Rumoured Xabi Alonso

[Spike 12,049]

Partnering Alonso with Ramires wouldn't hide his deficiencies, it'd just double Ramires' workload.

Here's some comments from Gary Neville (who is one of the most insightful people in football today):

Alonso isn't ideal so why settle? I don't know who I'd buy but I sure as well wouldn't bring in a slow 31 year old midfielder on massive wages. We should be moving away from slow players to high-energy dynamic midfielders. They exist. The club should identify them.

How often does Chelsea actually play against a team like Dortmubd though?

[Styles 9,790]

This is the point though - is there a 22-25 year old midfielder out there that we could get who does what we need? I'd have loved us to have gotten Martinez, but lets not forget the guy cost €40 million and we're talking about a 'cut-price deal' for Alonso. He's a short-term option but sometimes you need to go for that when there aren't obvious long-term options readily available (there's a cluster of players like Witsel, Moutinho, Benat etc. that are all likely to be more expensive and are relatively unproven).

He's definitely an option and when we've got players like McEachran and Oscar (who I still don't think is a wide player) at the club, maybe the long-term option comes from within.

Yeah a Martinez type player would be the ideal. He cost €40m but he was 23 when they bought him. Bayern have a top player for the next decade. The fee is great when you look at it that way. It's like Hazard for £32m. We've got a quality young player for a very, very long time.

If I was a betting man I'd go with there being a player in that age range that fits what we're looking for. The problem is identifying them. The pivot has been a massive problem for us all season and with Rafa forced to playing a CB in that position perhaps the club have already been scouting.

I think if Oscar was to play in midfield it'd be more like Lampard's old role in the 4-3-3. The most attacking with licence to join the attack but still with defensive duties. I can't see him as one of a two man midfield as that would limit his game. McEachran is a terrific technical footballer but he lacks the athleticism. As sad is it I'm really struggling to see a role for him as a first choice player. I think long-term players like Chalobah, Loftus-Cheek, Baker and Swift could make for great central midfielders. They're all strong, athletic and good technically.

[Styles 9,790]

I don't know if Alonso is the right way to go....but in terms of Real Madrid midfielders, Mourinho should bring Khedira with him. Young, energetic, decent aerial ability...he'd provide another option for our CM/DM positions.

Youre right, he'd be a better option than Khedira in terms of competing physically in midfield. Not as a good a passer though so there's that as an issue.

But if Mourinho wants to bring someone with him I'd take Varane.

[Styles 9,790]

How often does Chelsea actually play against a team like Dortmubd though?

If you want to be competitive at European level you will run into teams like Dortmund and Bayern at some stage. Just like we continually ran in Barca in their prime.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Alonso isn't good enough to play for Chelsea where we desperately need a player like him but he plays regularly in the greatest international team of the last 10-20 years or if you believe it, of all time. Ok then. How does this work?

There's a reason Madrid want to get rid of him.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Xabi only has one year left on his contract. If we can get him for £10m, for instance, as a two- or three-year option, you can't really say no, can you?

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Xabi only has one year left on his contract. If we can get him for £10m, for instance, as a two- or three-year option, you can't really say no, can you?

My fear is that that will prevent us from signing a long-term solution for that position. Don't get me wrong, 10m for Xabi to come and be a squad player would be amazing, but we've had a lot of problems with this particular position, and have had several stop-gap solutions a la Meireles, and I think it is time we get some one who can solve this problem for a few season to come and that definitely isn't Alonso.

[Severinb 309]

Yeah a Martinez type player would be the ideal. He cost €40m but he was 23 when they bought him. Bayern have a top player for the next decade. The fee is great when you look at it that way. It's like Hazard for £32m. We've got a quality young player for a very, very long time.

If I was a betting man I'd go with there being a player in that age range that fits what we're looking for. The problem is identifying them. The pivot has been a massive problem for us all season and with Rafa forced to playing a CB in that position perhaps the club have already been scouting.

I think if Oscar was to play in midfield it'd be more like Lampard's old role in the 4-3-3. The most attacking with licence to join the attack but still with defensive duties. I can't see him as one of a two man midfield as that would limit his game. McEachran is a terrific technical footballer but he lacks the athleticism. As sad is it I'm really struggling to see a role for him as a first choice player. I think long-term players like Chalobah, Loftus-Cheek, Baker and Swift could make for great central midfielders. They're all strong, athletic and good technically.

We should do the same and buy witsel for 40m and we would have a new DM for the next 7-8 years. Mou has been interested in him for a long time so i am dreaming that we could get witsel

[different level 1,056]

Right now he looks like a brilliant short term signing. However I fear he'll start a sharp decline the moment he signs for us and I'm sick of ex-liverpool flops...

[OneMoSalah 8,614]

There's a reason Madrid want to get rid of him.

because he wont agree a new deal... and their idiots just like with Makelele. They think if they get Ancelotti they will get Verratti too, which I have to be honest, I see Verratti going back to Italy more than to Real Madrid. Juve, Napoli, Inter, Milan were all interested and if he goes anywhere I'd see it being Italy.

Plus Alonso apparently wants to leave because of the divide in the dressing room.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

because he wont agree a new deal... and their idiots just like with Makelele. They think if they get Ancelotti they will get Verratti too, which I have to be honest, I see Verratti going back to Italy more than to Real Madrid. Juve, Napoli, Inter, Milan were all interested and if he goes anywhere I'd see it being Italy.

Plus Alonso apparently wants to leave because of the divide in the dressing room.

