Sideshow Luiz

Typically, yes. But they are currently 3rd in La Liga. I think they are trying to make a real push. They are 2 points behind Atletico Madrid in 2nd, and 3 points ahead of Real Madrid in 5th.

Doesn't look like it. They had better not embarrass Cesc by trotting him out again.

https://www.alfredopedulla.com/esclusiva-chelsea-nuovi-contatti-paredes-barella/ Translation from Italian -> Pedulla-English. "Exclusive: Chelsea, new contacts for Paredes. And on Barella ... A midfielder and also a striker, from here you can not escape. Chelsea should do it quickly enough, simply because it has a busy schedule and people need more rotation. Update on Barella: evidently it is not done, as they wrote in England, but the strong interest that has to be realized has remained. Chelsea has thought of a £ 45 million bid, but the budget also includes the need to take a striker (Higuain the first name, polls for Cavani, Bournemouth Wilson a suggestion) and so you have to be patient. Even more so if we think that Chelsea has already spent 64 million to hire Pulisic from next July. Marina Granovskaia has given herself a pause for reflection, but soon we will enter the living. In the meantime contacts with Zenit have continued for Leandro Paredes, the other name on the list, and is confirmed by the fact that the excellent relations with the Russian club can make the difference. At that point they would scramble the cards for Barella, hunted by Napoli (ready to offer 4 million per season), with Inter apparently on standby for an operation to be closed now for July. And in the meantime Giulini is working with Burdisso to perfect the agreement on Nandez with Boca. The cards, however, can be remixed every day, taking into account that the interest Psg for Allan has not so far led to the famous bid announced. So, everything can still happen, for sure we will not be bored." "...but soon we enter the living".

I'm not entirely convinced that the Europa league matches would have done anything. I'm not sure that 4 matches is the difference between signing a long term deal, and making waves for another club. Sure, didn't help, but you've been at the club since 7. So 4 matches? I'm not convinced.

Or risk simply selling him in the summer when it's more convenient for them to lose him.

I agree. Sarri had his line up, and his A-Team and B-Team. He wanted the A-team together as much as possible because everyone needed to be on the same page. Then, it was Barkley (who had the entire training camp, and worked his ass off to his credit) getting integrated with Kovacic. RLC was a late returner, and he started to get more and more time. I think we all agree that CHO should have had more minutes from the start, but he's 18 and 4th in line behind a top 5 in the world player, a Brazilian international, and Pedro who took to the system like a fish to water. What's a new manager to do? We could see CHO was getting in to the plans more, and it wasn't just after the Bayern interest. He came on as a sub before Giroud a few weeks back, and may well have been in line for a start if he didn't hurt himself.

Are you suggesting that a player would use interest from another team to get themselves a better contract? In football? No....never.....

I was thinking, the other day. Our whole youth playing time thing has really boiled over this season (because of CHO), but really: when was the last time we had this many minutes out of our academy players? AC, Ampadu, CHO, RLC. I haven't looked in to it, but surely this is our best season in ages in regards to academy players and their play time, no? I know AC got a lot last season and takes up a lot of minutes on his own, but he was the only one

that's okay. Just a set back. I think he'll be getting plenty of minutes when he's back, and for seasons to come. He's Sarri's first midfielder off the bench.

Same as before, man. It's all reports from Germany. For most of my news (no offence to this board), I check out the chealseafc reddit. They're usually the quickest with stories.

I doubt the CHO thing is affecting Barella. We have to buy him, Cesc has already had his good bye, can't trot him out there again and embarrass him. The CHO thing sucks, a lot. But RLC and Ampadu signed new deals, so they want to be here bad enough to wait for their chance. All is not glum.

I'm not convinced enough for a purchase.

Basically. If you want a player in the winter window you have to overpay. No one wants to lose a member of the squad half way through the season. It has to be an offer that's too good to refuse. We've paid those premiums a number of times. It's the facts of the winter window.

