Jase

You're confusing this with Tomo's own suggestion. The main point here is getting a striker that Lampard can trust to step in for Abraham when needed - be it through rotation or providing competition for the main spot.

You're just going around in circles. The situation is largely the same. If we sell Batshuayi and get what Lampard wants, the replacement will likely start games, come on Abraham as sub etc with Giroud remaining as 3rd choice. If we sell Giroud and get what Lampard wants, that replacement will likely be 2nd choice - moving ahead of Batshuayi - and be trusted to start games, come out to make a difference etc.

Yeah and Lampard clearly doesn't fancy Giroud...

But what's the point when Giroud is barely used at all?

It was just one match. How many times has Batshuayi been preferred over Giroud this season?

But who out there right now fits that bill?

How is it "perfectly fine" when Lampard has barely played him? How is it "perfectly fine" when Giroud is clearly behind Batshuayi(!!) in the pecking order?

You do realize he's become injury prone, right? This is his injury record since the start of 2017/18 season... https://www.transfermarkt.com/ousmane-dembele/verletzungen/spieler/288230 Sept 17, 2017 - Jan 1, 2018 -- Hamstring injury Jan 15, 2018 - Feb 10, 2018 -- Torn muscle bundle Jan 21, 2019 - Feb 8, 2019 -- Ankle injury Mar 14, 2019 - Apr 9, 2019 -- Torn muscle bundle May 5, 2019 - June 16, 2019 -- Hamstring injury Aug 19, 2019 - Sept 22, 2019 -- Hamstring injury Sept 27, 2019 - Sept 30, 2019 -- Muscle injury Nov 28, 2019 - Feb 13, 2020 -- Hamstring injury

Chelsea 2-1 Lille PRE/POST-MATCH DISCUSSION, LIVE CHAT AND ANALYSIS 2019/20 Champions League Group Stage Match 6 10th December, Tuesday 2019 Stamford Bridge 20:00 Kick Off (UK time)

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/12/06/chelsea-launch-blistering-attack-fifa-manchester-city-bias-transfer/

Oh boy...

Not a fan of Zaha but for laughter, would like to see us sign him, just to see the pure outrage.

Jovic you mean? It's not a bad idea but we would then have to "wait" for Jovic to adapt to the team, new league, new country etc. Can he hit the ground running immediately? Will he struggle? Unless a prime target becomes available, I'd think Batshuayi will be kept around at least until the end of the season. Giroud is the one likely to leave.

Anyone up for signing Christian Eriksen?

We're talking about hypothetical situation obviously but unless we buy a new ST in January, selling Batshuayi instead of Giroud is just plain daft. Those 2 aren't great but it's clear who Lampard prefers in the team.

I suspect the release clause that Brendan Rodgers mentioned is still there, just increased now with the new deal.

Give them 40 million + Giroud + Drinkwater.

This says we have £150 million to spend in January. Make of that what you will... https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/12/06/frank-lampard-has-150m-spend-january-chelsea-transfer-ban-overturned/

If this kind of deal is possible, don't you think a lot more clubs would have done it? The situation with Pulisic was different one. He had only 1 1/2 years left on his Dortmund contract when we announced the signing and we arguably paid a little more $$$ to get the deal done in January because of the transfer ban. Chilwell and Sancho have more years left on their contracts - 4 1/2 and 2 1/2 respectively come January - and with bidding wars expected next summer, especially for Sancho, there's no chance Leicester/Dortmund will agree to that kind of deal unless we pay over the odds for them.