Non-Chelsea Transfer Pub

[blues.bridge 343]

45 minutes ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

As a first choice XI? Absolutely not.

Why Not? 

[the wes 7,212]

4 hours ago, blues.bridge said:

next year, would you like ?

                   courtois

   christiensen-Varane-Zouma

         RLC- Kante-pogba
                 (matic)

     Mahrez-fabregas-hazard
    (kenedy or bertrand)

               Costa
             (cavani or other)

naturally then there will be replacements!

the way things are going i cant see courtios being here much long and i cant see Leicester  selling their players especially when they are playing CL next season 

[Thendo 1,088]

If Courtois is a gonner (not too bothered if he is) we should go for Butland imo. Young, english and has been great for Stoke this season.

[OhForAGreavsie 5,898]

7 hours ago, blues.bridge said:

next year, would you like ?

                   courtois

   christiensen-Varane-Zouma

         RLC- Kante-pogba
                 (matic)

     Mahrez-fabregas-hazard
    (kenedy or bertrand)

               Costa
             (cavani or other)

naturally then there will be replacements!

 

4 hours ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

As a first choice XI? Absolutely not.

 

3 hours ago, blues.bridge said:

Why Not? 

Your back three is potentially very exciting but I'd prefer to add an experienced player like Bonucci in there. If you would argue that Bonucci is a pie-in-the-sky option then it could be claimed that Varane is too.

I was not convinced that Andreas was close enough to being a starter before he went to Gladbach. When I've watched him since he has been more impressive going forward than defensively. In a line up that dominates possession this might not be an issue. (Assuming my assessment of his defending is accurate.)

I've just seen Ruben subbed for England's U21s and once again he has shown that the questions I asked about him three years ago remain unanswered.  The fella needs a loan rather than a starting place he would not hold onto and the damage that would do to his progression.

There is a great deal of fuss about Pogba but I've never seen any reason for it. He's a decent player but not one who would justify the monster numbers it would require to recruit him. Worse, given his high profile and the hype around him, if he ended up here it would be evidence that the top clubs with Champions League football don't fancy him. If they did, he would choose one of them rather than us. Pogba falls into the category of player I say we should not bother trying to sign. The type of player who we'll never get if he's as good as the hype, but if we do get him, it will only be because he ain't worth the price and we would have been mugged.

I'm fed up with Diego and want to see him replaced by a more technically gifted alternative.

Also re the squad players listed: -

I've lost belief in Nemanja and do not want to see him here next season.

I certainly want to see Kennedy in the next squad but I'd prefer to list Charly Musonda ahead of him as an attacking option.

[ChelseaFanUK 1,014]

 Few big names out, few big names in, rest fringe players out the door... Bamford, Nathan, Brown, even Solanke i think are done.  Shipped out again next year

[Spike 12,049]

Andy King anyone? Former Chels lad 

[chelseafan26 293]

Dont know about the likely INS. But OUTs get clearer by the day.

Remy, oscar, Pedro, Mikel, Cahill, Matic are definites.

Dont know if Costa, hazard, Thibaut would want to stay, and dont really care about the last 2.

[Yeboii 1,844]

13 hours ago, chelseafan26 said:

Dont know about the likely INS. But OUTs get clearer by the day.

Remy, oscar, Pedro, Mikel, Cahill, Matic are definites.

Dont know if Costa, hazard, Thibaut would want to stay, and dont really care about the last 2.

I don't think Mikel and Pedro should be leaving considering their performances in the last few games.

[Special Juan 27,439]

11 minutes ago, Yeboii said:

I don't think Mikel and Pedro should be leaving considering their performances in the last few games.

Pedro is a debatable one for me but as for Mikel, I'm sorry but this summer is the time to let go, it has to be.

 

[robsblubot 3,529]

schneiderlin's long ball to mata was real smething... Good CMs must be able to do that.

I'm hopeful that most rumors so far mention CM targets.

[chelseafan26 293]

13 hours ago, Yeboii said:

I don't think Mikel and Pedro should be leaving considering their performances in the last few games.

Nah mate. We need a definite  upgrade over Mikel in the midfield. As for pedro, his role can be taken by kenedy/musonda. 

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

People want the youth to play and then budget for Arturo Vidal.

I personally want a homegrown,(mostly) English spine for future years - therefore I wouldn't need to spend millions and millions on players. No CL next season, personally I think next season is a good opportunity to start blooding in our very own golden generation.

And yes, if Butland ormaybe even Fraser Forster is for sale I would consider him.

               Forster

Azpi    Zouma  Terry  Kenedy (Iva; Cahill; Dasilva)

          Cesc     Ake (Baker; Mikel/Pasalic; Zouma in emergencies)

Traore       RLC        Willian (Pedro; Musonda; someone else)

               Costa (Pato; Traore)

Lewis Baker should certainly be back in the squad. Fantastic player. He might make Fabregas sweat. Ake can be our starting DM. Mikel can stay if he won't bitch about it. Failing that, replace with Pasalic.

Roman isn't going to spend millions anymore. Might as well get used to it.

