Blue Colored Sky

Why explaining poor passing ability by saying that he's box to box player ? I'm not looking for number 10 ffs but someone who can tackle, apply pressing, is physical and mainly can play quick, initial forward pass keeping flow of the attack. I see lots of similar disability in Imbula and Kondogbia, they play the pass that so often will interrupt transition by playing yard or 2 yards too backward. That's Ramires style. I want someone who can do this smoothly. Schneiderling sometimes looks like that player. Cesc has shown for many years how awful he is against big sides, let him do his job by destroying small sides until January.

How about Kondogbia passing ? I didn't notice that when I watched him though in not too many matches. I saw extensive highlights recently and from that I'm not impressed at all. I actually think that Imbula and Kondogbia are on similar level, good physique, good technique, left foot but something is wrong there and they are too unimaginative with their passing. Imbula sometimes shows a great promise especially with long balls but dunno about Kondogbia. We need creative midfielder who is also good in defence with good pressing abilities and tackling. Someone who can win this ball and transit it quickly. I watched a potential candidates recently in Imbula, Kondogbia, Schneiderlin, Witsel and no one has knack to be creative. Usually safe, unimaginative passing. How they are supposed to create in Chelsea deadly counter-attacking machine against big sides ? Just for curiosity I wanted to see how it looks on Modric highlights and wtf, first 2 minutes and I already see exactly what I want to see. The only option I see that we should splash the cash and get Koke.

Nah, leave it for Marco.

Come on, 45m£ isn't the end of the world ... Ok, it's shitload of money but I'm done with cheaper alternatives, as always inferior. Chelsea have lots of money and just a few needs. 45m£ is an investment for years, think that he can play here by 2022-2023 at lest. He'd improve first XI immediately and peak is yet to come from him. Also he has great injury history playing close to all matches available from the last 5 seasons. He'd actually replace Schurrle as the runner and Salah something that Mourinho was looking for in those two players. And he is superior to both having actually top-notch technique.

Why Ruben is ahead of Colkett ? (I know, he's 6'4").

Hopefully he will have a good Copa America and then we can sell him for good price. But I'm sure if he indeed will play well in the next month, there will be lots of fools here who believe that he should stick here and get another chance to waste.

63m€, whoah, Atletico probably jumping right now. Thanks to euro to pound rate it's 45m£, which is still a lot, but considering he's only 24 I think it is acceptable sum. But I still think that if he'd join we have to add another creator to the side. He'd actually become the most expensive signing ever in Chelsea. Every transfer is firstly recorded in euros, so his 63m€ is more than 58m€ for Torres.

http://gianlucadimarzio.com/en/calciomercato/atletico-madrids-striker-targets-from-higuain-to-luciano-vietto/ Replacement for Griezmann.

Meh I was hoping for sell now. Chelsea need some money from sells to have great transfer window. Next season sell won't be as important at it is now with Premier League deal and additional 50m£ from 2016.

Fabregas instead of David Luiz ?

He can come here, I have no problem with that. Small price, potentially huge reward. At the end Jose will decide. I have that thing, when I watch a match I often miss players that are not on the first page so even though I have seen Falcao in over 10 games this season I feel that I haven't watched him at all. So I literally can't say if he's that crap currently. But few things : 1) Jose is huge admirer of Falcao. He said this countless times at Real, he was caught last year saying that he wants a real striker and named Falcao especially. And Jose has track record of finally getting players that he was after for a long time. So I imagine he could want him even now if he has an opportunity, again he is great admirer of Falcao. 2) Jose and Mendes are friends and it's no secret that Jose often decided to go for a player that is Mendes client. They help each other and it may be the case again. Also it makes that such deals are easier to complete. 3) When he is in form, Falcao is the best no. 9 in the world. I don't know if he lost agility from physical POV and confidence from mental POV. The worst thing would be that he was rushed after injury and he lost everything. Is that the case I don't know but after ripping ACL it often takes one season to get back to form. He had that season behind him now and he should get better I think. It sucks though that he wouldn't have full-preseason with Chelsea. But ACL injuries don't neccesary have an effect on players, just look, Diego Costa and Azpilicueta had the one and look how well they run now ! But the worst thing would be that he was rushed during injury and then it's huge probability that he is a lost cause. Also we're not sure about his age. In Colombia they claimed that he was born in 1984, so he is over 30 now. If that's the case, recovering from ACL injury is very, very difficult. But all in all I think he is a good option. Jose wants to have 3 recognised strikers and he has one easy to obtain. In 2016 Chelsea will have extra cash from Premier League deal and then they can buy whatever makes team complete to the last page. So far we have pressure needs elsewhere.

BTW What the hell Beenay is doing at the same table as Diego, Fabregas, Courtois, Matic, Oscar, Willian etc. ? That's so fucking random

Fantastic speech. I almost forgot how much I love Jose but at the end that are things like that to remind. Simply brilliant. And he gave the much needed assurance that we will not rest now, instead will sign some players and will be better next season because we must be.

