Non-Chelsea Transfer Pub

[teignman 441]

about Benat, his contract runs out in 2014 And i think Betis maybe looking to sell him for less. maybe 10-12 mil..

we should take a look at players whose contract runs out in 2014 or 2015. Benat Lewandowski Moutinho Capoue Gundogan...lot of quality options to pursue

Indeed. Should be some good deals to be had in our areas of need.

[Strike 7,251]

United and City also play two strikers at the same time. We do not.

The club are heading that way, our squad isn't designed to implement a 4-4-2 formation. Yes Lukaku still has a few rough edges to his game but he's more than good enough to lead the line at a PL club, as he's shown at West Brom so far. Why would you keep a talent like that on the bench and let him play the Chicharito role? His potential ceiling is far higher than that.

Just to point out that Drogba too was still quite raw when he came to the PL, but that didn't stop us from winning the title back in 2005 and 2006. I think Lukaku has shown enough that he deserves a big shot here at CFC.

i think relying on Lukaku for next season is a risky ploy. his first touch isn't great and parts of his game aren't fully developed. he is willing and powerful but going into the season with Ba and Lukaku leaves us short of options

would love to have atleast 1 more senior striker.

Ba, Lukaku, Newsigning and a converted winger as 4th choice if needed. 3 senior strikers are necessary. look at the team this season. tired as hell playing 2 games a week

all this depends on the manager ultimately but a proven striker would go a long way into hiding the core problems

[Strike 7,251]

United and City also play two strikers at the same time. We do not.

The club are heading that way, our squad isn't designed to implement a 4-4-2 formation. Yes Lukaku still has a few rough edges to his game but he's more than good enough to lead the line at a PL club, as he's shown at West Brom so far. Why would you keep a talent like that on the bench and let him play the Chicharito role? His potential ceiling is far higher than that.

what would you suggest? go with Lukaku Ba and possibly another backup option?

[The Skipper 20,593]

what would you suggest? go with Lukaku Ba and possibly another backup option?

Exactly that. 3 senior strikers as you said is what the club should be looking at... Ideally though we should've kept Sturridge and have him vying for that striker spot between Lukaku and Ba whilst also providing extra cover as an inside forward in the three behind the striker. He's gone now though so a reasonable third option will be suitable, yes.

[Mufassir08 2,400]

La fondre as 3rd choice striker?Ba,lukaku and la fondre looks OK to me.

[Hutcho 8,443]

La fondre as 3rd choice striker?Ba,lukaku and la fondre looks OK to me.

Buy any player who does well against us. Should buy hernandez as well.

I am not sure la fondre would be a good for for us tbh. But we would need a cheap 3rd choice.

[Mufassir08 2,400]

Buy any player who does well against us. Should buy hernandez as well.

I am not sure la fondre would be a good for for us tbh. But we would need a cheap 3rd choice.

He has been very good for reading and is a good finisher.He would be cheap,english,would be happy as 3rd choice and if god forbid ba and lukaku get injured then he would still be good enough to lead the line.Dont think there are a whole lot of options for the 3rd choice striker position who also would not demand a lot of playing time.

[Korea 734]

Yes cause man u will sell chicarito right?......

[Hutcho 8,443]

Yes cause man u will sell chicarito right?......

I was being sarcastic because he always performs well against us. I don't want him here.

[Korea 734]

If we buy cavani, lukaku will be. Loan

[Hutcho 8,443]

He has been very good for reading and is a good finisher.He would be cheap,english,would be happy as 3rd choice and if god forbid ba and lukaku get injured then he would still be good enough to lead the line.Dont think there are a whole lot of options for the 3rd choice striker position who also would not demand a lot of playing time.

True. He wouldn't be a bad signing at all. But he is best utilised to play a two up top system. Which atm we haven't even tried. Depending on the manager it could be a good choice. But next month there will probably be a new player who shines for a lower league team to buy.

[DDA 9,691]

Falcao is coming in the summer! So Ba should be third choice behind Lukaiu also!

[Magic Lamps 11,668]

Falcao is coming in the summer! So Ba should be third choice behind Lukaiu also!

Falcao is going nowhere, also Suarez or Cavani, as much as i would like him here is not coming for less than 50m and I do not see us spending so much on a striker again, no matter how different the signs are this time. I think it is much more likely and also retracable to buy someone cheap in the 23-27 y bracket and I appreciate that. Even though we lack a big name in that department, I would appreciate that.

