The only place to be

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mattia Thought this was a football forum.

The £20 million is wages as well, so it's the equivalent of him costing £60 million on a 5 year contract paying Torres-esque wages. For a player who will be 29 before the season ends, would be second-choice and is coming off what is often a career-changing injury (usually it takes another 12 months to get back to where the sportsman was before the injury) it's an insane amount of money. It's one year. £12 million for the player, plus wages according to reports. FFP isn't really an issue because we're very savvy in the market. It's that savviness that makes it unlikely we'll do a deal like this.

I don't think the two are linked. Torres needs to go whatever happens. Paying £20 million to rent a player who is coming off an ACL injury at the age of 28 is not good business.

A £20 million loan is never a bargain.

The second highest goalscorer in European competitions is Inzaghi. Klose and Gerd Muller are two of the greatest World Cup scorers ever. If you actually watch that video, you'll notice he doesn't just score tap-ins either.

So he could only become the second highest goalscorer in European competitions or the top scorer in World Cups? You don't get style points for goals.

I'm just talking about today mate. Saturday I'll take us beating Everton, Burnley beating United and Stoke doing City.

Good draw Costa fit These things come in threes, so could somebody be leaving???

Two new teams to play and bloody Schalke again. Shame we didn't get Dortmund but it's a great draw for us. City's draw is a nightmare, Liverpool's is doable although Basel are a banana skin and Arsenal's is a bit boring although Galatasaray is the type of place that could rattle them. Our's gives us a chance to use players like Zouma, Salah, Van Ginkel and maybe even a Baker and Ake.

Maribor...ok Decent group, should qualify easily.

Malmo would be good for our Scandinavian fans. Basically anyone other than Roma and Monaco....although Roma would be an interesting one, with Ashley there and Destro hopefully here.

Man City has one world class striker, and 3 good ones. Negredo, Dzeko and Jovetic aren't near-world class.

Schalke again. Not bad.

Inappropriate for Torres. You should just sit on your arse with your Chelsea kit on counting money....it's what he would have wanted

They don't seem too excited. They've also got a thread about Destro who they've been linked to. Opinion there seems fairly split like it is here.

Like I've said before, this deal was a massive cloud over the club. You can look at our transfer dealing as pre and post-Torres, where we went from spunking huge sums on players at the peak of their prices to looking for value and generally being amongst the most savvy operators in football. If he goes (a big if) it will genuinely feel like we've moved on from that period.

It's the Champions League. It's not supposed to be easy, but we've never played Dortmund.

Damn that rule about us not being allowed to sign any strikers.

He's got undoubted ability and he's one of those guys who just seems to score wherever he goes. I'd take him over Torres this weekend if Costa is injured. The only way he's ever really going to get a shot is if a player gets injured and he's thrust into the team.

Mikel's agent made it perfectly clear he wouldn't accept a move at this time. Towing the Choulo line. I made a mistake taking you off ignore. Never again. Goodbye.

Borini. Before that Cudicini I think. His goals last season weren't too impressive, but he seems a tidy little poacher. Reminds me a bit of Higuain although still not convinced. Just have to trust Jose.

True. Personally I'd like Dortmund, Ajax and Anderlecht. No long trips, two new teams and nothing too tough.

But the reason he isn't going because HE DOESN'T FUCKING WANT TO. How on Earth do you not get that? The deal was in place but because VAN GINKEL didn't want to leave and because VAN GINKEL has a contract, we can't do shit. You're literally becoming a parody of yourself. We had similar discussions about Lukaku (a player who WANTED to leave before you run headlong into that low beam) and you were wrong then. You're wrong here.

5. Memorable score innit. I get your point but we're reaching the point in this competition where we're playing the same teams with some regularity. It's why I'd like us to get Dortmund.