Chelsea Transfers

[MoroccanBlue 5,296]

36 minutes ago, Strike said:

[The Athletic] Chelsea’s agreed buyback clause does not kick in until 2023 for Livramento. Buyback clause is set at £50m although he would actually cost Chelsea around £38m as they are in line to receive a share of the profit from his next move.

https://theathletic.com/2856551/2021/09/29/have-Chelsea-become-southamptons-ideal-feeder-club/

So when does it expire? If it kicks in 2023 then we cannot do much this summer for an alternating RWB for James. 

 

45 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

 

If those are the primary options going into the summer than there really isn't a lot to be optimistic about. 

[OneMoSalah 8,776]

On 01/02/2022 at 15:10, NikkiCFC said:

Sosa is just flavor of the month. If we bought these before we would end up with Icardi, Pepe, Belotti, Bailey, Sancho...

I tend to agree. 

I would doubt many people here actually have watched Sosa or even had heard of him outside of say FM or the recent links. Or there may be the dreaded good old Youtube highlight reel which shows the good things such as skills or dribbles or whatever and nothing bad usually at about 1.5/2 x the speed of a normal game 😂

Never know, he could be a very good signing but again I think it’s definitely one to wait and see how it plays out in the summer. Wouldn’t say Sancho was a flavour of the month, good player with huge potential just vastly overpriced and overhyped a bit too soon. 

On 01/02/2022 at 15:48, MoroccanBlue said:

Except you just brought up attackers. 

Sosa ticks so many boxes for what we want in a LWB. 

What boxes does he tick exactly though, I mean have you watched him play? And not just the YouTube compilations which make everybody look good?

What sort of player is he exactly? I mean I’ve never watched a Stuttgart game in all my life and he only has 5 caps for Croatia at 24 years old. 

Ironically he is my starting LB for Roma on Football Manager 22 but had no real clue who he was prior to the links to potentially coming here last week 😂

[MoroccanBlue 5,296]

1 hour ago, OneMoSalah said:

What boxes does he tick exactly though, I mean have you watched him play? And not just the YouTube compilations which make everybody look good?

What sort of player is he exactly? I mean I’ve never watched a Stuttgart game in all my life and he only has 5 caps for Croatia at 24 years old. 

Ironically he is my starting LB for Roma on Football Manager 22 but had no real clue who he was prior to the links to potentially coming here last week 😂

Wasn't he in trouble with the national side after it was revealed he pushed to play for Germany in 2020 but was ineligible? 

@Vesper will probably be the best person to speak with considering she's watched him for a few years now, but from what I've seen it seems like a smart, low risk signing. He's quick, a great dribbler, versatile, and is heavily involved in the attacking third. 

[OhForAGreavsie 5,890]

6 hours ago, OneMoSalah said:

And not just the YouTube compilations which make everybody look good?

I'm not necessarily arguing against your overall opinions in the post I extracted this sentence from but, I don't think that this one narrow point is true. In fact I'm certain that it isn't.

Granted, a youtube video will present a player at his best, so there is an ever present danger of overrating him but if that player has no special talent there can be no demonstration of special talent to put in the vids in the first place. Two topical Chelsea examples and a high profile non-Chelsea one that people might want to argue with me about.

• I dismissed Kennedy as a Chelsea level prospect after just a couple of minutes viewing a highlight reel. Even though it showed him succeeding at things you have to look at the input, not the outcome. Just because something good happened does not mean the player who did it must be special.
• Although I obviously wish him well, Mason Burstow's very limited highlights video makes him look like he has a great deal of work to do to graduate to the Premier League. Viewing it would not have made me want to take a closer look at him. 
• I'm stunned that Real took Camavinga. As I commented somewhere here, watching his videos I saw a player desperately trying to make it seem like he meant to do whatever fortuitous, but uncontrolled, thing just happened. Naturally, the fact that Real did take him causes me to consider whether I was right but that was my conviction and I stand by it. Even if time proves me wrong in this case I think it still disproves the claim that highlight videos make everybody look good. I say this simply because the video did not make Camavinga look good to me. Nor was I alone because at least one person liked the comment after I posted it.

