OneMoSalah

Zaha plays for Galatasaray now.

Who knows they did just receive best part of £50 odd mill for Henderson and Fabinho so could they throw that on top of the £40, 42, 45m they've bid for Lavia over last few weeks? Hopefully not but if they do then I’m afraid to say the footballing people have to take a look at themselves. The amount of players we’ve bought for Strasbourg, could have easily spent £20m less and put it towards Caicedo deal a month ago. In fact after we balanced the books and offloaded all of the players we didn’t want/didn’t need, why wasn’t Caicedo signing our first priority? Particularly when City, Arsenal and United were in for Rice? Did we think we could strong arm Brighton into a cheap deal months after they rejected £70m and the kid signed a new deal?

Strange move but maybe one that gives him a bit of a platform. I doubt it though - he’s always thought he’s better than he is and has never delivered. Jesus youve a hard on for Mount do you

Adams is a poor move. I’m sorry but really if we are signing him ahead of Caicedo or even Lavia, then we have got big big issues with the footballing department. Like it is blatantly obvious he isn’t any better than what we have. Although if he does well then it will be a surprise but honestly, I’d of rather we kept every midfielder we have let go in the past 12 months than sign Tyler Adams. And that says a lot. If Liverpool get Caicedo also - wow. I mean we are fucking about not offering Southampton £50m for Lavia, instead offering £48m… fucking 2m off their asking price. What are we doing?

So we will offer €110m euros for Caicedo? Christ. Whats that about £95m? Jesus I bet they reject it still

We will be fine. As will City. I cannot see the PL doing anything brutal to the two most successful PL clubs in the last 15-20 years. It will be fines and thats it. As usual. They won’t make an example of any of the two clubs. No titles stripped, no point deductions, you know, the usual bullshit people want to happen but then would say that would be unfair they did it to us 😂 This discussion was going on when they were on about City fiddling their books etc, it’s all just going to end up going to CAS and then will be 4-6 years of the usual bullshit in the court “their word against our word” and it’ll be reduced down to a slap on the wrists and a fine to bring it to an end. I mean a lot of these clubs, us included, really don't have a leg to stand on about anything morally to do with the sport, particularly after the European Super League fiasco.

IIRC Torres had 2 similar big surgeries on the same knee in the space of 5 months prior to the 2010 World Cup then injured his thigh during the WC so would say that any sort of situation re his injuries and Nkunku’s not particularly comparable - which is good. Not to mention the repeated hamstring and groin injuries he had suffered from 2008/09 seasons onwards… but any big injuries to our players and people think a players finished for sure. No doubt whenever Nkunku comes back after 2 or 3 games if he doesn’t get up to speed immediately people on here will say he’s done…. like they normally do. I think he will be fine, I don’t think its a reoccurring injury and people reading too much into it. Then thats without mentioning as you said about Torres outside of finishing and running, he wasn’t a technically outstanding footballer. If anything he had to get better at that side of the game here - because his legs were gone.

Palace is a strange move for him, don’t see him starting there immediately at LB or at CM. Did hear rumblings he was linked as part of any deal for Olise but does look like its going to a loan. If he plays though, Hodgson be a good manager to give him a proper grounding.

Strasbourg going to have some team this season 😂 be interesting to see if any of these guys actually play if they go there Angelo, Deivid Washington, Zakharyan (well if we sign him), Ugochukwu (if he goes on loan).

Going up against VVD and Konate will be a good lesson and barometer for him. I think he has the attributes and athleticism to cause them problems but he also has to be a bit cute at times because physically both are very strong and will not get bashed about by him easily but so far, he has shown a lot of nice touches and ability to play with his back to goal and also swap it up by running in behind. So should be a good battle.