Not convinced about that You'd have to show me a test. Everyone is going to be over priced this window. Especially a striker. Loan move for Higuain seems to be the best bet on the table. But, only a loan. Needs to be sorted out in the summer. Big time.

Well, you only say you want to f**k her. Neither I nor she believes that. So, if you don't you should be financially liable to her. Edit: I should add, well, she is with another guy so, I can't really get too salty about it. If I really love her, I guess I'll have to wait.

I think you're good for at least 1 of those. Kovacic to start, I'm pretty sure he was rested for Spurs. Expect Alonso. Willian/CHO 50/50. I expect us to go with a F9 again, so if Willian starts, CHO will come off the bench. Giroud next for Pedro.

If Morata and Silva switched shirts mid-match, would anyone notice?

If you really want him and he really wants you, a summer move isn't out of the question. If neither of you want it anymore, then this is all moot. If I met a girl and I told her how much I loved her and she's perfect for me, blah blah blah, but she said she couldn't go out with me this week, I'd have to wait until next week. Well, if I said no, I can't wait that long, then I think we'd have to question the sincerity of my interest.

And Sancho too. I didn't include him because clubs don't typically sell players they need in the winter. We have to replace the HG status with another English player. It's not crazy in a world where only Bayern Munich and CHO get everything they want.

Except that we don't HAVE to do any of that. Has no one ever aid "no" to you before? Did you try to try to find a way to make them liable for saying "no"? If we feel we need him, why do we have to sell him? And why in God's name would anyone make an agreement like the one you are proposing? "Let's keep things as they are now, but make me monetarily liable if you're not happy enough". I'll tell you what. Let's take your deal and turn it the other way. If Bayern and CHO don't think he's needed. How about you buy him for 50M, and in every match where we would have played him, you give us another 10M. Put your money where your mouth is (when I say 'your' I obviously mean Bayern Munich) Like I said to you before, we need him. If Bayern and/or CHO don't believe that's fine. If neither party can wait until the summer, Bayern can make an offer that we couldn't afford to turn down. Give us Lewandowski, Alaba, and Thiago on loan until the end of the season, and buy us Icardi in the summer. I'm sure we'd say yes to that.

It doesn't matter whether Bayern or CHO believe it. Both parties can believe whatever they want. He's got 18 months left on his contract and if we don't feel like we can sell him this winter, then we don't have to. If Bayern and CHO find this unacceptable, they are welcome to work out a deal where they buy us a replacement up front. Preferably English as that's worth quite a bit to us. How about Sancho? Not selling him this winter can be absolutely arranged without any kind of financial liability. In fact, it's currently what is happening right now.

That doesn't make any sense. He has 18 months left on his contract. How is he available now, but not in the summer? And how do we have to pay up if he doesn't get any game time? If he werne't needed, and we were just trying to milk more money out of you, that would be one thing, but he's actually needed right now. We have 4 wingers and 2 of them are injured. What exactly is stopping us from not selling him and playing him as much as the manager feels like, like any other player? If he still wants to go in the summer, and you still want him, what's the issue?

Well, you waited for Lewandowski and Lewandowski waited for you for 18 months, why is it different now? Regardless if Bayern or CHO like it, he's needed right now and he plays for us. There are a number of things that I personally would like, right now. But, it doesn't work that way. Lots of players would like a move that they can't have right now, I don't see why CHO is an exception to that. We want Pulisic. Pulisic wants us. But, Dortmund need him right now, so he's staying there for the next 6 months. If he really wants Bayern, and Bayern really want him, what's another 6 months for both parties.

I'm thinking that this is the best choice. No one is talking about stalling his career for 18 months or trying to ruin him. We don't keep players who don't want to be here, but we also don't let players leave in the middle of the season when we are shorthanded (see Diego Costa 2 winters ago). If he wants to leave, and doesn't want to sign a new contract, okay, we have to let him go in the summer. If he wants to leave now, we need a replacement, and he'll have to wait. Even Cesc has to wait, and he's already said his good-byes to his team mates.

This is starting to get very Hulk-ish. Every window.