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Sesko will remain at Salzburg on loan this season and then link up with Leipzig in the summer of 2023.

Don’t get me wrong I agree with what you are saying, I just don’t think the wages being offered is right. He is good cover and offers experience, but I don’t think it would of harmed us if he left this summer and that is why I am astonished about the wages. Regarding Cucurella, the away shirt looks really nice on him.

Honestly, if that is true something needs to be done regarding our wage structure. That is ridiculous money for a player who is going to be back up and is slowly declining. Too many players are getting fat paychecks. No wonder he is choosing to stay with that money offered. He is a great professional to have around with his experience, but for that money I would say it is better moving on.

Brighton is the best team for his development. Similar kind of set up to us with the back 3. They also play a possession based game and play out from the back. Ideal team for him to get some PL experience at before we buy him back if he impresses down there.

Ronaldo leaving at H/T epitomises why I’m don’t want him in my team. No player is bigger than the club. I know there are reports that other players did the same, however I don’t buy it, or if they did it probably was taking example from what Ronaldo did and following his lead.

I mean obviously he has not played a lot of PL football and youtube highlights can make players look better than they are, but he looks really talented. A physical specimen, excellent close ball control and ability. Reminds me a lot of a prime Paul Pogba and is very agile and quick on the ball too.

TBH, I am shocked that City aren't pursuing this deal. Walker is getting on and is injury prone. Cucurella will fit their LB spot for years to come and suits their football style perfectly. They spent £100m on Grealish, over £40m on Phillips who doesn't get in their best team. £40m on Ake who they did not need and will end up playing LB a lot next season when they get injuries. Cucurella for £50m is a deal. Their loss honestly.

Now Barcelona will come in and hijack the move. Watch this space…

Bullshit story but funny AF 😆

Kelechi Iheanacho.

That is why they have Daka.

So interesting reading back this thread. Some of the names that were mentioned by fellow posters have made the grade at first team level such as CHO, Mount, Tomori, Abraham. The season when we had the best youth team was when we had likes of Aina, Tomori, Clarke-Salter, Jay DaSilva, Colkett, Boga, Musonda, Izzy Brown, Solanke, Abraham. They were a little older and from that batch most of them have had good careers. Aina, Tomori, Boga, Solanke and Abraham are all playing in elite divisions. Solanke has not reached his potential but he still can and has age on his side and was lethal last season. Jay DaSilva was outstanding in our youth set ups and was amazing but my one doubt about him was his size which I believe was why we sold him. Now at Bristol City but defo still will become a prem palyer eventually. Clarke-Salter is now at QPR. Good defender. Whether he will make the prem remains up in the air. Colkett has struggled. He left us to go to a Swedish team and had his fair share of injuries. Is now currently at Crewe in League 2, which is a shame as people had high hops for him and he regularly captained our youth sides also. I always thought he may not make the grade, simply because he is effective with a team being built around him and dictating play. Once he moved on, always thought he would struggle. Izzy Brown and Musonda have had the worst luck. Both their careers been blighted by injuries. Musonda faced over 2-3 years recovering from injury and was released this summer. Brown had a few decent loans but then again injuries also and was not having the desired impact. He joined Preston last summer on a one year contract and within a few weeks, he ruptured his achilles and was out for season. Now is free agent along with Musonda. Brown was one of those who Mourinho said he would take responsibility if Brown did not represent England in future along with Lewis Baker (currently at Stoke) whose career has not gone as planned also. Partly due to the wrong loan moves. The youth graduates later feature likes of Mount, CHO, James and Gallagher who are first team players with Mount and James being solid first team starters and prob our most important players. Gallagher defo has made the biggest impression and surprise as he was a relatively dark horse in the youth set ups and I don't think most Chelsea supporters earmarked him as one who would be where he is at now. He has done really well. Sterling who was a fave of mine in the youth set up also has not reached his potential but still has age on his time. Seeing back on the comments it seems several posters on here were impressed by Sterling. Good to read though to keep track of who has made the grade and whose careers has not gone necessarily as planned. Just thought I would provide a little update as I am big on youth football

Strange that the kit has not been officially announced yet, seeing as it will be the kit we will be playing in 6 days time. Unless the club are going to turn up in blue...

