Rekin

I don't think anyone who has seen him play would think of getting Bernardeschi just to put him as a WB. He has only started shining when he was finally allowed an offensive role. Here is an article from The Guardian on him: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/dec/23/serie-a-fiorentina-napoli-federico-bernardeschi-anointed-heir-roberto-baggio Quote from said article: "If it is true that he has still blown hot and cold, then that might have less to do with him and more with the endless tinkering of Sousa, who has deployed him everywhere from No10 to full-back, via stints on both wings."

Since you seem to be in the know about the player, why dont you tell us about him?

I think his best position depends a bit on how the team is playing. He is a very skilled CAM, but we do not use one. Therefore the question becomes where would he play for us, and can he do that well? For us he would have the position of Pedro, but would be better suited to the position. He has all the attributes to do well there. He is fast, has a high football IQ, is left-footed, somewhat strong, can both shoot and pass very well and works very hard. He has played as a wing-back, and as an AML so he can also easily rotate in more than one position if the situation requires it. I think Cahill and Alonso require upgrading, but it is unlikely to happen in January. We are not playing in Europe, and we have conceded 4 goals in 13 games. Overall our defense has been more than solid enough to relax on that front. I think it is likely we will go for a CM though. I really doubt we will buy a striker as well in January. Costa and Bats should be fine. Yeah, it is very high. Keep in mind though that he is having a very good season, is one of Italy's most exciting young players (while also being old enough to perform), and that every club in Europe knows we just got a pile of money.Think of the Napoli CB we were going for in the summer. One really good season, and he was valued at 50m+. Compare that to a young Italian offensive talent, of course the price will be high. I doubt he would actually go for that much, but he is certainly a very exciting player. Who would you prefer there if I may ask?

Would be an interesting signing. Similar to a left-footed Hazard. Can play in all AM positions, good passing range, good technique, fast and works hard. When I think of a front three with Hazard and Costa, Bernardeschi is the type of player that should take the third spot. All are good at creating space, running into it and passing into it. They are also all flexible enough to switch around between each other. Just to add some info: This would be a Conte signing 100%. Bernardeschi has played as a right wingback, a right winger and a number 10 lately. He is pretty strong, quick, very good technique while also being smart. He has a mean shot too. Great Italian talent, would have been further in his career, but broke his leg (dont remember the full extent of the injury) in late 2014, and has been shuffled around a few positions since. His stats in terms of G+A might seem a bit lacklustre, but again, he has played a more defensive role quite a bit the last two years. Since becoming a more offensive player he has delivered. We discuss a lot about which players are worth hefty investments. Bernardeschi is such a player for me. About to hit 23, already very good and yet to hit his peak. Conte knows him, he is making a name for himself but is yet to be considered a Serie A star. If we want to buy, then we should hurry.

Why do people care so much about the money? With the amounts of cash pouring in to the clubs right now what difference does it make if Chelsea spend 30 or 40 mil? If someone told us one month ago that Bayern was offering us 10-20 mil plus Vidal for Oscar, how many would turn that down? Vidal will turn 30 in May. Footballers dont blow their hips after that, he can easily go full speed until 32, and then act as a rotation option for another year. Having a peak Vidal for 2,5 years is simply put amazing. I think a lot of people fail to realize just how terrifying a midfield of Vidal-Kante would be. Matic is nothing next to this guy, and we are already pretty solid in the middle. I think we should go for it, but I dont see why Bayern would be willing to sell.

I like the look of him. Young, reasonably fast, good technique, left footed and direct.

In the transfer thread we have been speculating about who should be the partner to Kante for a while now. We mentioned Kessie, Bakayoko, Toliso, Nainggolan and so on. I think Baker should receive some consideration though. Excellent passer, offers great shots from a distance, specialist in free kicks, natural central midfielder, two-footed and also from the academy. He has been perhaps the best player in Vitesse this season, and Vitesse has struggled quite a bit. Sure, its a poor league, but you can only do the best that you can from your opportunity. My concern would be his athleticism, but last time I checked he was more dynamic than Fabregas. I don't know if Baker is the perfect call here, but I hope Conte at least takes some time during summer to seriously consider him. At the very least, I hope he gets loaned out to either a PL team, or another league that is better than the Dutch one.

