Blue Gino

Smart move by Roman to just keep an experienced top left back in place in Cole rather than spend large amounts on an experienced replacement because Shaw is too young to play for Chelsea right now with limited experience in top flight and Luke is smart to stay where he's at and work on his game.

I'm placing Frank De Boer of Ajax at the top of my wish list. McEachran would be an ideal component in De Boer's squad with his incredible vision and passing accuracy. There's lots of versatility in the squad to achieve his fluid 4-3-3 but Roman would have to offer the same assurances he would have given Guardiola and allow De Boer have an influence over the youth set up as well. De Boer has it made at Ajax but that league routinely loses their best players.

Diego Simeone would be the type of leader this squad would go into battle for but he doesn't do possession football. In fact he called Barca "boring" and as for Moyes, most Everton fans will gladly help pack his bags after ten years of what they consider boring and negative football.

If you don't care for the youth setup or who's on loan by all means I understand the interest in other club's players. For me Chelsea should avoid anymore massive transfers from now on especially in this window where the prices skyrocket. With a new TV deal coming to the EPL, many clubs in other leagues will be looking to cash in on their stars to clear their wage books to get in line with FFP. Something this club is already doing. They already have players to take Lampard's spot on the roster next season. Are they a good fit is up for debate for some. For me it's McEachran hands down. They can strengthen the striker position by bringing Lukaku back and pushing Torres to third choice. Defensive midfielder? There's four to five available players there starting next season. Cole is re-signed. I really like Isco and Benat but on second thought there's really great loanees out there and they are already on the books and I'm sure that's the club's thinking as well.

So DeBruyne is a weak tackler, as is Josh McEachran and Oscar will track back but not known for tackling either. However it's not a requirement of a deep lying playmaker, just be great at positioning to intercept passes and harass. For me Josh has the best vision and passing accuracy of them all and should be in that first team next season. There will be room for all three once a handful of players are let go next season.

I have a gut feeling Chelsea are done with the January transfer window. They have enough loanees who are capable of contributing next season rather than go buy more.

I doubt Klopp will join, he says Bundesliga is on the rise and will love the challenge of Pep joining Bayern, so for me my next favorite would be Michael Laudrup.

Hazard, Mata, Ben Arfa? Yes please.

I just can't see Chelsea adding anymore strikers in this window. Lukaku will likely make the squad next season and Torres who the hell knows where he will be but as long as he's on the books, no way Falcao or any premium striker will be signed, not after lowering the wages even despite the eventual departures of Frank and Ashley.

Apparently Giggs and Scholes are on wages nearly half of what Lampard makes. Lampard said he wanted to emulate what they are doing but he's full of crap. Maybe if we had Mourinho here all these years he would stay at lower wages.

Cech, Azpi, Cahill, Terry, Bertrand, Ramires, Luiz, Piazon, Oscar, Marin, Ba......the squad is thin and key players need a rest like Torres who scored against Arsenal, jk

This wasn't the match for Oscar nor Marin because it was predictable on Rafa's part to protect the attacking fullbacks from your typical Stoke counter with a defensive player in the attacking third like Bertrand or Ramires so he can get out with a clean sheet and nick the game. Having said that yes with the match totally out of reach who cares about a late Stoke goal if Oscar can play

I'm reserved to coming out of the season with no trophies with this short term manager since they are transitioning with youth and lowering the wage bill. Unfortunately boo birds at the Bridge aren't helping matters when they should just back the squad. Rafa wasn't going to be sacked before the end of the season anyways but at least he experimented with Luiz in midfield and got the defense to stop shipping goals in frequently. He wants that Madrid job and will try to win here at least rather than take the money and sit there like a certain french winger. It's a young squad, they will have bumps in the road, it's just tough for some to realize the dominance is long gone now and youth is king at Chelsea for the foreseeable future.

I'm not concerned about Marko going up against the bus of Stoke, he is nimble enough to draw fouls and frustrate the defenders. Like many said he's trying to get back into the flow after a long injury layoff and I'll always pick him over Oscar on the wing. Of course Rafa will likely select Ramires out there instead. And combine Luiz with Lampard against Stoke. I don't see why Marko shouldn't take off with a good run and Moses comes back to sub for him for a change. Afterall Marko is more gifted just needs the minutes.

Seems like Chelsea are always interested after the fact when Arsenal are first interested in a player. The one I was curious about but only saw the club linked in the Metro was Imbula from Guingamp. They call him a young Patrick Viera. He's 20 I think and the club want a minimum of 6 million for him. Capoue would be great and I'd like to see him signed over Fellaini whom Moyes said isn't going anywhere this season and why should they. Everton are in the race for top four. I know they have losses but they could sell him in the summer. Better to go after Imbula or Capoue in January.

I believe last year Eddie Newton talked about how Oscar was being groomed slowly for it but it wouldn't come immediately.

I like Benat a lot but feel the club invested heavily in Oscar to become the deep lying playmaker, which will probably happen next season.

please someone come in and hijack this deal....

I guess Frank's agent is issuing the old "come and get my client" plea

The next manager is Pep and say what you will of how good he had it in Barcelona, the same can be said of Mourinho and his past squads. Pep will do wonders at Chelsea and will design the squad to cope with the rigors of the EPL, not try to force a brand high on flair but short on results. Mourinho is more suited to PSG.

Toby Alderweireld (Ajax), Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa (Montpellier), Dede (Vasco De Gama) Marquinhos (Roma), Dejan Lovren (Lyon) and Mario Sampirsi (Genoa) Stefan De Vrij (Feyenoord) all great options over the kids of Chelsea who are struggling for minutes at their loan clubs (Bruma) or playing in other positions this season (Kalas).

You hit the nail on the head...when Mata sits, we are shite. Isco is amazing having watched him play every match, he is every bit as good as Mata or close to it.

If Chelsea did get Isco's sig it's probably a pre contract because he's got the CL to compete in right now. It may just be silly season crap because that Markovic kid was supposed to be a done deal by now just like 2011 and nothing ever happened. But I sure love me some Isco though.

Jose Mourinho always said you need two top class players for each position. Personally I never wanted Oscar but I admire Isco and would love to have him. Isco is versatile enough to play anywhere and I see this potential signing as "hey Pep, I just built you mini Barcelona here in London" so I'm not surprised by this. Plus I don't think Moses has a great final pass, it's hot and cold so he should come off the bench and Chelsea should favor Iscao, Mata and Hazard as the regular 3 and work Oscar into the pivot. They still need a strong tackler in defensive midfield and to me Rafa has frozen out Mikel so I'm assuming they will go after Fellaini or M'Villa, etc to fill that void and then call it done for January. If this happens I expect KDB or DeBruyne to throw a fit and ask to be sold. I don't care if Isco is small, and this is a physical league because I know Roman doesn't care either he wants the ballyhooed "beautiful foootball" to triumph one day over parking the bus for a CL trophy which I'll never understand to this day but it ain't my money bro

I agree if he's good enough he's old enough. If Chelsea don't go after another midfielder in January, then he has a great shot at competing for a spot next season. Central midfield is about to get real thin in the summer anyways. So who knows. Arsenal gave Wilsher a chance at a young age and Chelsea seem to be headed in that direction with youth.