Bir_CFC

In: Costa - 32M Koke - 50M Tiago - Free Luis - 18M or Shaw - 30M Courtois - Loan Return Lukaku - Loan Return Total = 100M or 112M Out: Luiz - 48M Mikel - 8M Marin - 4M Cole - Free Lamps - Free Total = 50M Net spend: Treble = 50M or 62M Courtois Azpi - Cahill - Terry - Luis/Shaw Matic Koke - Oscar Willian - Costa - Hazard Subs: Schwarzer, Ivanovic, Omeruo, Tiago, Ramires, Schurrle, Lukaku Reserves: Blackman, PVA, Chalobah, MVG, Salah, Torres DONE!

Do it Chelsea! In: Costa - 32M Koke - 50M Tiago - Free Luis - 18M Courtois - Loan Return Lukaku - Loan Return Total = 100M Out: Luiz - 48M Mikel - 8M Marin - 4M Cole - Free Lamps - Free Total = 50M Net spend: Treble = 50M Courtois Azpi - Cahill - Terry - Luis Matic Koke - Oscar Willian - Costa - Hazard Subs: Schwarzer, Ivanovic, Omeruo, Tiago, Ramires, Schurrle, Lukaku Reserves: Blackman, PVA, Chalobah, MVG, Salah, Torres DONE!

Pogba is a huge talent. I'd love him here but 60-65M is way too much. He's got potential to be world class but he's not there yet imo. 40M would be a fair fee. Plus I feel playing him in a double pivot will harm his influence on the pitch. He'll be asked to be a lot more disciplined than you'd ideally want from such a dynamic player. He's got a lot of freedom playing in that Juve midfield, he won't be allowed that if he's asked to play in a 2 man midfield. 4-3-3 would be the ideal system if we do buy him. Just another reason to try out 4-3-3 next season, especially as that would suit Oscar as well. Matic Oscar - Pogba Willian - Costa - Hazard

Sounds like he had a good game. Excited for him. Always liked him, always showed a great attitude.

What position are they both playing?

Jose dropped Mata for Oscar, why would be buy Kroos to replace Oscar then? Should have just kept Mata if he was ok playing a passenger at CAM. Kroos doesn't seem like a Mourinho type player. I doubt there's any truth to these rumours.

That's exactly my point. Why spend money on buying Luis, a short term option when most likely we'll have to make another purchase (short term is our prospects are close or long term if they aren't) soon. Why not just spend the 30M on Shaw then? The only argument against Shaw is that we can get as good if not better first choice LB that can give us close to the same number of years he could. Spending 15m every 3 years, I rather pay over the top for Shaw instead. Tiago and Luis are completely different scenarios because it feels as a youngster will most likely replace Tiago but that won't be the case with Luis. You're looking at another acquisition before the current LB youngsters can be relied upon. Financially, a short term purchase doesn't make sense for the LB position, while it does for CM.

So you're telling me the club who isn't playing the current 18-20 year old huge talents in our youth reserve teams will finally take that chance with the current LB prospects? If you believe that, then fair enough, but I don't see Chelsea giving 18 year old chances to become a first choice LB, not because Chelsea is evil but because it's very unlikely and 18 year old is physically ready to be first choice at a club who plays 60 matches every year. If so then why are you for Tiago? Surely Chalobah, Loftus Cheek and Baker are at the age you consider they should become first choice players. You seem to be taking both sides of the argument.

Because there aren't really any great talents in youth / reserve set up for that LB spot as opposed to plenty for the CM spot. Aina is a RB, or a CB. He's played LB, but not his best position. And Jay is 15, he has talent, but he's way too young to be ready in 3 years. Nditi isn't good enough to make it here. Aziz deen-conteh is gone already. Mou doesn't rate Bertrand and I don't think PVA will ever be Chelsea first choice material. So you tell me who else is there other than another purchase?

Except in Tiago's case, there actually are youngsters in line behind him, so the short term plan makes sense. Not in the case of our LB. There is no sense in a short term purchase because the next LB, will also be a purchase and not a youngster.

I can understand an argument for Chalobah but Loftus Cheek? Really? There is no way he's ready to be part a top 5 European team.<br /> I can understand the excitement and inclination for everyone to get youth players into the squad but let's be realistic. These guys just played a youth cup and you want then to jump from that to the PL? <br /> Patrick Roberts was one of the best youth/reserve players in all of England and he didn't get into Fulham's team for goodness sake.

If we have money to throw around then ok, but our priority should be striker or two and a CM or two. And then a LB. <br /> If there is any chance you compromise on other targets to sign Shaw, I don't agree with that. Worst case scenario you continue with our player of the year Azpi. I rather do that then start the season with a Matic and Ramires pivot. <br /> <br /> Striker - 40m<br /> CM - 30-40M<br /> <br /> If money left over the make a bid for Shaw. If not, continue with Azpi.

Maybe it's just an insurance, MVG coming back from a long term injury and Chalobah may struggle as well. I don't mind having a little insurance. Plus I don't think Mou will rely on "stupid" Ramires as much as last year either.

With potentially 3 midfielders leaving, he would be welcome as a depth option. <br /> <br /> 3 out (Luiz, Mikel, Lamps) <br /> 3 in (World class CM, Tiago, Chalobah)

Deep lying playmaker.

Pogba is a talent will turn into a beast of a player, but I feel a DLP is required next to Matic. I want a passing midfielder, Koke would be a dream come true for me.

Athletico are knackered and have so many yellow cards, they should go for it now.

I don't know the whole sub was weird with everyone's body language. It was almost like it was planned that Costa will be subbed after 10 mins. Just so Real don't get a mental boost before kick-off.

Will Athletico really be willing to lose Costa, Courtois & Koke in one summer? If for some reason they would, then I'd pay whatever they want for Koke. Even more so than Pogba. I rate him very very high.

Neil Ashton definitely has some good CFC sources. He's been spot on several times when it comes to Chelsea.

No one is celebrating transfer fees. Everyone is excited because we believe Chelsea will reinvest all of that if not more back into the team, unlike Arsenal who sell their first team players and then loan in Benayouns. You best believe no one here would still be happy if this was the only transfer that happens all summer, even if he gets sold for 60M. Think of it as Luiz for Costa + Moreno.

Apparentely, it's 50M with wages included, more like 25-30M transfer fee and the rest wages. Even so, not a bad deal, better than selling him to Bayern. I'd take that.

He's definitely showed his quality, but with Cahll & Terry probably continuing to start 80-90% of the time. Furthermore, considering we'd sign a LB, I'm guessing Azpi goes back to RB and Ivanovic becomes that 3rd CB and if Luiz is still here then it'd be another season like last for Kalas. He needs regular game time, similar to Lukaku a few years back, he's good enough to be a squad player but it's better in the long run for him to get consistent playing time for the better of his development. I was hoping this happened last year too, but hopefully the little exposure he got, now gets him a PL loan instead.

Reports linking him to a loan move to either Bundesliga or PL next season. Jose wants him to get more experience and then come back. Kalas seems to prefer Bundesliga, while in the PL, Villa, Hull & Newcastle have expressed an interest to sign him. I think it's a good idea to loan him out, with Terry re-signing he won't get a lot of chances so it's best to get a loan and get some good experience.

You're missing the point. I'm not arguing about the actual players. But rather the idea of how we should be looking at homegrown players. We shouldn't be buying players just for the sake of them being homegrown. Buy if they improve the squad and if they happen to be homegrown, even better. If Jose is going to play Hilario 20 games a season then even he is worth keeping. The actual players we have and their roles is a separate discussion.