I think you are talking about Bamford here, right ?

I have never seen him play but it's better if someone like him take Filipe place and Brazilian will help bring Griezmann/Koke here. From youtube videos he looks quick with great stamina, two-footed, nice combination play, strong in tackles and stats suggest that he is good in the air as well. The basic is right so for good money to play firstly a second fiddle to Azpilicueta and Ivanovic, this transfer seems reasonable.

For me only Bertrand Traore. I actually think that he will be here next season if he secures work permit. I fail to see talent or need for other 20+ bunch. I had hopes for Omeruo/Kalas but signing Zouma excluded them for any equation. RLC is the one for central midfield position so it's no to Baker, Swift, McEachran Chalobah, Van Ginkel and Pasalic imo especially that we most probably sign someone in place of Mikel (Schneiderlin, Imbula, Allan). For AM position we surely sign another player, Atsu, Moses, Piazon are not good enough anyway. And I think Bamford has not great chance either with Solanke coming through and probably signing of Griezmann. So yeah I can only see Traore to have future here. And to be fair he is the only one that strikes me to have talent and spare space in the side to play here.

£20m is over 28m€. Real Madrid paid 31m€ for Danilo, established and recognised full-back. By the way, pound to euro rate is really strong now and it's important to keep currency right. Few weeks ago I read that Chelsea want to offer 15m€ for him. And to be fair I don't think that number to go further maybe a few good add-ons to that.

You mean 20 million euros ? Augsburg would sell for less I think.

Excellent post. Mourinho has promoted in his career only those big, dominant players so far. Mikel, Santon, Balotelli, Varane, Morata, Zouma, all of them 6'2" at least. Now RLC is the one. That suggest me something about Ruben's appreciation from Mourinho but I also want to see who follows Ruben and have a shot for the first team. His passing is average at best. So Mikel in him. Only when he drives he is class. And many times he doesn't drive and play positional, controlling football in which he is poor. When he has space he needs to run through. There were glimpses in WBA game of that, 2 or 3 times and actually that were the most positive bits and highlight moments. But he also had many opportunities with open space to start the run but he declined instead. I think there is huge reward waiting for patiently developing his passing, stamina and courage to run through the midfield though it seems to me from current stand that it will be long road with no guarantees.

Exactly. He would be an excellent squad player. He lacks that final something to be world-class but he's very good footballer. His release clause is 35m€ if Chelsea could down that through Wallace involvement and Jorge Mendes advise, I think we could have a very good player for good money. I'd gladly move Oscar/Cuadrado on and replace them with him. No more Salah, Schurrle, Moses, Marin and Cuadrado for squad place when so often they were useless when called upon and simply not good enough to rely on them which results in overusing some players. Chelsea need such quality squad player like Gaitan, who at least has some technique and creativity in him.

In other words, world transfer record for the defender. Currently it's about £35m. I don't think we will sign him, though for that money Man Utd will have an excellent defender.

He is really that good ? How about his play in the air, how strong is he ? Apparently we want to offer 15m€ to Augsburg for him.

Yeah you're right and I wrote this few times in Otamendi topic. Leaving this season aside, he was average for Porto for most part of his time there. Mangala was easily better and Otamendi was sold for only 12m€. Porto usually sells for 25m€+ and they were happy to sell Otamendi for 12m€ even though they bought him for 8m€. For me it's telling.

Straight swap for Moses and we're good. He would play a chunk, get significant pay rise from the contract that Cech leaves. And as 28 years old he would have first ever shot for a trophy and very realistic to lift one. Every footballer wants to win trophies, Remy came here even though he knew Diego Costa is ahead of him. At 28 I think you have very big hunger for trophies and where's better place ?

Laporte is currently better than Zouma. Zouma is good young player, who is improving, but he is still way off having proper positional sense. He was atrocious in the summer, when he couldn't control Akinfenwa and other players movement from Wimbledon team. He will be good in 2-3 years but he is still on big learning curve. Laporte entertain interest from Real, Barcelona, Man Utd etc. He's really, really good and I think he's at the level when he could already take CB spot next to Terry seamlessly. Otamendi is easily top 5 CB in the world from this season. Anyone who has watched him regularly will say that. But he won't leave. Chelsea need fast, proactive defender with ball-playing skills. Hummels is not proactive, besides he's Man Utd if he does move. Godin is neither, though he is VERY good, but not the type we're after. Chiellini just signed new contract, which is a pity, so he's no go (his last deal was expiring by the June 2015 so he surely signed new one to stay). Barzagli is too old and Bonucci is the worst of them, not good enough. Personally I think Chelsea will fight for Varane and alternatives are Laporte, Stones, Manolas, Sokratis.