Perhaps. I think there was a huge clamouring for him to get a shot at LB after his season at Burnley but I don’t know was that more because Cucurella struggled or if he actually done well enough there to look like he could cut if as a LB for us. Although then again, last summer folk were saying Cucurella was a pretty good signing and we had the 2 best LB options in the PL so just shows how fickle football can be 😂 I still think with a bit of coaching and confidence he will be a pretty good wee player for us here but his price tag was always too high. But Boehly’s to blame for that. If Maatsen plays in attacking positions then maybe it means we will see Hall if Cucurella struggles. Be nice to see how it unfolds at LB actually because I think having the likes of Maatsen, Hall and Cucurella to compete with Chilwell, although all may not necessarily just be restricted to playing as a LB, it gives Poch a nice headache.

I think it’ll be interesting to see if Poch uses him as a LB in the PL ahead of Cucurella at times when we swap/rotate out Chilly. Not seen all the pre-season games he played a lot further forward in some of them I seen.

Think he had 2 big injuries in his first seasons at Ajax - meniscus and ankle - then a weird rib injury he got playing for Ghana in amongst then which kept him out for 2/3 months. But if you read the Nkunku thread, apparently two big injuries means you’ll never run again/will be washed up etc etc so yeah…

Shame as he’s looked promising in pre-season. Bad luck. Wouldn't say he’ll be washed up but typical OTT shit the bed “should of known this would happen prior to signing him” or whatever 😂 Pretty sure its not the same knee he injured in Germany. Although not 100% sure on that but was doing the rounds. But even then, injuries are unfortunately part and parcel of football here in the last few seasons.

Still an awful deal for us lets be honest. Not anywhere near an improvement on what we have in there as it is. Would of been better just going with what we have, putting faith in Casadei and Santos because not sure Adams will play regularly here in all honesty. Unlike Caicedo but thats not happening. I get TA is a another body in an area we are depleted in but its top level quality and experience we need in there to help the younger guys we already have and he offers neither of those things. Just even more proof that it was either Caicedo plan A then bust, like Saul and Zakaria signings were, its the usual who’s available as opposed to who is the right player. Lavia links have been so quiet all summer really bar “we are following him” too so would say it’ll probably be Adams unless we do something else. Realistically we still need a 9, a central midfielder and another attacker. I think if these 3 signings are top players who have a bit and can elevate the the younger guys and will contribute hugely, then we have a 90% a chance of getting 4 easily.

No but between them and FIFA, if the other big clubs & leagues keep complaining or get the impression their standings could be under threat they’re going to look into doing something, aren’t they? No way FIFA & UEFA are going to easily let the Saudi’s disrupt the established order so to speak in European & World football. I mean look at how many big clubs wanted a European Super League to protect their status and prevent being knocked off their perch as elitist clubs in a non relegation, money spinning league… Is the Saudi money and league going to reignite this sort of idea? I wouldn’t be surprised and then the narrative will be “the Saudi investment means we had to do this”.

I honestly don’t think it will happen at all at this rate. Even more so now considering the statement/reports re their stance. If we really want him just offer them £95m and if they don’t accept that give them the £100m. We are already going to be overpaying by about £30-40m might as well overpay by £50m if it means its the difference between getting him or not getting him. There is clearly no plan B.

If our starting pivot is Enzo and Gallagher we will get humped in midfield. Simple as that. They have got good attack minded players in midfield with AMC and Szoboszlai so having two guys who aren’t the best defensively or positionally partnered up in there would be a big risk. And we don’t want them being given any opportunity to find the likes of Salah, Nunez or Diaz. Although Bayern showed that Liverpool are still very much not as strong as they have been defensively. Preseason is preseason also though be different matter competitively

Simon Phillips and his opinions strike again. Obviously any deal getting Lukaku out of the club makes sense for Chelsea… even if we got Rickie Lambert or Grant Holt in return. I mean talk about pointing out the obvious.

Sanchez for 25m. Was displaced pretty easily last season and for me doesn’t strike me as someone who’s going to realistically displace Kepa. So I think its fair to say Kepa is going to be our number 1. But wonder if we will get anywhere for Caicedo now - although again wouldn’t be surprised if we fuck about for another week and offer like a 5m raise on last offer then shite the bed on deadline day for like 100-110m.