That other sub wing spot is up for grabs - perhaps Kasey Palmer or Izzy Brown might want to have a crack at it.

 

[chelseafan26 293]

7 minutes ago, CurlyHairLikeLuiz said:

People want the youth to play and then budget for Arturo Vidal.

I personally want a homegrown,(mostly) English spine for future years - therefore I wouldn't need to spend millions and millions on players. No CL next season, personally I think next season is a good opportunity to start blooding in our very own golden generation.

And yes, if Butland ormaybe even Fraser Forster is for sale I would consider him.

               Forster

Azpi    Zouma  Terry  Kenedy (Iva; Cahill; Dasilva)

          Cesc     Ake (Baker; Mikel/Pasalic; Zouma in emergencies)

Traore       RLC        Willian (Pedro; Musonda; someone else)

               Costa (Pato; Traore)

Lewis Baker should certainly be back in the squad. Fantastic player. He might make Fabregas sweat. Ake can be our starting DM. Mikel can stay if he won't bitch about it. Failing that, replace with Pasalic.

Roman isn't going to spend millions anymore. Might as well get used to it.

That other sub wing spot is up for grabs - perhaps Kasey Palmer or Izzy Brown might want to have a crack at it.

 

I definitely agree with the sentiment but with a few minor tweaks. 

1. We have to play 4-3-3 with cesc in the team. 

2. Ake should be our 1st choice LB for the next season.

3. JT is past it. Hard to believe but we have to accept it). JT should at best be our 3rd choice CB if not 4th.

4. GC should not be in the squad if he is english or not. He is someone who gives it his all, but he is not good enough. 

5. Mikel should be sold this summer.

6. I am all for youth to be given a massive role in the squad but we also need to keep a check on being competitive, which means some overhaul of the first team.

I would want a squad like

Butland (Begovic)

Azpi(Iva) Hummels(Miazga/Andreas) Zouma(JT) Ake (Baba)

Cesc(RLC) Radja(Baker) Vidal(Musonda)

Willian (Boga) Costa (Traore) Hazard(Kenedy)

This makes our first team strong enough to finish in the top4 and also give youth a massive oppurtunity to blood in.

[DYC. 7,542]

Boredom struck me and whenever that happens I sometimes start fantasising about a wonderful summer window. If a clear-out were to occur, I'd like to see this.

Out:

Djilobodji, Cahill, Baba

Mikel, Matic, Van Ginkel, Oscar

Cuadrado, Salah, Moses, Pedro, Remy

Pato and Falcao kindly return to their respective clubs and let Amelia's contract run out. Chelsea are better off with better and/or cheaper options.

Djilo, Van Ginkel, and Moses have no role to play at Chelsea. The other players are dispensable and should be replaced with better options.

There's been talk of a £150 mil transfer kitty in the summer. Add the generated funds of the sales of the mentioned players (along with the Ramires fee) and Chelsea are in business this summer. Not to mention the significantly decreased wage bill.

In:

Return of Christensen, Ake, Baker & Boga

Ben Foster

Sokratis, Bertrand

Lass Diarra, Matuidi, Tolisso

Ousmane Dembele, Lacazette
 

Spoiler

 

Raid the Ligue 1 basically. They've long proven to be great PL performers and it remains a gold mine for talent. And a lot of Frenchies, I know. A mere coincidence. A great generation of talent they're currently producing.

Foster would be my first choice. English and HG (homegrown). Alternatives would be Krul, Ruddy, Mannone (all HG). Even Rob Elliot or Rob Greene. It shouldn't be hard to find a decent English (or at least HG) GK really.

I'd love high-profile defenders like Bonucci, Hummels, Thiago Silva and Godin too but that's not realistic. Sokratis is a very good CB. Unspectular but quietly does his job. Aconsistent performer for many years now. Great age and experience as well.

Bertrand is a solid PL performer and could slide right into the team. He's English, has history with the club and is experienced. And he possesses the explosiveness, speed and stamina you want in a fullback. Chelsea's backline is too slow. Recovery pace is crucial nowadays. If a better option arises in the future, you think about upgrading.

Yes, you read it right. Lass Diarra. Lass is back. Performing at a very high level for Marseille, impressing so much he's back in the French NT. Impressive performances for his country as well. A very good ball winner but good with the ball as well. Sign him up.

Now this man is a lot harder to sign. The reason why I think it would be possible to sign is because he's nearing that final stage of his career. PSG might be willing to let him go because they can easily get a top player to take his place in midfield. I think paying a big fee for Matuidi would be worth it. He's about to turn 29 but he's always been extremely fit. Should be able to easily get three years out of him.

Tolisso is a brilliant talent. 'The modern midfielder'. He can play but he also does the dirty work. Physical attributes, technical attributes, tactical intelligence. Check, check, check. Contributes to both phases of play. I'd love to see Fabregas go in his yearly siesta with this boy around.

Dembele has it all. Don't have anything else to say about him. He'd not only provide an excellent option on the bench and for rotation, he'd challenge Hazard and Willian for a starting spot after not too long. I'd give him just a year to adjust and get up to speed. Can see him going through a similar trajectory as Ronaldo at Utd.