But you can't really compare Alonso to Maka who was probably the best DM of his generation. Anyway, like I said above, Alonso is not the long-term solution we should be looking for and you just know that if we sign him we won't get anyone else for that position.

I've heard a lot about Verratti, bu from what I've seen, he's the Pepe of midfield! Needs to sort out his attitude if he wants to make it.

[The only place to be 11,313]

There's a reason Madrid want to get rid of him.

There's 2 possible reasons. One is that he's out of contract in 12 months and hasn't signed the extension that has reportedly been offered to him. The other is that Florentino Perez is still the same idiot who let Makelele walk out the door a decade ago.

My fear is that that will prevent us from signing a long-term solution for that position.

That's a fair point, but I'm not sure who this mystery 'long-term solution' is right now.

I think we need to figure out what's going to happen to Oscar. He could be our Modric and he's looked handy whenever he's played there. The same goes for McEachran - I really can't think of many clubs where he could go on loan and get the role he needs. Then there's a few dark horses like Swift and Baker, and further down the line I know everyone's got high hopes for Loftus-Cheek.

In the market, I don't know if there's one player that everyone thinks is the one we need. This is why a stop-gap like Alonso has such appeal. Of course we shouldn't go back to our policy of buying predominantly 30+ year old players on big wages, but if there isn't a younger option then why not wait until there is and in the meantime give some of our homegrown players a chance?

[CHOULO19 24,332]

That's a fair point, but I'm not sure who this mystery 'long-term solution' is right now. I think we need to figure out what's going to happen to Oscar. He could be our Modric and he's looked handy whenever he's played there. The same goes for McEachran - I really can't think of many clubs where he could go on loan and get the role he needs. Then there's a few dark horses like Swift and Baker, and further down the line I know everyone's got high hopes for Loftus-Cheek. In the market, I don't know if there's one player that everyone thinks is the one we need. This is why a stop-gap like Alonso has such appeal. Of course we shouldn't go back to our policy of buying predominantly 30+ year old players on big wages, but if there isn't a younger option then why not wait until there is and in the meantime give some of our homegrown players a chance?

I honestly still think Modric is the best fit. Would also love to see KDB given a chance to make that position his; he certainly has the ability to play there, imo. See Josh playing there is a dream, but atm it's just unrealistic. I think we'll just have to wait to see what the new manager decides on this matter.

[Spike 12,049]

Modrić is awful. All he has is his agility and technique. Couldn't defend to save his life and all that jazz and he isn't he that creative at all, he is just a tidy passer with amazing technique. Modrić is already redundant in works football die to the existence of Gündogan, who is superior in every single way to Modrić. Modrić can fuck off, Chelsea has Oscar who will be 10x the player. Whether Oscars future lies in the number 10 position or the midfield is the next manager's prerogative.

Alonso isn't a bad option. One older veteran signing isn't going to be the end if the world like some users believe. His experience and knowledge of the game invaluable. It's not like once Alonso is bought the club will revert to exclusively buying 30+ players. He currently offers something no Chelsea players currently do. And Alonso would marginalise Mikel who has been our worst player this season, it might kick a bit if life into Mikel and hopefully he can regain his form. Mikel is not a bad player, but he has been absolutely awful this season and I hate seeing him like this.

Strengths

Exceptional long passing

Strong intercepting

Fairly strong

Stand tackles

Penalties, FKs and corners

Stamina

Weaknesses

Mobility

Age is against him (maybe three or four years left)

Slide tackles

His goal scoring abilities are inconsistent

[BlueLyon 9,359]

Modrić is awful. All he has is his agility and technique. Couldn't defend to save his life and all that jazz and he isn't he that creative at all, he is just a tidy passer with amazing technique. Modrić is already redundant in works football die to the existence of Gündogan, who is superior in every single way to Modrić. Modrić can fuck off, Chelsea has Oscar who will be 10x the player. Whether Oscars future lies in the number 10 position or the midfield is the next manager's prerogative.

Alonso isn't a bad option. One older veteran signing isn't going to be the end if the world like some users believe. His experience and knowledge of the game invaluable. It's not like once Alonso is bought the club will revert to exclusively buying 30+ players. He currently offers something no Chelsea players currently do. And Alonso would marginalise Mikel who has been our worst player this season, it might kick a bit if life into Mikel and hopefully he can regain his form. Mikel is not a bad player, but he has been absolutely awful this season and I hate seeing him like this.

Strengths

Exceptional long passing

Strong intercepting

Fairly strong

Stand tackles

Penalties, FKs and corners

Stamina

Weaknesses

Mobility

Age is against him (maybe three or four years left)

Slide tackles

His goal scoring abilities are inconsistent

Well Modric is also the only player soo far that ripped spain on big tournaments...the game between Croatia and Spain was expample what Modric is capable of.

Against Dortmund he was much better than Alonso too.

[Spike 12,049]

Well Modric is also the only player soo far that ripped spain on big tournaments...the game between Croatia and Spain was expample what Modric is capable of.

Against Dortmund he was much better than Alonso too.

Played as a CAM in both of those matches.

[Spike 12,049]

Well Modric is also the only player soo far that ripped spain on big tournaments...the game between Croatia and Spain was expample what Modric is capable of.

Against Dortmund he was much better than Alonso too.

Played as a CAM in both of those matches.

[Strike 6,961]

Played as a CAM in both of those matches.

This!

Modric would thrive in a 3-man mid. Since we have Mata at CAM, that's not gonna happen