Chelsea Transfers

[Magic Lamps 11,653]

2 hours ago, Vesper said:

Wolfsburg are horrid without Maxence Lacroix

 

He is head and shoulders above the rest of their defence and probably most other defenders in Bundesliga. He has the ability to patch up defensive errors of others with his pace and last-ditch defending, making Wolfsburg look better defensively than they are but he is also beginning to show that he can be the organisational leader of the defence. We really should be all over him, even if Rüdiger stays. IMO he has the ability to play any position in a back 3 or in a cb pairing. Will be among top10 cbs globally by 2024 latest.  shit is, Wolfsburg made him sign another contract last month till 2025 so now he is a lot more expensive than he would have been last summer.

Today has shown that TT can make even average defenders work in his system but put skillful, combative freak-athlete  like Lacroix in there he will look an absolute beast.

[Magic Lamps 11,653]

37 minutes ago, Clockwork said:

 Adams Traore in January anyone?

He is still pointless, no real improvement in terms of output after sporadic purple patches in the last few seasons. It really is a shame. If this guy could finish he would be absolute world class. The only reason to sign him would be bc he is so damn entertaining to watch but if you have to support him his mazy runs ending in a shot to Row Z will be frustrating rather. Wolves counter-attacking system gets the best out of him, I do not see him flourish in our conservatively defensive, posession-based system. We fail to make use of our quick players so he really would be wasted here. 

[Vesper 28,779]

53 minutes ago, Clockwork said:

 Adams Traore in January anyone?

😹

https://www.instagram.com/traore.adams/

[OhForAGreavsie 5,890]

20 hours ago, Magic Lamps said:

He is head and shoulders above the rest of their defence and probably most other defenders in Bundesliga. He has the ability to patch up defensive errors of others with his pace and last-ditch defending, making Wolfsburg look better defensively than they are but he is also beginning to show that he can be the organisational leader of the defence. We really should be all over him, even if Rüdiger stays. IMO he has the ability to play any position in a back 3 or in a cb pairing. Will be among top10 cbs globally by 2024 latest.  shit is, Wolfsburg made him sign another contract last month till 2025 so now he is a lot more expensive than he would have been last summer.

Today has shown that TT can make even average defenders work in his system but put skillful, combative freak-athlete  like Lacroix in there he will look an absolute beast.

Looks like Lacroix could help us make the most of Lukaku with those long passes he clearly loves. An incidental consideration but an additional string to his bow for sure.

Meanwhile, would we have a realistic chance of getting him? Does he already have his heart set on one of the super clubs and do they already have their wallets trained on him?

Edited October 17, 2021 by OhForAGreavsie

[Vesper 28,779]

1 hour ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

Looks like Lacroix could help us make the most of Lukaku with those long passes he clearly loves. An incidental consideration but an additional string to his bow for sure.

Meanwhile, would we have a realistic chance of getting him? Does he already have his heart set on one of the super clubs and do they already have their wallets trained on him?

We are the perfect club for him, especially IF we lose Rudiger (and surely, if we even can keep him for 2022/23, next season is Thiago's last with us I wager).

We have a German manager, plus German AND French players (and other players who speak fluent French), and our system is tailor-made for the type of CB Lacroix is.

Plus Tuchel loves him, per multiple reports. Tuchel loves Marquinhos as well, BUT he would be insanely hard (and expensive) to prise away from PSG atm. Lacroix should come in around half what Marquinhos would cost, and is 6 years younger.

Bastoni is no longer a huge want of mine. I have obsessively watched him, Barella, Chiesa, Theo Hernandez, and Tchouameni, and Bastoni is the main one who has dropped.

He is bullied too often, and I see positional errors too much, the type that in the hyperball EPL will get him roasted. Milan Skriniar has (since Conte left) rebounded in a huge way, he looks back to WC form, better than Bastoni atm for sure. Skriniar on Manure (and with Ole shitcanned) terrifies me (as I am not all that impressed with Varane and Slabhead has been injured, but will soon be back full steam). Also, thank fuck Pool bought Konate and not Skriniar.

