Oscar

[Henrique 9,133]

The other starters in midfield recently for Brazil are Sandro, Lucas, Romulo, Caesmiro, and Gioliano. This is not Spain or Germany where the midfield are all world-class. This is a very young and unproven team and have been playing their young players as a warm-up for the Olympics so virtually all their starting players are under 23. If this were the World Cup or Copa America, Brazil would be playing a very different starting XI. For example, you look at the last couple of games Brazil has played- none of Cesar, Danny Alves, Lucio, Maicon, Andre Santos, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Ramires, and Robinho played. (and Brazil lost both games).

Only Ramires, Cesar and Danny Alves are part of Mano Menezes plans.

[Wise 45]

To put the price into perspective - Sao Paulo have rejected bids over 30 million for Lucas. Most Brazilian experts rate Oscar higher than Lucas, they say he is a much more complete player. Oscar is arguably the second best talent in Brazil after Neymar.

Hazard + Oscar + Marin = 64 million

Carroll + Downing + Henderson = 75 million

[Chelsea? 892]

Because way too many Chelsea fans (especially those who are post-Abramovich), don't care at all about money or value or what over-spending does to football in general. If we bought Oscar for 40M, the same people would be saying "great signing, he's the next Iniesta, who cares how much we spent?". Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to have him and I will support him, we just spent way too much money to get him.

most people complain about priceses. Idk what you mean. Sometime I feel some on here think guys like. Piazon, josh, kdb, kakuta and co. Are better than luka modric.

If this deal is real then:

Why do you assume the 25mil doesnt include many exculators?

[Peace. 4,352]

People, the position of a player on the paper doesn't matter, not at all. If a player is labeled as a n°10, that doesn't mean he will exclusively play in the midfield, and that he will be poor if he is played in another position. And it isn't because you play three players labeled as n°10 that it won't work. If you want to play with a 4-2-3-1 formation (since we're likely to play this way...), you aren't bound to play with a left winger, a CAM and a right winger. You can play with three CAM as well. It all depends on what the coach wants, and especially the players' individual abilities. It also depends on the ability of these three CAM to switch position, without hindering the others.

You just have to look at Barcelona, or Netherland when they played total football. But I'll use the example of Barcelona, since they are the more recent and the best example into my eyes. Iniesta is a center midfield. Though, when he is played on the left wing, he is still the world-class player we know. Pedro can play on both wing and as a striker. Messi is played as a striker, on the paper, but during the game you'll see him a lot in midfield (often deeper than Xavi). When Piqué and Puyol are high on the pitch, after a corner, and play as strikers, this doesn't disrupt the team. And I could go on.

Hence, the important thing is that the player has to be able to respond to what his coach seek out of him. If Di Matteo wants three "free electrons" behind his striker (if he wants to play in 4-2-3-1), it won't be a probleme with Hazard-Oscar-Mata as long as they can move on the pitch freely without disrupting the flow of the team, and without walking on each other's feet.

[zolayes 14,489]

To put the price into perspective - Sao Paulo have rejected bids over 30 million for Lucas. Most Brazilian experts rate Oscar higher than Lucas, they say he is a much more complete player. Oscar is arguably the second best talent in Brazil after Neymar.

Hazard + Oscar + Marin = 64 million

Carroll + Downing + Henderson = 75 million

careful how you do the Math

chelsea as above + Torres 114 million

scumpool - Torres 25 million

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

To put the price into perspective - Sao Paulo have rejected bids over 30 million for Lucas. Most Brazilian experts rate Oscar higher than Lucas, they say he is a much more complete player. Oscar is arguably the second best talent in Brazil after Neymar.

Hazard + Oscar + Marin = 64 million

Carroll + Downing + Henderson = 75 million

So, it looks like a better bargain that the worst transfer spending in history? If you judge anything by what Liverpool did in the last couple of years, it will look great.

Equally some people don't appreciate the cost of players today and constantly complain about the amount we pay even if it turns out not to be that bad. I would have loved to have seen the reaction if these kind of people when we signed 27 year old Drogba from the French league for 24 million.