Edited February 3, 2022 by OhForAGreavsie

[King Kante 1,474]

I am at the stage where I simply do not trust the board to sign the right players. I mean, let's be serious, the mouth breather who signed off such transfers as Kepa, Lukaku, Bakayoko and Drinky etc is most likely still at the club and making decisions. 

I for one am tired of seeing absolute trash can fires coming from a mile away and the club signing the players anyway. Personally, I was kind of relieved this window when we didn't sign anyone for the first team as I knew it probably would've been awful.

Hi I am now at the stage where I will prefer to go with the young boys' from our academy or out on loan/with buybacks'. 

Only area that really needs addressing this Summer outside of those llayers is LWB/LB as, to be fair, we don't even have much cover in the development sides there. Another option is Rice but only if we do plan to move back to a 4 (I am not convinced this is the case.) He gets an exception as, whilst I am still not completely sold on his technique, I am convinced he would die for the club. 

[OhForAGreavsie 5,890]

7 hours ago, OneMoSalah said:

I tend to agree. 

I would doubt many people here actually have watched Sosa or even had heard of him outside of say FM or the recent links. Or there may be the dreaded good old Youtube highlight reel which shows the good things such as skills or dribbles or whatever and nothing bad usually at about 1.5/2 x the speed of a normal game 😂

Never know, he could be a very good signing but again I think it’s definitely one to wait and see how it plays out in the summer. Wouldn’t say Sancho was a flavour of the month, good player with huge potential just vastly overpriced and overhyped a bit too soon. 

What boxes does he tick exactly though, I mean have you watched him play? And not just the YouTube compilations which make everybody look good?

What sort of player is he exactly? I mean I’ve never watched a Stuttgart game in all my life and he only has 5 caps for Croatia at 24 years old. 

Ironically he is my starting LB for Roma on Football Manager 22 but had no real clue who he was prior to the links to potentially coming here last week 😂

Really interesting post. I am the generic person you referred to who watches youtube highlights and forms opinions from them.

Once I would start with the highlights then, if I liked what I saw, move on to all touches packages. If I was still on board after that I would watch full games if they were available on any platform I had access to. Sooner or later I'd catch up with any player I found interesting. That stopped in 2017 however when I bought a CFCW season ticket and started following them all over the country. 'Going away' is something I never did with CFCM and it turns out that it takes up all of the time I used to spend watching other football.

From highlights I confess I do really like Sosa but I'm aware of the danger. A danger well illustrated in a highlights video of Reece James I watched recently. People might remember that I championed Reece as a future first teamer since his youth team days so I hope no one will take it lightly when I say that my reaction to those highlights was, "Reece isn't that good." He looks an absolute world beater in that package but we all know this is at least a little bit over the top.

Even if I didn't know it before, watching that video of Lauren's brother would make me very aware that Sosa isn't going to be as good as he looks in his videos either. Here's the thing however. To my eyes at any rate, Sosa looks even better in his videos than RJ does in the over the top one. Both are capable of producing sumptuous deliveries into the box and of being a factor going forward. Sosa's pace is good and that gives him more confidence to try one on ones. Where Reece is more likely to check back, find a pass and look for another way to progress, Sosa accepts the challenge to break through. Among the the questions to answer if researching the player further would be do those adventures go wrong? Does he loose possession and put his side in trouble? Is he as useful defensively as he looks going forward.

In raising reasons to be cautious, your observations about Sosa are really good ones, especially the age:caps ratio. They bring me back down to Earth about him but he is definitely someone I would want the club to run the rule over.

Edited February 4, 2022 by OhForAGreavsie

[Vesper 28,768]

9 hours ago, OneMoSalah said:

I tend to agree. 

I would doubt many people here actually have watched Sosa or even had heard of him outside of say FM or the recent links.