This obsession with putting James in the pivot is ridiculous. Like it makes no sense at all. We need someone to play a more restricted/disciplined role next to Enzo as he isn’t disciplined or defensively strong enough to be that player so why the obsession with putting a RB - who’s greatest strengths are getting up and down the pitch, affecting the game in the final third - in that position? Playing him on the righthand side of a 3 man MF would maybe make more sense but as a more disciplined midfielder? No sense.

Well we appointed some of RB Leipzigs footballing people so this was bound to happen eventually - links to a poor player who they know well and know is available due a relegation despite the fact he wasn’t particularly good at either Leeds or Leipzig. Avoid. Pretty sure he just ran about for 90 minutes kicking people under Jesse Marsch at both clubs. People complaining about not signing Gvardiol because of Fofana really are clueless too. Like properly. Fofana played RCB in a 3 under Tuchel, Koulibaly played LCB in our 3 under Tuchel 🤷‍♂️ And even then, going for him this summer would only of made sense if we were not keeping Levi as we already signed Badiashile. Some of you need to open your eyes a bit and watch football to see what their strongest foot is, be mindnumbingly retarded and pointless having Badiashile, Colwill and Gvardiol here at once who are all young, left footed centre backs, who prefer playing on that left hand side when we play a back 4 with Poch, no? Be like having 8 left wingers but no right wingers. Or 6 GKs. Just daft as fuck.

Honestly think this will be the same as Chinese league. But the Saudi’s have the money to sustain what their doing. It’s going to get very out of hand either way and they will not go bankrupt like certain Chinese clubs did but I think UEFA & FIFA are going to end up coming down on them hard as a lot of big European clubs will be extremely concerned. The money Saudi have in comparison to European clubs/owners is incomprehensible really but I think that if they keep going like this for 2 or 3 years, European clubs will continue to complain but this may lead to much more stringent financial rules/shackles being put in place for all football clubs as well as them as I cannot see it being one rule for one one rule for another. But at the same time, some clubs would never get the money they’ve gotten for certain players also and like us doing multiple deals with those clubs - its also encouraged the Saudi’s to spend spend spend. So it is a bit hypocritical for the likes of Klopp, Pep, ourselves or whoever to be completely up in arms about it. The PL did do the same to other huge clubs in foreign leagues with the TV deals, clubs who finish in positions 7,8,9,10 here can spend £100-150m and barely bat an eyelid.

Has anyone watched Disasi frequently (and not on a 2-3 minute sped up ‘Welcome to Chelsea’ youtube compilation with a dodgy EDM tune either)? Haven’t seen him play and reading mixed reports. Some saying good some saying bad. At least hes not another 18-19 year old though and has actually got a bit of experience by looks of it. And has some NT games for France. Also wouldn’t be surprised if United are in for Caicedo. Although could just be Brighton trying to get us to up our bid but at the same time they’ve repeatedly been saying they wont sell him unless their valuations met and their manager also made a jibe at us about having European football so wanting to keep him. So I don’t get why Brighton would make it up either. Utd have been following him since he played in Ecuador, nearly signed him ahead of Brighton and have been linked to another midfielder (Amrabaat in particular). Picking from Eriksen, Mount, Fernandes, Casemiro, Caicedo/Amrabat would be pretty strong but also hard to see who plays every week and for the price of Caicedo - seems a risky thing to do. But then at the same time, reading a lot about them wanting to sell Fred, McTominay and Van der Beek so obviously they still want to get some more quality in there. I just hope its not City or Liverpool though as thought they were out of race (despite City going in for Rice).

But wasn't everybody shouting about how Todd had won the spreadsheet championship for us because we sold like £200m worth of unwanted players and therefore had reduces our wagebill by 30-40m a season this summer? Not to mention all the pro talk of the incentive based contracts/deals meaning no superstar contracts? Now because United, who alongside Barca, Madrid and Bayern, are one of the biggest sides in European football have gotten another £15m a season on a sponsorship deal everything is fucked? Or because we might only get a £20 or 30m sponsorship as opposed to a £40m or £50m one? Lets just face it, that may just be the reality of everything with the clubs imagine after the whole situation & restrictions put on us by the government prior to the sale or after finishing 12th under new ownership where a lot of questions have yet to be answered.