Le foondre sounds a valid option, but he is not someone who would fit that well into our team specifically, his link-up play is average. He is a clinical finisher has great reactions and movement, reminds one of Inzaghi or Roy Makaay the way he is ghosting around and that he is English makes him almost attractive, but there is a reason why he does not play from Start at Reading; he is not able to lead the line, he is just a poacher but no modern striker. He would be a fourth striking option at best, cos he can always score, but we are looking for someone who we can rely on a constant level.

Iago Aspas comes to my mind, cos his linkup play is excellent and his finishing is good.

Overall I think, if we want to continue that 4-2-3-1 which is probable as our 3 maestros can feature within, we should incorporate these 5 players in our squad, whether it is buy, academy or get back from loan I do not care, it is more about the player type, so the squad continues to evolve. we do not have to be perfect, you do not even have to be good to win big titles as Utd and ourselves have shown so often.

- a CB of international standard in or approaching his best years. We need it for numbers cos 3,5 CBs are not enough IMO and our prospects will either be never good enough or will only be it when Terry and maybe even ivanovic are about to leave/retire. But we also need him not to have open house every time we face a better opened, we have conceded at least two goals agaisnt atletico madrid, man city twice and ManU twice in our big games this season. Possibilites: Hummels (very expensive), Papadopolus (still young, but amazing statistics), Otamendi (well, getting better every game and 15m release clause, reasonable), Juan Jesus (well, very young but top prospect)

- a holding midfielder who can run, pass, tackle, is fine technically, robust and at best can also shoots. Candidates: our very own Chalobah, Etienne Capoue, Sung-Young Ki, Tiote

- a Deep Lying Playmaker, obvious reasons: McEachran (prob not ready yet), Kevin de Bruyne (not really deep-lying, but prob can also play there), Benat (not my favourite option, too expensive and too incapable defensively, rather a no. 8), Ever Banega,

- an out-and-out winger, Bale (lol, never gonna get him, Gaitan (too slow, imo), James Rodriguez (do not know much about him) at best right sided cos Hazard is set for the left wing: Jonathan biabiany, Antoine Griezman, Germaine Lens (all just before reaching their peak and damn damn fast), Iker munian

- a striker who offers a plan B to the big/strong thrust-striker Ba/lukaku: Iago Aspas, islam Feruz (mentioned so often lol, no idea whether he is rady), iago aspas, le fondre,

[JDY 1,290]

A deep lying playmaker isn't essential. I get the feeling a lot of people want a Xabi Alonso-esque player in the pivot but you can benefit from different types of players in there, ones without the playmaking capabilities.

A player who can hold the ball and link the play from midfield to attack is needed, if they can provide defence splitting passes then that's a bonus. Dembele for Spurs isn't the most creative of players, and has been criticised in the past for being indecisive in the final third. But this season he has improved in that aspect, and his ability to retain the ball even if there are 100 players on him is incredible. Him and Sandro probably make up the best pivot in the league at the moment.

[Blue Gino 377]

I believe Lazar Markovic is a done deal. There was more to his visit to London to that of Taison. They wined and dined this kid along with players joining him for dinner to convince him. This team needs more options out wide and along with KDB the team then has that.

[The Skipper 20,593]

A deep lying playmaker isn't essential. I get the feeling a lot of people want a Xabi Alonso-esque player in the pivot but you can benefit from different types of players in there, ones without the playmaking capabilities. A player who can hold the ball and link the play from midfield to attack is needed, if they can provide defence splitting passes then that's a bonus. Dembele for Spurs isn't the most creative of players, and has been criticised in the past for being indecisive in the final third. But this season he has improved in that aspect, and his ability to retain the ball even if there are 100 players on him is incredible. Him and Sandro probably make up the best pivot in the league at the moment.

Dembele plays as a deep lying playmaker for Spurs...

[nadavTKL 1,787]

I believe Lazar Markovic is a done deal. There was more to his visit to London to that of Taison. They wined and dined this kid along with players joining him for dinner to convince him. This team needs more options out wide and along with KDB the team then has that.

Source? never heard of a link with him.

[Jase 43,479]

La fondre as 3rd choice striker?Ba,lukaku and la fondre looks OK to me.

With that strikeforce, we'll never be able to challenge for the league. Might get away with it in the cups but not the league.

Lukaku has massive talent and potential but he's nowhere near the finished article yet to provide us the quality needed to challenge the two Manchester clubs.

Ba is good but not great. As for Le Fondre? No thanks. A sub impact he is for Reading but he's just mid-table range player.

Think after years and years of having just 1 top notch striker in Drogba(and maybe Anelka), it's really time for us to acquire a world class striker in the team. Otherwise, come this time next year, we'll just be moaning about the same old thing again. No quality striker in the team and then compare ourselves with United and City. Failling behind in the league and struggling to finish in Top 4 because we don't have a top notch striker etc.