The other players I am now deep diving on are 

Christopher Nkunku
Florian Wirtz
Mikel 'Bigfoot' Oyarzabal (quite likely soon will be the only other (remotely available) winger other than Chiesa (who really is not available unless we shell out insane money) whom I put into a 'hell yes' category, with Mbappe not in the mix, obviously).

Victor Osimhen is a fucking beast CF (scored another game winner again today) If Pool or Manure or Citeh bag him, then yikes. I am pretty resigned to the likely fact that both Mbappe and Håland are Real-bound next summer, making Osimhen the best actually available CF for me atm. Would take him all day long over Lautaro.

 

Edited October 17, 2021 by Vesper

[OhForAGreavsie 5,890]

9 hours ago, Vesper said:

We are the perfect club for him, especially IF we lose Rudiger

 

9 hours ago, Vesper said:

Bastoni is no longer a huge want of mine. I have obsessively watched him, Barella, Chiesa, Theo Hernandez, and Tchouameni, and Bastoni is the main one who has dropped.

Encouraging.

9 hours ago, Vesper said:

and surely, if we even can keep him for 2022/23, next season is Thiago's last with us I wager

Based on what we've seen this season we are already dealing with diminishing returns from Thiago. For various reasons the number of minutes he can deliver has been reduced and I can't see that getting better. Factor in the intensive mid-season world cup next year and the indications are that we'll have to think hard about another renewal. Maybe it'll come down to whether TT wants to keep him around for his impact on the dressing room. I can't see Thiago accepting a contract appropriate to that situation however. I reckon he'd prefer something in the US, the Middle East or back home.

9 hours ago, Vesper said:

Bastoni is no longer a huge want of mine. I have obsessively watched him, Barella, Chiesa, Theo Hernandez, and Tchouameni, and Bastoni is the main one who has dropped.

The 'main' one who's dropped? Who else is sliding down the charts, Theo?

9 hours ago, Vesper said:

Victor Osimhen is a fucking beast CF (scored another game winner again today) If Pool or Manure or Citeh bag him, then yikes. I am pretty resigned to the likely fact that both Mbappe and Håland are Real-bound next summer, making Osimhen the best actually available CF for me atm. Would take him all day long over Lautaro.

During the Lukaku negotiations there was a report that he felt he had 'unfinished business' with the Blues. I didn't buy it and felt that was just a convenient thing to feed the media with. It seemed much more likely that the penny had dropped with Rom about Inter preferring the money over him. Instead I believed, and believe, that the unfinished business was with someone in the Chelsea hierarchy. Do you think that decision maker will already be prepared to turn the page on Rom and buy an alternative? If so let's hope an offer comes from Newcastle. I can't believe they'd do it but I can't see any other club with the financial muscle to sign Rom who would actually want to do it. At least Newcastle might justify such a move as a chance to make a statement.

Edited October 18, 2021 by OhForAGreavsie

[Jase 43,479]

2 hours ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

If so let's hope an offer comes from Newcastle. I can't believe they'd do it but I can't see any other club with the financial muscle to sign Rom who would actually want to do it. At least Newcastle might justify such a move as a chance to make a statement.

Wow, we're already at that stage..? 

[OhForAGreavsie 5,890]

10 hours ago, Jase said:

Wow, we're already at that stage..? 

I was at that stage in autumn 2011, almost exactly ten years ago, when I posted on CFCNet to say, "He [Rom] shouldn't be here." I then went on to defend my opinion by explaining that footballers cannot improve their basic talent level. They can only learn to make better use of what they have. He could work on his strengths but he was stuck with his weaknesses.

To be fair to me, and Rom, I also said then that he definitely would learn to use his tools well because he's a bright guy. His intelligence was glaringly obvious in his interviews at the time and he has indeed made a contribution to all of his teams. In truth, though I'd like Newcastle to make an attempt, I fear they won't. That leaves us having to rely on TT's intelligence helping him to also learn to make the best use of Rom's gifts within this squad. The lad is a useful contributor. We must plan for what he's good at. Nothing else makes any sense.