Personally I think he looks 20. His eyes are very young. Still, I would prefer if we looked at Keita rather than Kessie. Similar age, but one has been amazing in Bundesliga and in Austria before. Still, I doubt we know better than the scouts.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/dec/28/franck-kessie-chelsea-bid-rejected We have bid 21m pounds for Kessie and been rejected according to Guardian (they are very reliable). Seems like there is some real interest from us. Atalanta wants 34m, I guess that if we go for him the final price will be somewhere in the middle at 28m. His agent is due to meet up with Chelsea next week. Amusing again how a few games can change things. Apparently he had agreed to join Sunderland in August but couldnt get a work permit, which isnt an issue any longer. I mean the clearly is very strong and dynamic. That is already good, but I do hope that he will develop his offensive side a bit more. People on reddit say he remidns them of Yaya, but I do not see it yet.

I don't think anyone would dispute that. Bakayoko is over two years older though, and this is his fourth season in Ligue 1. They are also different types of players. Both he and Kessie seem like interesting prospects, but both seem to not be very intelligent players from the information I have gathered. If that is the case, I would rather choose the one that is a beast in the defense rather than the one that is expected to be a bit more offensive (i.e go for Bakayoko).

As far as I am concerned, that Arsenal record is pure BS. Why on earth do you count over two seasons? You get a summer to reinforce, reinvigorate your squad and catch your breath. Teams also lose that "we have to fight to survive/win the league" mentality in the early season. It is over one season where you need to deal with suspensions, injuries, having a hard time buying players, getting closer and closer to the end that the true marvel of a run such as ours is found. This is a historical run not only for CFC, but also for the league. It is amazing for a new coach to come in and go 28-2 over 12 games with nothing but victories.

Amazing. I think we look vulnerable in the first half quite often, but very strong in the second. What makes me feel good is the knowledge that this team can still get better. Conte instilled the fitness and team spirit, but there are still players he know are better suited to how he plays. It feels great to be a CFC fan now. We play better football than under Mourinho, we get better results than under Mourinho, we get better publicity than under Mourinho and I actually feel like it can last, unlike how it was under Mourinho. I hope the board gives him everything he wants. This is the kind of manager you build a legacy with.

Who is he? What kind of an answer do you expect? He is a central midfielder playing for Monaco. Let us get one thing straight, I quoted you on the comparison with Chalobah. Something I see you did not reply to in your answer. Regarding his abilities, I both agree and disagree with you. He looks clumsy, the way Yaya can look clumsy sometimes. He is simply a big dude, which rarely provides an aesthetically pleasant appearance when controlling a ball. If you look at what he does with the ball though, he is very capable in combining his strength and technique to get past players. Again, his skill set is similar to Matic, and I suspect he will be the better of the two very soon. When you say his technique is average, who are you comparing with? I have already agreed that he is a poor passer, and I do not recall saying that he is our best option. I simply think that when people say "he isnt good enough", there is a certain standard associated with their expectations for the position. It would be interesting to know which players live up to this standard. Otherwise every discussion is just "nah, he is too average". Does average means Mikel? Does it mean Matic?

I have seen this video before and I agree. Bakayoko is similar to Matic in terms of skill set, but more dynamic. He drives the ball forward a lot more, and I feel that it is what we need. He also has better pace to recover should we lose possession.

Interesting. One is a bench player who has started like 15 games during the last three seasons including this one, and the other is a starter at CL-playing Monaco and a strong factor in their recent performances. You would think that there more than a "marginal" difference between them. Let us just be real for a moment. On what basis are you comparing the two players? Chalobah has done almost nothing since his great season at Watford. Bakayoko might not be world-class right now, but to call him marginally better than Chalobah is not fair. He is comparable on every level to Matic, and I would not really consider Matic "marginally" better than Chalobah.