[Vesper 28,768]

atm these are the best 15 remotely viable (and remotely possible LB's) 

Theo Hernández is renewing with AC Milan until 2026, so is off the board

also I listed the best 5 youth atm (Hickey is in the the top 15 overall)

in bold are my top 5

Raphaël Guerreiro (age is issue as he turns 29yo in December, plus his defence is suspect, as his his size, 1.70m)
Leonardo Spinazzola (IF he recovers, and another issue is his age, he turns 29yo next month) fucking shame he got hurt
Abdou Diallo (can play CB as well) 
Angeliño (was an EPL flop at Citeh)
Ramy Bensebaini  
Renan Lodi (will be expensive as hell, though)
Borna Sosa 
Marc Cucurella  (has done very well in the EPL, somewhat surprisingly for me, so hat tip to him) 
Aaron Hickey  (best young (turns 20 on June 10th) UK LB by a mile, super size (1.85m, pace, strength, for hsi age, tear up Serie A)
Caio Henrique   (24yo (turns 25 July 31) 1.79m Brasilian who is having a superb year at Monaco, 10 assists in only 2400 minutes, plus a goal)
Rayan Aït-Nouri 
Mathí­as Olivera 
Owen Wijndal  
David Raum  
Luke Thomas  

Youth

Sergio Gómez    Anderlecht
Abner   Club Athletico Paranaense
Destiny Udogie   Udinese
Álex Balde  Barca
Luca Netz   Borussia Mönchengladbach

[Blues Forever 1,232]

 

[OneMoSalah 8,776]

20 hours ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Wasn't he in trouble with the national side after it was revealed he pushed to play for Germany in 2020 but was ineligible? 

@Vesper will probably be the best person to speak with considering she's watched him for a few years now, but from what I've seen it seems like a smart, low risk signing. He's quick, a great dribbler, versatile, and is heavily involved in the attacking third. 

Not sure on international front. 

If thats the type of player he is, and he can cut it playing for a bigger club, thats fair enough. I will try and watch some Stuttgart games at some point also before seasons finished to see. 

12 hours ago, Vesper said:

I mean if I had singled you out fair but I didn’t single you out. I said I doubt many people here have watched him… or maybe heard of him outside of recent links which generally tends to happen with a lot of these players or players in purple patches that come from nowhere.

Can you shed some light on him as a player?

14 hours ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

Really interesting post. I am the generic person you referred to who watches youtube highlights and forms opinions from them.

Once I would start with the highlights then, if I liked what I saw, move on to all touches packages. If I was still on board after that I would watch full games if they were available on any platform I had access to. Sooner or later I'd catch up with any player I found interesting. That stopped in 2017 however when I bought a CFCW season ticket and started following them all over the country. 'Going away' is something I never did with CFCM and it turns out that it takes up all of the time I used to spend watching other football.

From highlights I confess I do really like Sosa but I'm aware of the danger. A danger well illustrated in a highlights video of Reece James I watched recently. People might remember that I championed Reece as a future first teamer since his youth team days so I hope no one will take it lightly when I say that my reaction to those highlights was, "Reece isn't that good." He looks an absolute world beater in that package but we all know this is at least a little bit over the top.

Even if I didn't know it before, watching that video of Lauren's brother would make me very aware that Sosa isn't going to be as good as he looks in his videos either. Here's the thing however. To my eyes at any rate, Sosa looks even better in his videos than RJ does in the over the top one. Both are capable of producing sumptuous deliveries into the box and of being a factor going forward. Sosa's pace is good and that gives him more confidence to try one on ones. Where Reece is more likely to check back, find a pass and look for another way to progress, Sosa accepts the challenge to break through. Among the the questions to answer if researching the player further would be do those adventures go wrong? Does he loose possession and put his side in trouble? Is he as useful defensively as he looks going forward.

In raising reasons to be cautious, your observations about Sosa are really good ones, especially the age:caps ratio. They bring me back down to Earth about him but he is definitely someone I would want the club to run the rule over.

I’ll be honest, I think the way you do it going on from YouTube to matches etc, building it up, its much better and definitely much more thorough than solely going off youtube. 

I quite like trying to watch games as you can see all the aspects of the players/team, the good and the bad. As opposed to highlights. And thats for any games. I used to download the games around the time of Jose’s second spell first season when they were available through links on here IIRC and watch them just to try and see a bit more into what we were doing as a team/where we weren’t as good or where we were excelling. Also made it easier I think to look at what players like Eto’o, Willian, Matic when they arrived and were played etc were like as opposed to going and watching a highlights reel from previous clubs or previous seasons or in match highlights that generally show red cards, clear cut chances and goals. 

