The Conte Thread

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

7 minutes ago, Pizy said:

Bonucci, Mustafi, Koulibaly, Manolas, Stones, Marquinos...any of these CB's would be an instant upgrade. Are all of them "available?" Maybe not, but we need to at least throw huge offers at their clubs and make them say no.

Pogba wasn't available. Mkhitaryan wasn't available. Sterling wasn't available. No top players are unless you make their clubs an offer they can't refuse. Why have we not done that to bring in a CB which is the most important area that needed reinforcement?

Being patient and "waiting for the right players" is what we were told last summer and look what happened.

Those are the names we've been linked with and of the 6 you've mentioned, in my estimation only Bonucci, Koulibaly and maybe Manolas make us better. Pogba was available, Mkhitarian was available, Sterling was available. Now name me a CB that is available and will make us significantly better? 

[Tautvix 1,321]

Just now, Chelsea Legend 11 said:

Those are the names we've been linked with and of the 6 you've mentioned, in my estimation only Bonucci, Koulibaly and maybe Manolas make us better. Pogba was available, Mkhitarian was available, Sterling was available. Now name me a CB that is available and will make us significantly better? 

Every player becomes available when you pay the price other club wants. Pogba wasn't also available for us last season? Obviously he wasn't since we refused to pay the money Juve wanted. But football changed now a lot of you need to pay a lot for great players. We cannot buy Djilobodji for 2m and expect him to be the new John Terry..

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

8 minutes ago, Jason said:

Adding to that, with the new TV deal money and the inflated transfer market, the chances of getting a good player by paying a small fee are low these days. Gotta pay big money to get the good ones.

Yes and we clearly aren't in a financial position to spend 80m on one defender. We have money but if you believe FFP is real we clearly can't spend crazy money and comply, especially with no champions league football.

2 minutes ago, Tautvix said:

Jose and Manutd had their targets early and they brought them on before the season even started. This is why they are gonna win EPL. While we will just keep asking that we need defenders.

Man Utd have limitless funds at their disposal. 

[Pizy 18,368]

1 minute ago, Chelsea Legend 11 said:

Those are the names we've been linked with and of the 6 you've mentioned, in my estimation only Bonucci, Koulibaly and maybe Manolas make us better. Pogba was available, Mkhitarian was available, Sterling was available. Now name me a CB that is available and will make us significantly better? 

They weren't available. Pogba, Mkhitaryan, and Sterling's clubs all wanted to keep their players. You think Juventus or Dortmund wanted to sell their best players? Hell no! They just received offers that were impossible to turn down.

Every single one of those CB's I named could be had with the possible exception of Bonucci. And every single one of them is miles better than Terry and Cahill. 

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

4 minutes ago, Jason said:

If reinforcements have been identified, we wouldn't be taking a scattered brain approach in the transfer market right now.

Explain what this means. 

What is scatter brained about not getting what you have targeted?

[lucio 5,418]

9 minutes ago, Chelsea Legend 11 said:

See this is where we will always be at odds. So if we go out and buy Djilobodji are we a better team than we were previously? Not any defender improves us, we need a BOSS and the BOSSES are in shortage in world football. Juventus don't need to sell Bonucci and clearly don't want to. Koulibaly might go if he submits a transfer request otherwise why is Napoli gonna sell? 

How do you know the reinforcements haven't been identified? Its not as easy as going to the grocery store and picking defenders off the shelf.

If our current options are hill and ivan ,then even the lesser targets like de vrij and lindelof would comfortably improve us

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

1 minute ago, Pizy said:

They weren't available. Pogba, Mkhitaryan, and Sterling's clubs all wanted to keep their players. You think Juventus or Dortmund wanted to sell their best players? Hell no! They just received offers that were impossible to turn down.

Every single one of those CB's I named could be had with the possible exception of Bonucci. And every single one of them is miles better than Terry and Cahill. 

Sterling wanted out and forced a move.

Pogba went for a world record fee...

Mkhitarian had one year left on his deal... read between the lines, not every time a club says a player is not for sale does it mean they won't sell. In these instances you have the club window dressing.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

1 minute ago, lucio said:

If our current options are hill and ivan ,then even the lesser targets like de vrij and lindelof would comfortably improve us

No they won't. They would make us slightly better def not a title contender like we should be. 