Who would you go for? Our midfield options are Kante, Matic, Fabregas, Mikel and Chalobah. It might seem like a lot of options, but keep in mind that Mikel is leaving in January while Chalobah is unlikely to offer the same level as the remaining three in any way. That leaves us with Kante, Matic and Fabregas. Fabregas is not really suited to our way of playing, and is more of a tactical option at this point. To play the way Conte intends, we basically need Kante and Matic out of our current players, and for all we know one of them might do their knee in on Monday. In other words, not buying a CM in January will jeopardize any potential title chase, as it is likely to go the whole way and every margin matters. So, if we can agree on this, who would you buy? I'm not trying to be rude or anything, Im just honestly curious as I see people complain about Badelj, Bakayoko and Nainggolan, but not provide any alternatives. This does not necessarily extend to you, but I just want to know who people see us go for. Nainggolan is pursued by us. That much is clear. If you compare him to Bakayoko, then Radja is statistically the worse defender, has worse technique and is worse in the air. As much as I would like to dismiss the aerial statistics, it is actually very relevant, and Bakayoko is a monster in that department. Look how many goals from set pieces we see in the PL. Radja is however the better passer and better shooter, but is that enough? My only concern with Bakayoko is his passing ability. He seems ok with the simple ones, but nothing more than that. Is that something he can develop? I do not think it is something you can vastly improve, but considering it seems to be his only clear weakness, even a small improvement would translate into a top class player. I am honestly torn here. Radja is a short term purchase, likely to last us 3-4 seasons. That is enough to justify a pretty large transfer fee for me, but the question is whether he is what we need. The CM scene right now seems to be better than in a long time. We have Bakayoko, Fabinho, Tolisso, Weigl (new contract though), Keita & Kessie in the market outside of the top tier. It is likely that a few of them will leave their clubs in the summer, and I would prefer us grabbing one of them rather than buy someone much older. Furthermore, I think that the midfield is at least acceptable without that super passing ability as long as we can find someone on the RW that is at least close to the level of Hazard & Costa.

The suggestion is that Bakayoko could either already be, or soon become, better than Matic. If you could keep the balance we have in the middle right now, but do so with a player that can do what Matic does with the potential of doing more, would you say no? Bakayoko is 22, and he is in a specific tactical setup right now. He might have qualities that the untrained eye misses. For the record, he is not my number one wish for the position, but I see some rational thinking in bringing him on, should it happen.

I think the idea is indeed to provide an alternative to Matic. Keep in mind that Conte wanted Nainggolan even after Matic was staying and we got Kante, so it is likely that he is not very highly rated. Having a more creative partner to Kante without giving away the solidity in the middle is a priority in my opinion, but every time I am trying to think of someone who is a combination of Fabregas and Kante I fail to come up with a realistic option. Nevertheless, I do not think Matic has been amazing for us, even this season. He is good, but he just seems to lack a clear purpose. He has a good technique, but lacks the dynamism to take advantage of it. He lacks the passing range to provide a threat from the depth (assists dont matter here, its a statistic that can be very misleading). Basically, he is a disrupting element that delivers the ball to a someone more offensive whenever possible. Kante does this too, but he does it with far more energy. If not for the height, I would prefer a Kante - Kante midfield to a Matic - Kante one. Anyway, I took the liberty to compare some statistics between four players. Our own Kante & Matic, but also Bakayoko and Naby Keita. The left-most are the best in each category underneath. Tackles - Kante, Bakayoko, Keita, Matic Interceptions - Keita, Kante, Bakayoko, Matic Clearances - Bakayoko, Matic, Keita, Kante Dribbled past per game - basically identical, Kante is slightly worse than the others Key passes - Keita, Matic, Kante, Bakayoko (very poor here) Pass success - Almost identical between them (Keita is poor here) Dribbles - Keita, Bakayoko, Kante, Matic Shots - Keita, Kante, Bakayoko, Matic These are just some selected categories I think are relevant to the position, and they fail to take many things in consideration. For example, Monaco and Chelsea play differently, the teams are in different leagues with different players surrounding and supporting them. Furthermore, Matic is 6-7 years older than Keita and Bakayoko. Still, if we only look at the statistics, Matic is not doing well (and no, I did not choose categories where he is performing poorly on purpose). It is very possible that if we bought Bakayoko in January, and let him rotate with Matic until summer, he would be starting next to Kante next season rather than Matic. What the statistics tell me the most though, is that Keita is developing to be that player next to Kante we need. He should be the one we target, whether now or in the summer. For being a 21-year old, he is doing extremely well. EDIT: I found this on Redcafe: I have watched Monaco a few times this season when they played against PSG and Spurs. Bakayoko did impress in those matches. The closest player Bakayoko resembles to in my opinion is Matic. He is a destroyer with the ability to keep the ball under pressure and he can carry the ball out of midfield to initiate attacks. His passing range however leaves much to be desired. Passing in between the lines, switching the play and spotting the runners who makes movements into space has what made Carrick a mainstay in the United team for a decade and Bakayoko unfortunately wouldn't be providing those qualities from what I have seen. This is also the feeling I get. Bakayoko is more of an improvement on Matic (possibly) rather than a completely different player. It does make sense though. With Mikel leaving, a long-term injury to Kante or Matic would be a disaster. The signing would make sense, even though again, I believe Keita is closer to the type of a player we need.