This is just not true. I have already shown what the cost of players are today. In the last 2 seasons, Mata signed last year for 23.5M. Silva signed or 24M. Kagawa was 17.5M (with only a year left ton contract), Ozil signed for 15M Euros (same contract situation) Ya Ya Toure was 24M. Reus was 17.5M Euros, Ramires for 22M Euros, Etc..All of these players were more established than Oscar and Oscar is going for more than all of them. 25M for a midfielder should get you someone like Mueller or Modric (not for Chelsea because of the bad blood there) not just a promising young player. And "the cost of players today" is pretty much because of us and a few other teams driving up costs in moves like this one.

(And Drogba was 26 and a striker and coming off a fantastic season in League 1 and in Europe. Strikers always cost more money.)

[Santiago. 1,500]

Many are calling us title contenders. I believe we are, but we singed unproven players in the English game. They have a mass amount of potential. interesting to see where it leads.

---------Torres--------

Mata----------Hazard

--Oscar---Ramires---

-------Romeu----------

What i would deploy

[Kieran. 6,317]

It's just the way football is now, friend. Best get over it.

[Term-X 7,891]

When we make a thread about a player all we get is, he's brilliant a must get etc. Once it's been reported we have bidded and it's been accepted, it's all no it's too much, he won't fit our system, there's better options, he's overrated blah blah blah.

This happened with Mata, people saying he's too slow and not ready, look what happened.

Hugh?, that never happened. 95% of 'this' forum & fans in general were satisfied with the Mata signing, it was unanimously perceived as a smart signing.

[YuriZhirkov 106]

feels like a huge gambling...

[Kojo 4,676]

Hugh?, that never happened. 95% of 'this' forum & fans in general were satisfied with the Mata signing, it was unanimously perceived as a smart signing.

It did, people were worried when the rumours grew stronger, one I can remember was Warnie. I know he wasnt very satisfied about it, but he came along and impressed.

[Term-X 7,891]

The two signings are incomparable.

The Oscar deal is very much in the mould of Lukaku, insane fees for raw talent.

[The Big Drog 1,110]

So, it looks like a better bargain that the worst transfer spending in history? If you judge anything by what Liverpool did in the last couple of years, it will look great.

This is just not true. I have already shown what the cost of players are today. In the last 2 seasons, Mata signed last year for 23.5M. Silva signed or 24M. Kagawa was 17.5M (with only a year left ton contract), Ozil signed for 15M Euros (same contract situation) Ya Ya Toure was 24M. Reus was 17.5M Euros, Ramires for 22M Euros, Etc..All of these players were more established than Oscar and Oscar is going for more than all of them. 25M for a midfielder should get you someone like Mueller or Modric (not for Chelsea because of the bad blood there) not just a promising young player. And "the cost of players today" is pretty much because of us and a few other teams driving up costs in moves like this one.

(And Drogba was 26 and a striker and coming off a fantastic season in League 1 and in Europe. Strikers always cost more money.)

I like your black and white way of looking at things, let me add some colour to your examples.

Valencia in debt, were always going to sell their best players (Villa, Silva, Mata) other clubs knew they were in debt and knew they could get the players for smaller fees than they would normally have to pay.

Kagawa, a year left on his contract, enough said.

Ozil, a year left on his contract.

24 million pounds for a player that is nearly 30, as great as he is, he hasn't much re-sale value and is not a young player. On top of that he was no longer an important part of the Barcelona team when they sold him.

Reus, good player but I wouldn't have him ahead of Oscar.

Ramires, very good player, industrious but of course the rare talent of Oscar will fetch more money than the work-horse Ramires.

What this boils down to is how good do you think Oscar is and how much potential do you believe him to have, I rank him very highly and I can honestly say there aren't many young players I've seen with more potential. Maybe you feel differently which is why you object to the money we are paying for him.

Let's not re-write history, we all remember what was being said during Drogba's first season, coming in from an average league, way overpriced, not even that young. He proved to be one of the best bits of business the club has ever done.

[Term-X 7,891]

feels like a huge gambling...

The club have proven time and time again, that they are not good at 'gambling', for every good example, there are a million and one bad examples.

[Kojo 4,676]

The two signings are incomparable.

The Oscar deal is very much in the mould of Lukaku, insane fees for raw talent.

Lukaku still has time, he's 19... Nearly all the best players were given time when they where younger. Think it's unfair on Oscar, we haven't seen him play in a Chelsea shirt yet either, and he's 20 years old.