Costa isn't enough. With his fitness and disciplinary issues, Chelsea need two very good strikers. But not just someone who'll be his back-up. A player good enough to play if an different type of striker would be better, someone who could take his place as first-choice and even better, someone who can play alongside him in a two-striker system. Costa is a fantastic striker when in form but he's flawed. Lacazette has scored 15+ goals in the Ligue 1 for three consecutive seasons. 27 in the previous campaign. For those who don't follow the league, it's a lot harder than it sounds. Especially playing for Lyon. The lad knows how to score goals. Fast, skillful, links up well and a great finisher. Versatile as well as he can fill in out wide. Costa v Lacazette for #1 striker.

 

Squad: 25 / U-21: 6 / HG: 7

GK: Courtois, Begovic(HG), Foster(HG)
CB: Sokratis, Christensen(U-21), Terry(HG), Zouma / (Ivanovic)
RB: Azpilicueta, Ivanovic
LB: Bertrand(HG), Kenedy(U-21) / (Azpilicueta, Ake)
DM: Lass Diarra, Ake*(HG)
CM: Fabregas(HG), Matuidi, Tolisso, Loftus-Cheek(U-21), Baker*(HG)
AM/Winger: Hazard, Willian, Dembele(U-21), Boga(U-21) / (Kenedy, Traore)
ST: Costa, Lacazette, Traore(U-21)

Chelsea board out, DYC in. World domination begins.

*

Spoiler

* Ake has done well at LB for Watford but I don't think he's good enough for the position at top level. Lacks the explosiveness, speed, stamina and attacking qualities for the position. His full PL season experience will have done him a lot of good. A return to his natural role in the centre is much better fit at this level. Should make a good back-up and depending on his own development, he could become a starter in the future.
* I think it's important to have an extra option in midfield. Fatigue, injuries and suspensions occur more in midfield and then there's the importance of rotation. Why Baker? English, HG and has been at the club since he was a boy. Think that connection is important. You could play him at fullback or wing in an emergency situation and he wouldn't complain I think. But he also possesses some very interesting qualities. Completely two-footed, good shooter and threat from (direct and in-direct) set-pieces. He's done well at Vitesse and he should take inspiration from Kenedy and Traore. Impress in training and you could end up playing quite a bit. RLC isn't exactly making the most of his opportunities so he could move ahead of him in the pecking order. Crazier things have happened. If not Baker, bring back Chalobah.

Spoiler

 

PL
Courtois
Azpilicueta - Christensen - Sokratis - Bertrand
Fabregas - Diarra - Matuidi
Willian - Costa/Lacazette - Hazard

FAC/LC
Begovic
Azpilicueta/Ivanovic - Zouma - Terry - Bertrand/Kenedy
CM - DM - Tolisso
Dembele - ST - LW

EL?
Begovic/Foster
Ivanovic - Christensen - Zouma/Terry - Kenedy
Tolisso - Ake - RLC
Dembele - Traore - Boga

 

 

[LDN Blue 7,903]

27 minutes ago, DYC. said:

Yes, you read it right. Lass Diarra. Lass is back. Performing at a very high level for Marseille, impressing so much he's back in the French NT. Impressive performances for his country as well. A very good ball winner but good with the ball as well. Sign him up.

Heard this a lot from Ligue 1 followers, even earned himself a lot of respect this season. Would add a good plethora of experience. 

29 minutes ago, DYC. said:

Lacazette has scored 15+ goals in the Ligue 1 for three consecutive seasons. 27 in the previous campaign.

Resisted the urge to go for Griezmann? Particularly if Atletico are keen on this Costa reunion, could prove an easy deal if Simeone wants the Cost. Griezmann & Lacazette?

32 minutes ago, DYC. said:

Fabregas - Diarra - Matuidi

How do you think Fabregas will do under Conte? On the ball Fabregas' talent can't be ignored but finding his right position in this team's proven.. difficult lol. Of course with Diarra and Matuidi he'd have a lot more freedom, would you play him higher than those two or sit in a 3?

[Starman60 1,343]

I see in todays paper we are being linked with Bayerns Vidal. Will cost over 30 million. Conte has said that if he was going to war he would want Vidal by his side, and when Vidal was told this he said if he was going to war he would want Conte by his side. At 28 he wouldn't be a bad purchase

[Blue Gino 377]

As much a fan of Vidal I am, I can't see him moving yet again when he's gonna be playing CL football yet again next season with Bayern. I've seen Naingollan play as I have a soft spot for Roma and I wouldn't mind them both flanking Fab playing the Pirles role between them. Chelsea will have to overpay for both midfielders to come but it would be so worth it.

[xPetrCechx 13,563]

Antonio Conte believes the addition of a forward a priority for #Chelsea even if Diego Costa stays. [Guardian]

Juan Cuadrado is expected to return. Radja Nainggolan and, most likely, two senior centre-halves are expected to be pursued. [Guardian]