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

And don't forget the club had Rudiger all but signed before the Euros and he ruptured his ACL. Imagine if we'd taken all of the incredible advise given here and signed him asap. 

[Pizy 18,368]

5 minutes ago, Chelsea Legend 11 said:

Sterling wanted out and forced a move.

Pogba went for a world record fee...

Mkhitarian had one year left on his deal... read between the lines, not every time a club says a player is not for sale does it mean they won't sell. In these instances you have the club window dressing.

We've been adamant that Costa isn't for sale. But I bet you if Atleti or some other club came in with a super high fee we'd sell him.

Same goes for our CB search. If we throw a truck load of cash at Napoli for Koulibaly (who by all accounts wants to leave) they'll sell.

[Jase 43,479]

1 minute ago, Chelsea Legend 11 said:

Explain what this means. 

What is scatter brained about not getting what you have targeted?

Like not knowing who to get? If you have read through what I said, you knows what that means.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

Just now, Pizy said:

We've been adamant that Costa isn't for sale. But I bet you if Atleti or some other club came in with a super high fee we'd sell him.

Same goes for our CB search. If we throw a truck load of cash at Napoli for Koulibaly (who by all accounts wants to leave) they'll sell.

you mean like the 79m Juventus threw at them for Higuain? 

Lets be realistic here. We need to be smart about this purchase.

[Jase 43,479]

12 minutes ago, Chelsea Legend 11 said:

Yes and we clearly aren't in a financial position to spend 80m on one defender. We have money but if you believe FFP is real we clearly can't spend crazy money and comply, especially with no champions league football.

FFP is like a myth at this point if we look at how much the other clubs are spending and the lack of Champions League football money hardly hurts when there's the new TV deal money.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

Just now, Jason said:

Like not knowing who to get? If you have read through what I said, you knows what that means.

 Again you have no idea who has been targeted, all you know is we haven't concluded any deals. You sound like Charlie "the Hurricane" Skillen or Joe Tweeds... 

"Chelsea need to buy a CB but not a rubbish one like Djilobodji, a really good one like Bonucci or Koulibaly..." No fucking shit sherlock! And what will it take to pry these players from their respective clubs?

Signing anyone who is available is precisely what got us into this predicament to begin with.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

2 minutes ago, Jason said:

FFP is like a myth at this point if we look at how much the other clubs are spending and the lack of Champions League football money hardly hurts when there's the new TV deal money.

You could be right, I'm not gonna profess to know what the clubs financial position is all I can say is we're not as well stocked as Utd who have spent in and around half a billion in recent years. 

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

14 minutes ago, Chelsea Legend 11 said:

Now name me a CB that is available and will make us significantly better? 

Paris' Marquinhos.

Unai Emery has had a successful pre-season with Paris and has his team for the new season already pictured in mind with David Luiz and Thiago Silva as centre backs. Kimpembe on the bench and Aurier and Stambouli can slot in there, too.

With the right offer, Marquinhos can be prised away because he is unhappy and does not want to spend another season on the bench. 

[Laylabelle 9,351]

2 hours ago, Special Juan said:

Our main transfer window is in January a lot of the time anyway, you know trying to scramble like fuck after a shit summer transfer window.

I cannot see in 3 weeks the board bringing in the not just the amount of players needed but the correct areas too.

I can see there being a big money signing but no one who we actually need. Our defence is bloody awful and there may be limited options out there but surely someone good enough to fill the gaps. Nearly every game we let goals in and still having stupid moments pretty season.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

3 minutes ago, petre.ispirescu said:

Paris' Marquinhos.

Unai Emery has had a successful pre-season with Paris and has his team for the new season already pictured in mind with David Luiz and Thiago Silva as centre backs. Kimpembe on the bench and Aurier and Stambouli can slot in there, too.

With the right offer, Marquinhos can be prised away because he is unhappy and does not want to spend another season on the bench. 

Marquinhos: "I think this year I will stay in Paris. #PSG do not want to sell me. It is hard to leave with these conditions."