Edited October 18, 2021 by OhForAGreavsie

[Jase 43,479]

1 minute ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

I was at that stage in autumn 2011, almost exactly ten years ago, when I posted, on CFCNet, "He [Rom] shouldn't be here." I then went on to defend my opinion by explaining that footballers cannot improve their basic talent level. They can only learn to make better use of what they have.

To be fair to me, and Rom, I also said then that he definitely would learn to use his tools well because he's a bright guy. His intelligence was glaringly obvious in his interviews at the time and he has made a contribution to all of his teams. In truth, though I'd like Newcastle to make an attempt, I fear they won't. That leaves us having to rely on TT's intelligence helping him to also learn to make the best use of Rom's gifts. The lad is a useful contributor. We must plan for what he's good at. Nothing else makes any sense.

Maybe if Conte turns up at Newcastle, the move for Lukaku might happen. lol

[OhForAGreavsie 5,890]

1 minute ago, Jase said:

Maybe if Conte turns up at Newcastle, the move for Lukaku might happen. lol

I hadn't thought of that. Maybe he might even make signing Rom a condition for taking the job. This would be a win-win-win. Newcastle getting Antonio would be almost beyond their dreams and Antonio would certainly make best use of Rom.

[nyikolajevics 2,573]

12 hours ago, Vesper said:

Victor Osimhen is a fucking beast CF (scored another game winner again today) If Pool or Manure or Citeh bag him, then yikes. I am pretty resigned to the likely fact that both Mbappe and Håland are Real-bound next summer, making Osimhen the best actually available CF for me atm. Would take him all day long over Lautaro.

 

 

Osimhen will be very hard to purchase from Napoli. De Laurentiis don't really let their best players to be sold. They managed to keep Koulibaly, Insigne, Fabian Ruiz, Zielinski.. 

 

They payed 70M for Osimhen, probably they will demand crazy money to make him move, but if he keeps playing like this he will be a wanted man.

[ZAPHOD2319 4,477]

 

[MoroccanBlue 5,296]

1 hour ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

 

From my brief viewing of him, and admittedly its been brief, he is very naïve in dangerous areas. David Luiz like. 

[Atomiswave 6,072]

4 minutes ago, MoroccanBlue said:

From my brief viewing of him, and admittedly its been brief, he is very naïve in dangerous areas. David Luiz like. 

DL was awesome under Conte, and Kounde is much faster than DL plus he is so young still so im sure TT will set him straight regarding all that.

[MoroccanBlue 5,296]

1 minute ago, Atomiswave said:

DL was awesome under Conte, and Kounde is much faster than DL plus he is so young still so im sure TT will set him straight regarding all that.

Conte under David Luiz still showed massive signs of naivety. The FA Cup final against Arsenal in 2017 immediately comes to mind. Rudiger, Christensen Silva. and Azpilicueta are all incredibly disciplined. 

He may be fast and great on the ball but I find him incredibly suspect defensively. 

[Atomiswave 6,072]

6 minutes ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Conte under David Luiz still showed massive signs of naivety. The FA Cup final against Arsenal in 2017 immediately comes to mind. Rudiger, Christensen Silva. and Azpilicueta are all incredibly disciplined. 

He may be fast and great on the ball but I find him incredibly suspect defensively. 

Thats fair but I gather TT would do him a world of good.

[Vesper 28,779]

11 hours ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

The 'main' one who's dropped? Who else is sliding down the charts, Theo?

 

Not at all, Theo is by far my number one LB want, he and the now lost-out-on Hakimi would be my dream fullbacks for Tuchel (as Alphonso Davies is untouchable, as is Robertson, and next season is Robertson's last full sub 30yo season--time flies!-- plus I would take Hakimi over TAA, although THAT is close, but Hakimi is more sold defensively for me, granted neither are defensive monsters)

I meant the only one of the main, top targets who has dropped off (Bastoni)

I had listed them all a few days ago

 

[Vesper 28,779]

1 hour ago, Atomiswave said:

Thats fair but I gather TT would do him a world of good.

Tuchel cannot add 10cms to his height