For players, I think its much better to make an assumption of their capabilities that way too by seeing both sides, the good and the bad and your more likely to see that watching the games at home or if your lucky enough, live. Thats why I think Youtube alone can be very dangerous just to form an opinion on a player, usually you just see highlight after highlight of what you would perceive as good things (granted they probably are) but you don’t get to see any weaknesses or points they maybe are decent in but not quite all there. Plus (although I suppose this is the same for all players) then you also have to consider the level/quality of opposition/quality of the team their in. And then you’ve got the people who also speed videos up amongst the rest of the other things haha.

Some nice points on Sosa, I will try and watch some Stuttgart games if I have the time. Would like to get a look at him. 

Also great post.

15 hours ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

I'm not necessarily arguing against your overall opinions in the post I extracted this sentence from but, I don't think that this one narrow point is true. In fact I'm certain that it isn't.

Granted, a youtube video will present a player at his best, so there is an ever present danger of overrating him but if that player has no special talent there can be no demonstration of special talent to put in the vids in the first place. Two topical Chelsea examples and a high profile non-Chelsea one that people might want to argue with me about.

• I dismissed Kennedy as a Chelsea level prospect after just a couple of minutes viewing a highlight reel. Even though it showed him succeeding at things you have to look at the input, not the outcome. Just because something good happened does not mean the player who did it must be special.
• Although I obviously wish him well, Mason Burstow's very limited highlights video makes him look like he has a great deal of work to do to graduate to the Premier League. Viewing it would not have made me want to take a closer look at him. 
• I'm stunned that Real took Camavinga. As I commented somewhere here, watching his videos I saw a player desperately trying to make it seem like he meant to do whatever fortuitous, but uncontrolled, thing just happened. Naturally, the fact that Real did take him causes me to consider whether I was right but that was my conviction and I stand by it. Even if time proves me wrong in this case I think it still disproves the claim that highlight videos make everybody look good. I say this simply because the video did not make Camavinga look good to me. Nor was I alone because at least one person liked the comment after I posted it.

Perhaps it does come across as a bit narrow minded. In hindsight maybe I should of been a bit more clearer.

I think its more just impossible to truly turn around and say that a player is this or that without maybe taking time and trying to keep an eye on them in matches where you get to see the good and the bad things. Also even things like how they are positioned, how they take the ball amongst other things even if its followed up with basic actions or a poor pass or a shot or whatever because even things like that can sometimes be telling of a player’s quality. And things like off the ball movement even if they don’t get a pass or anything too, highlight reels usually don’t go quite as deep as to show say a 20-30m run off the ball which could be a good one but the ball stays ok the other side of the pitch etc. 

I suppose again, its all everyones own opinions but I just don’t really think that they are completely telling and just tend to show the flashy things.

[milka 3,344]

 

[Vesper 28,768]

2 minutes ago, milka said:

 

 

[Vesper 28,768]

9 minutes ago, Vesper said:

 

roflmaooooooooooooooooooooo

Matt Law FTW

 

[MoroccanBlue 5,296]

Get it done. 

[Blues Forever 1,232]

https://theathletic.com/3105033/2022/02/04/Chelsea-hopeful-over-rudiger-christensen-and-azpilicueta-but-more-big-contract-issues-lie-ahead/

Summary:

• Latest reports on Friday suggested Rudiger has rejected a contract offer approaching £200,000/week.
• Sources close to the player didn't deny it when asked by The Athletic and insisted there are still positive talks going on.
• There is optimism that a compromise will be reached, although it is believed Rudiger is now looking for wages around £225,000/week, which is more than he initially requested. A signing on bonus will be another part of the equation.
• Rudiger has received a proposal from Real Madrid but has rejected it. It's believed it was worth around £173,000/week. Real Madrid have other priorities and are happy with Alaba and Militao.
• PSG, Man United and Bayern are interested in Rudiger.
• The club remain hopeful the situation with Rudiger, Azpi and Christensen can be resolved. Negotiations are ongoing.
• The contract situation with the defenders could be a sign of difficult things to come. Kante and Jorginho will have just 12 months left on their contract in the summer. Both also already hit the 30-year-old mark and there's the club contract policy for players 30 years old and above.
• Mount, Kovacic and Pulisic will have only 24 months left at the end of the season.
• Clubs have been suffering financially due to COVID-19. The club recently reported a loss of £156m. Signing players for free or on the cheap has become even more desirable.
• Main factor in Azpi's situation is being caused by Barcelona being prepared to give him a three-year deal. The club are thought to have proposed one year with the option for another. But sources within the club remain confident he will stay.
• Some players earning big wages could lead/has led to others demanding a bigger salary in the contract negotiation. At £333m, the club's wage bill is already the second highest in the league.
• The club are understood to be not alarmed by the current predicament. They regard the situation with Rudiger, Christensen and Azpi as exception to the norm.
• They already have plans in place in case Rudiger, Christensen and/or Azpi go.

