contract, whilst he is already playing at a very high level so it is not like he needs to move to improve. Further, we can keep Willian to keep the fort in the mean time (well for 2020-21 anyway.) The main player we should be looking at for this Summer is Werner but as always happens with very good German players, he will probably end up in Munich.

To be fair I do not think anyone thinks he is Messi/CR7 or Zlatan level. Also, I do think playing for Palace, especially when you want to leave means that goal output is lower than if you're playing for a top club. Do not get me wrong, I do not want him but I also do not think he would end up like a Drinky or Baka.

I actually said, I wanted a: CF2 CM (to replace Barkley and because I can see Granny taking £100m bid on Kante) 1 x FB (but was undecided on whether it should be a RB or LB) 1 x AM in 2021 (if Willian extends in the Summer and if not then this Summer) CB (as I do not rate Zouma and I worry about Rudi's fitness) That is 4 players this Summer with a AM in 2021. I never said I wanted two full backs and a AM in 2020 if Willian extends.

I would not go so far as dud but he is a player we should be avoiding. He is cost us a lot as he is Palace's best player and they do not need to sell. He will want massive wages as it will be his last contract and after a couple of seasons his resale value will be zero as he is 27 in a few days and he is a AM who relies on his pace and physical attributes.

Of the experienced players you list. Azpi is limited and not really a RB for the modern game, whilst it would not be surprising to see Willian leave either. Rudi is a concern with his injury record and Zouma splits opinion on his ability level. You appear to see Zouma as a world class CB, whilst I see a good PL defender who isn't taking us to league titles and deep into the CL. As for CM, I do not disagree we have good players but rather that the balance in there is not right as it is currently dominated by small technical players. I do not see that selling Barkley and getting in one of the players I listed is such a crazy idea. RE: youth. Yes, we have talented players but as you point out one of the reasons ours have done so well is due to their loan experiences. Tammy for instance had three years out, and Mount two. The players you are talking about such as Gallagher and Gilmour have has a quarter and zero, so it is a leap to say they are ready to go at this point. The real player we have on our books that could come in is Ampadu but he seems to have problems with growing pains and isn't getting time in Germany. So again, a further year or so of loans may be best for him so that he can play. Lastly, I do not disagree with your last paragraph. However, with Pedro gone and maybe Willian we will need another AM, as we cannot just have CHO, Puli and if brought, Werner as our AM's for a season. At CM we agree that Barkley needs to go so it is just a case of who do you replace him with, another youth, who currently have minimal loan experience (your idea) or a player whos qualities we do not have currently to prove more balance (my idea.) The only thing we seem to really be disagreeing on is CB as you seem comfortable with Rudi's injury record and appear confident that Zouma is world class, or will be shortly.

I think SFL is currently playing with what he has. Our biggest weakness at the moment is set pieces and second to Kepa not being able to control his 6 yard area, our lack of physical presence is a big reason for that. RLC has not seen on season out and is 24 now. We cannot keep thinking of him as a kid. As for Gallagher, yes he looks promising but I do not want to become Le Arse MK.II and just relying on kids as it does not win you trophies. Even Utd and Barca complimented their great youth generations with top pros and did not build them just on the young boys. Utd for instance had players like Schmichael, Bruce, Palister, Irwin, Robson, Hughes etc, while they spent big on players such as Cole, Yorke etc. Barca were buying the likes of Ronaldinho, Neymar and Suarez. Those teams never just went with kids. As a disclaimer, I love what we are doing now with the young boys but we need to not get romantic about it like Le Arse did or allow for another round of crap/ill suited signings like we pulled off in 2017.

I think at CM, we need a bigger/more physical player in there as we are quite lightweight. RLC does not look like he will ever be fit for a season/be able to play 90 minutes consistently, whilst Barkley is not good enough. CF, we need real competition for Tammy and if we were to get a player like Werner he could also play AM. AM requires at least four players for a long season, whilst I personally want Sancho I would be happy to wait another year owing to him only having two left at the end of this year. At CB Rudi is a concern with the amount of injuries he has had in his career, whilst for a lot of people Zouma is not good enough and the jury is still out on AC. At both LB and RB we do need another attacking FB but for who and which side is still open for debate. Another thing to remember is that this season still has a lot of football to be played before we can say where we are exactly and to know if the squad is deep enough. One thing we also want to avoid is to not fall into the Le Arse trap of thinking we will just use the young boys and not win anything for now as in a couple of years they will all be stars.

First post but longer term lurker. I think transfer wise there is still a bit to do at the club and Granny needs to ensure that we go hard for the right positions and players. Imo, we are probably 3-4 players away from being a great team that can challenge for the PL but it will require us to get things right. If I were in charge, I would look at the following positions: 1) CB - I still think position is still an issue, even with the recent upturn in performances. For me, Rudi is a big, big concern regarding injury as he has had three knee injuries in his career and he still sounds like he is some way off with his current one. Zouma also fails to convince me that he is a long term CB1/2. AC and Tomori for me are still good prospects, although AC needs to step up his intensity and physicality this year. As a result, I think we should be looking to buy a CB for the first XI. In regards to signings, I think Dias is a good shout and I believe his sign out is €80m not £80m which make him just above the going rate. Personally, I think he has a lot of potential and is more importantly obtainable owing to his fixed buyout. After that Romagnoli would be my other choice but he is difficult to get as he is Milan's main man. KK is now too old and expensive. 2) CF - Giroud will be gone soon and Bats is a good 3rd choice option who only handy in the box except for the odd flash here and there. Personally, I would have Bats stay as 3rd choice but would be ok with him leaving. In regards to signings, Werner here has to be the one we go after and should be our No.1 target as he has a €30m buy out and he can play AM as well as CF which gives flexibility with Tammy and the situation at AM. Mbappe in my opinion is going to Real so everyone can forget about him. As for Neymar he can jog on with his attitude. AM - Pedro will not be here next season and Willian is questionable. That leaves us with CHO and Puli. If we could get Werner, I would maybe think about giving Willian (if Bats stays as CF3) an extra year as I think CHO, Puli, Werner and Willian would be ok, although maybe a little light. Sancho here has to be the long term target and if handled properly I do not think he will be as expensive as everyone thinks as he only has two years left in the Summer. Personally, I reckon it may be worth waiting until 2021 to get him as he is only 19, playing week in, week out for a big team and at that point would be a lot cheaper. 4) CM. I do not think the balance in the squad is quite right at the moment and I can see Granny wanting to take £100m+ if we were to get such an offer for Kante (he is my fav player so not something I want to see.) Further, RLC looks like a player that will never be fit consitently and Barkley should be sold asap. As a result, I think we will need to buy a more physical midfield player. Options here for me would be Nditi (hard, owing to Leicester's situation) Milinkovic Savic (will be sold this summer) or Harvetz (heir to Ballack.) 5) FB. These positions are somewhere I expect to see something happen but I am not sure what exactly. Personally I am ok with Emerson and Alonso as a combo at LB as I do not see how we upgrade easily without vast expense. If however Alonso wants to go, I think we should look at Telles or Gaya. Chilwell is vastly overpriced and if Leicester get CL next season, they have zero incentive to sell unless it is stupid money. At RB, things are probably more difficult. James is still yet to be blooded and Dave is the captain in a very inexperienced squad. Obviously, Dave going forward is a big issue but we do not know where James is really at. RB is still at a wait and see situation in my book.