Leif

Since 1976, the only non-Italians players to score more goals than Cavani in Serie A are Crespo and Batistuta. Not bad eh. That's Crespo with over triple the amount of appearances when compared to Cavani and around 80 more goals. With Cavani hitting around 30 goals in a season, he would have more than likely scored more goals than Crespo in Serie A in 7 seasons less. Also, 1 more goal this season (Cavani had around 3 wrongly ruled offside it must be added) and I believe he would have been only the 3rd(?) player in Italian top-flight history to score 30+ goals in a single league season.

Apparently about to sign Christian Atsu from Porto for bloody £3m ffs. I don't really see him as much better than Sterling to be honest. Let's sign Sterls!

I think Rafa is looking to replicate the sort of set-up he used at Liverpool, but I could be completely off. Although quite different players, I get the feeling he wants to use Mertens in a work-horse Kuyt role (although Mertens is probably more talented). There's also rumours he wants to sign Mascherano and slot him into midfield. Hopefully Mertens succeeds there. Only thing with a question mark about this however is the fact that Mertens has typically performed very well vs. the 'smaller' teams but often gone missing vs. the likes of Ajax and even Vitesse.

When do we ever pay a transfer fee which equates to what a player is currently worth? Hazard cost more than he was 'worth' - but a lot of the fee in that transfer was to do with potential and simply matching other clubs trying to sign him - and now the transfer fee is starting to look spot on. Drogba wasn't worth what we paid for him at the time. But again, we paid for potential. Piazon was absolutely nowhere near worth what we paid for him, and the same could be said for just about any youth player we've ever paid over £2m to sign! Cavani is probably worth £30m at most based on how many goals he scores and what he brings to a team etc. Throw in £10-£15m for the potential factor now. Then anything else that we pay on top of that £40-£45m is simply to to force Napoli's hand into selling, because really, they don't need to sell do they? And if they do sell, they need money to then buy players to fill his void! They're not mugs. We can't just rip them off. The reported price makes complete sense. These sorts of prices are only stupid, for lack of a better word, when a player can't get any better, like the Torres signing, or Madrid signing Kaka and so on. If you take into account inflation etc, this would be around the same price we payed for Drogba when Drogba was the same age as Cavani currently is. Difference between the two? Cavani tears up Serie A and has broken numerous records now whereas Drogba was just 'very good' in Ligue 1. (All that bolding of words has turned me on.) You don't buy arguably the best pure striker in world football easily or cheaply.

Loads of inside agents on here who know exactly which quotes are real/fake

The fact he gets played on the wing for his country just shows how valuable his work rate actually is. He's a far superior finisher to Suarez but without Cavani's work rate on the side Uruguay would get torn a new arsehole every single game.

Stats vs. Italy U21's earlier: Total Shots: 4 Goals: 3 Touches: 99 Successful Dribbles: 3 Tackles: 2 Pass Accuracy: 94% Key Passes: 2 This was in a central midfield role. Against a very solid Italy side. I want to clap but my hands are sore.

His great dribbling skills would be wasted in a deep position but really not many clubs who'd go for him in my eyes have a space for him in an attacking midfield role. At United he'd be a central midfielder, here he'd more than likely be a deep central player, I couldn't see him fitting in City's system unless Manuel implements a 4-2-2-2 sort of formation like he's done in the past... maybe AC Milan (who are interested I believe) could offer him that position.

Jorge Mendes? Coming to London? I think he's spending his effort trying to get Rui Patricio to join Porto at the moment. Also isn't Cavani's agent Claudio Anellucci?

Obviously not quite as reliable as an Italian-speaking forum, but the guys over on BigSoccer in the Napoli section all reckon he's gone. The majority see either Gomez joining them (if he doesn't sign for Fiorentina) or Leandro Damiao. They want Dzeko the most out of realistic targets but as we know, Dzeko (apparently) doesn't want the move (and I can't blame him since Rafa isn't exactly the most enticing manager and Naples isn't the most enticing destination.) The few Italians on that part of the forum report that there's concrete interest in Muriel of Udinese which would require a bit of funding. So he is leaving surely, that can't be up for debate. Who can afford him? Chelsea, PSG, Manchester City, Real Madrid. Throw in the likes of Anzhi and Monaco perhaps but neither of those would make sense. Assuming Ibrahimovic is retained at PSG (not like any other club can afford his wages) it'd be idiocy for PSG to buy. Suarez seems almost nailed on to sign for Real Madrid with Higuain departing and I personally can't see Cavani being happy in the same team as Suarez since he's clearly uncomfortable with him for their national team. Manchester City? With Mancini at the helm I'd see this deal as very likely. Manuel however is a smarter manager. He knows how to man-manage players. A big part of this throughout his managerial career has been using a small squad with little rotation. He likes to have his start striker on the pitch every game with a decent back-up striker on the bench. There is absolutely no way Cavani or Aguero will be content on the bench and I doubt they'd do well as rotation-partners as Cavani takes a game or 2 to find his rhythm usually. I'm probably wearing blue-tinted glasses without actually realising it and being overly optimistic, but there is no choice in my mind but us.