Edited February 5, 2022 by Blues Forever

[Vesper 28,768]

1 hour ago, Blues Forever said:

https://theathletic.com/3105033/2022/02/04/Chelsea-hopeful-over-rudiger-christensen-and-azpilicueta-but-more-big-contract-issues-lie-ahead/

Summary:

• Latest reports on Friday suggested Rudiger has rejected a contract offer approaching £200,000/week.
• Sources close to the player didn't deny it when asked by The Athletic and insisted there are still positive talks going on.
• There is optimism that a compromise will be reached, although it is believed Rudiger is now looking for wages around £225,000/week, which is more than he initially requested. A signing on bonus will be another part of the equation.
• Rudiger has received a proposal from Real Madrid but has rejected it. It's believed it was worth around £173,000/week. Real Madrid have other priorities and are happy with Alaba and Militao.
• PSG, Man United and Bayern are interested in Rudiger.
• The club remain hopeful the situation with Rudiger, Azpi and Christensen can be resolved. Negotiations are ongoing.
• The contract situation with the defenders could be a sign of difficult things to come. Kante and Jorginho will have just 12 months left on their contract in the summer. Both also already hit the 30-year-old mark and there's the club contract policy for players 30 years old and above.
• Mount, Kovacic and Pulisic will have only 24 months left at the end of the season.
• Clubs have been suffering financially due to COVID-19. The club recently reported a loss of £156m. Signing players for free or on the cheap has become even more desirable.
• Main factor in Azpi's situation is being caused by Barcelona being prepared to give him a three-year deal. The club are thought to have proposed one year with the option for another. But sources within the club remain confident he will stay.
• Some players earning big wages could lead/has led to others demanding a bigger salary in the contract negotiation. At £333m, the club's wage bill is already the second highest in the league.
• The club are understood to be not alarmed by the current predicament. They regard the situation with Rudiger, Christensen and Azpi as exception to the norm.
• They already have plans in place in case Rudiger, Christensen and/or Azpi go.

split the difference

£212.5K PW

plus a  £5m signing bonus (with duration stipulations)

after taxes and NHS fees

total pay + bonus amortised over 4 years

means he walks with a take-home cheque equivalent of around £127K per week NET

more (say around another £600K or so AFTER tax cumulative income at the end of the 4 year lock up period) if they put the £5m signing bonus into an lock-boxed (with breakage provisos) interest-bearing investment instrument (which is what I would do, and there numerous superb financial attorneys to draw it up so it is all guard-railed against seizure should the UK government make a move on Roman over this Ukraine bullshit)

so his total AFTER tax comp would be right around £130K PW

that is a more than fair deal

 

 

 

Edited February 5, 2022 by Vesper

[OneMoSalah 8,776]

225k? Why are we even fucking about? Lol. If thats what he wants, pay him that. He's been arguably the best or one of the best CBs in Europe this season and also hugely upturned his performances when TT came in.

Would be ridiculous if he doesn’t resign because we try lowball him by 25k….. would be near amateur really.

For me, getting this one wrong also sets a huge precedent for other players ie. Kova, Jorginho, Kante etc who are all either approaching 12-24 months left on their deals.

I know they can say the club has contingency’s for if these 3 defenders don’t resign but the manner in which we won’t get these deals done could be very worrying.

Edited February 5, 2022 by OneMoSalah

[Jase 43,479]

22 hours ago, Vesper said:

roflmaooooooooooooooooooooo

Matt Law FTW

 

Where can I see more of this beef? 🤣