I find it interesting that squawka considers Bakayoko to be an upgrade "in every single aspect" to Matic. Pretty bold statement for a 22-year old playing in the French league, when you compare him with Matic who has been voted the best player in Portugal, and won the league with Chelsea. Granted, they might be right, it just seems a bit premature. Of course, from the handful of games and clips of him I have seen, he reminds me of a more dynamic Yaya Toure with worse passing.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/dec/21/chelsea-tiemoue-bakayoko-djibril-sidibe-oscar-windfall The Guardian, who are usually very reliable, report that we are looking to spend the Oscar money on Bakayoko and Sidibe. I will admit that I have seen Monaco only sporadically lately, but in the game yesterday where he scored the winner Bakayoko had an excellent game. Fully developed I could see him as a more athletic (stronger and faster) version on Matic, with the ability to be an attacking threat as well. I have not seen enough of him though to gain an understanding of his decision-making and positioning. Guardian also says however that due to CL play, the deals will be very difficult to pull off in January. It may be that they wont happen until the summer. United are also rumored to be after Bakayoko.

I would gladly have switched Oscar for James before, so technically I should be ok with 60 million pounds for him. However, I do not believe that it is a fair price at all. Anything within 35-40 is acceptable in my book, otherwise I would prefer to splash the cash on some of these up-and-coming CM/DM's that are popping up. Its not like Oscar was ever an amazing RW anyway. I do not believe it will happen though.

He is slow, but then again we have had quite a few problems over the years against teams that park the bus. Often we find ourselves not having much space to exploit with pace, and in those cases we need players who can create something from almost a standstill position. I do not doubt that we would benefit from his presence, but he feels like a luxury purchase.

You seem to have a good grasp of the players available to us, and I agree that currently there are some interesting options out there. Based on how we are playing right now, who do you personally think would be the best fit? I am currently holding Weigl, Kessie, Veratti, Tolisso and Keita as the most interesting ones, but they are all a bit different from each other (and some like Weigl and Veratti will be difficult to get).

The important thing is allowing for tactical freedom. Our current system has yielded in 10 straight wins, but we have had difficulties replicating the first 5 games from that run. We struggled with WBA and Spurs, should have lost against City and even though we were the better team we could have easily drawn against Boro and Sunderland. My point here is that teams have learned to adapt, we are relying more and more on individuals when we get countered, and that such a tactic gets heavily punished when the inevitable injuries kick in. The solution here is two-fold. First we need to have more tactical options. Whether it is playing three in the middle, four in the back or whatever doesnt matter, key is that we have the capability both in terms of understanding, but also in terms of players, to effortlessly switch formation mid-game. This way, we become more unpredictable, and gain another element of surprise against other teams. Second, by buying better players, we have more players to rely on when we do get countered regardless. Having Hazard, Costa or Fabregas to provide that extra magic is great, but a combination on a quiet game and injuries can quickly deprive us of that tool. Buying Veratti would offer a solution in both arenas. We could rely on better passing in the middle, tweak or formation and tactic to suit him while also knowing he can produce some magic when necessary. That being said, he is a very emotional player. We could splash the cash only to find out he is ruining our harmony. Honestly, at this point the absolute key is that the reinforcement is picked by Conte. I would love Keita, Tolisso, Weigl, Koke and many others, but we need to avoid a Shevshenko situation.

Right now regardless of whether we play Matic or Fabregas, we sacrifice something in the middle of the pitch. I have only seen a handful of games with Keita, but I really like him as a player. He is still young, but there is some extraordinary potential there. Considering how hard it is to find players that either are, or show potential to become, complete CM's, I do not doubt a lot of clubs will be after him during summer. We should try as well. I think him and Tolisso are players we should seriously consider.