Yes this was a pre-season game but the lack of understanding in the team is clear. There is no attacking cohesion. I mean that is two games now where I have watched and thought "what is our philosophy". Arsenal had a clear game plan yesterday and dominated us on all angles. It looked yesterday that we just sent out a team with 11 players and told to compete, rather than a gameplan. Pre-season or not, we should not be struggling to beat the likes of Charlotte FC. Arsenal beat Orlando 3-1, who are a better team than Charlotte. This may end up being a blessing in disguise for Tuchel to work on much needed tactics on the training ground, but yesterday was so worrying. Not our best team but many players out there are PL standard players who should be doing a lot better.

Probably because there is no such formation. Thing is we just look clueless in attack and albeit being a friendly, it is concerning because you can see the same problems going into the season. We look vulnerable everytime we concede the ball and no natural holding mid exposes that but either way we should be looking a lot more fluid in attack. Because some of the players who also have do not look comfortable in a 3-4-3 also.

Xavi does not have more of a pull but as good a manager Tuchel is, do I think other players abroad have that 'wanting to play under Tuchel' factor? No and that is not a disrespectful thing. Do I think Pep does? Probably more so because he is known to play an attractive style of football and I would say he has more of a convincing factor. I am not stating Pep is a better manager whatsoever, just saying he would manage to lure more players imo so say if City went for Kounde, he wouldn't join because of City but because of whose in charge.

Even I agree with some of your points I do believe he has a point, he just wrote it in a childish manner but sometimes I think the manager does influence it. Haaland would of chosen City over any other team in the league due to Pep's style of football. Tuchel a top manager but a lot of players want to play under managers that play 'exciting football'. Barca is a bigger pull generally yes, but my hypothetical view is if City had been in for De Ligt he would have gone there possibly over Bayern because of their style of football. Football philosophy is key also.

This will actually piss me off. Not necessarily because I think he will be a great signing but for them to nick another player from our clutches whilst bending the financial rules will just anger me.

Sterling looked sharp. You can see once he gets in his full stride, he is going to be an absolute menace for the opposition this season.

If Tuchel is a big fan, there should be no bloody negotiations. We want the player in our squad. END OFF!

Have you seen how many goals he scored in the Premier League 2/U23 last season? You can’t be serious.

He is 20! He is still a kid with massive potential. He faded second half of season, but honestly anyone who could not see his quality first half of season must of been in hibernation. He single handedly destroyed his likely new suitors twice last season and scored a brilliant goal in one of those games. Completely dominated Maguire and Varane last season and could of got a hattrick. He was brilliant against Spurs last season too. Brighton last season he scored for me one of the goals of the season. Those performances from a 20 year old is someone with clear potential. I don't see how you cannot see those games and think he is "bang average". There is potential there and like I say I think a few years time, that fee will look really cheap. Well for me this is concerning because he is our only out and out CF. Batshuayi will leave you assume. Werner is often played out wide and Havertz is a false no.9. With the 5 subs allowance, he will actually get a lot of game time so even if he is pushing for a move, we should have same stance they do with Rice: "he is not for sale!". Also did Tuchel not say he wants to give him pre-season but instead we selling him for £30m for a player who has several years left on his contract. Bemused, must say.

I look at it two ways. If you know you are good enough and know you can play at this level, why would you not want to move? Look at likes of Lamptey, Livramento, Guehi who left and are now regulars in their first team and most will likely get big moves again. I am sure he would love to play for us again, so he ultimately may be thinking to go to another PL team and prove myself and come back to us in a few years time. If we get two CB especially, then his game time will be limited for sure and sometimes next season, I am expecting (and hoping) we go with back 4 which will further limit his game time. The likes of James and Mount were different because with the ban, both knew they would be getting opportunities which fair play to them they took and are now bonafide starters, but like I say if we are after two CB, I see why he would want to move. He probably hasn't been given assurances regarding his game time and he knows he can go to another PL team and prove himself and has looked to what other players he has played with have achieved (Livramento). But yeah, I would prefer a loan.

Ironically, when both him and James were in our youth teams, James would play RCB often and Sterling RWB and he was very good offensively for the youth teams. Chipped in with a few goals. I remember when both went out on loan, I was surprised James went on loan to a Championship team and Sterling went on loan to a League 1 team because Sterling is physically built also. But he has not really kicked on. Injuries have not helped either.

I do believe that Dujon is not vaccinated like RLC and Kante, hence why he has not travelled. Because from what I have heard, he has impressed in training so far. Will likely join up with the boys when they return.