No chance he's going to Barcelona. Like literally none. They simply cannot afford him and on top of that have other issues (defence, goalkeeper) needing attention first. I genuinely can only ever see him playing for us, Madrid if they come in one day with a mega-bid since they seem to want their ex-youth players back or possibly heading back to Valencia if his contract runs out when he's in his 30's or whatever.

I haven't seen enough of him but he reminds me of Viera. I would have said someone like Essien but he's more defensive. I could have said Makelele but he roams forward more. I could have said Yaya Toure but he's less of a goal threat and (I think) a bit stronger with possibly more stamina! Also better in the air. So yes. Viera. He's like Viera I think. Needs to work on his passing as it's a bit Ramiresey at times.

If we sign him I'm getting King Kondo on a kit

I've already had a boner in the past hour. I don't need another one already!

Who's #10 for Nigeria? Yet to make a tackle. Pedestrian.

I don't care about his attitude problems personally because under the right manager he could become a top 10 defensive midfielder with ease. He has some of the best long-range passing in football currently and is an interception machine. If he came in and started to skip training or cause problems or whatever then we cut our losses and just sell him to the highest bidder. I'm sure he'd be good here.

Oscar actually reminds me of in-prime Sneijder a lot. Hopefully next season we see a game or 2 in a 4-3-1-2 formation and deploy Oscar behind 2 strikers (Lukaku/Torres/Whoever comes in.) I think he'd have lots of fun in a formation like that.

Well obviously considering he's never played a game for us I wish he'd stop these comments though. They're annoying me.

There's often talk of "Why can't he play for us like he plays for Brazil?" but I actually think he plays better club football than he does international football He seems more passionate with us since in our team he's one of the guys, whereas in the national team players like Silva, Neymar, Alves, possibly Marcelo and so-on are held in a much higher regard. I'm happy with him.

We can't just accept right away that PSG's rumoured bid is true while also maintaining that bids for De Rossi, Boateng, whoever we've been linked with are 'false and bullshit' lol.

ffs they don't need Witsel at all (PSG). They have their playmaker in Verratti, their box-to-box player in Matuidi, the promising Rabiot who they're adamant will turn out as a regular senior player soon, Motta as a stand-in central midfielder and apparently they want to sign another French midfielder such as Gonalons. They seem to be continuing with a 4-4-2 so surely Witsel would be overkill?

@Hkibou, Pitch this idea to @TNC_Ligue1 on Twitter. I think this is the sort of thing they could really help with. Or even @TNCProject who's a big Chelsea supporter.

I think if we signed him (I actually think we may well do considering Jose is a fan and we need to add to that area etc. unless we get Van Ginkel and then just leave central midfield) it'd be best to adopt Arsenal's sort of 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 or whatever it is they use. I don't think Witsel is disciplined enough to play a proper deep role (which would also limit some of his qualities), but is perfectly capable at a more normal centre role in a pair. He could sit where Wilshere sits at Arsenal, have a player who stays back a bit more beside him where Arteta sits (Mikel? De Rossi?) with Mata then playing just in front of them. Put De Bruyne on the right, Hazard on the left, then The Fridge up top. Lovely

Courtois, Witsel, Hazard, De Bruyne & Lukaku in the same club team one day? Yes please We should make our away kit whatever the Belgium away kit is at that time only with our Chelsea badge on it

He needs someone like in-prime Terry, in-prime Walter Samuel, in-prime Lucio etc. beside him. A tough but disciplined mofo. Are there any of those available? I was going to say Sakho but he's inconsistent and doesn't exactly shout 'leader' which we kind of need more of.