Chelsea Transfers

[King Kante 1,521]

40 minutes ago, Pizy said:

Tbh, if I were a betting man I’d say we don’t sign a DM. Tuchel seems to genuinely love both Kante and Jorginho. With Gallagher coming back he gives us another midfielder who covers lots of the pitch. 

With all the other areas of the team that need rebuilding I think we’ll run Kante and J5’s contracts down and rebuild the midfield next summer. Maybe one of the two gets an extension. But when we need 2 new CB’s, 2 new wingbacks for cover, and multiple new attackers it may not be feasible to also buy an expensive DM this summer as well. 
 

Maybe we just bide our time for Rice next summer.

Yeah, I think we'll just wait out the Rice situation. The boy only wants to come here and he is insanely priced at the moment. We'll just do what Real/Bayern do and wait until he is either free or in his last year. He has also turned down significant wage increases as well. This tells me he has somewhere he wants to go as people need to remember that avoiding signing a new contract means that you're giving up £100k+ on your current wage x 104 weeks or more when holding out/running down. That is a big risk as you cannot account for injuries. 

[MoroccanBlue 5,320]

2 minutes ago, King Kante said:

Yeah, I think we'll just wait out the Rice situation. The boy only wants to come here and he is insanely priced at the moment. We'll just do what Real/Bayern do and wait until he is either free or in his last year. He has also turned down significant wage increases as well. This tells me he has somewhere he wants to go as people need to remember that avoiding signing a new contract means that you're giving up £100k+ on your current wage x 104 weeks or more when holding out/running down. That is a big risk as you cannot account for injuries. 

Do you believe there is a risk going into the season with Kante, Jorginho, Gallagher, and Kovacic?

[Magic Lamps 11,677]

I think the problem is the holder position. We only have Jorginho there who is declining and will probably leave next summer latest. TT sees RLC as back up for him but he is not really in the same mould nor is capable to play on the level required

[MoroccanBlue 5,320]

4 minutes ago, Magic Lamps said:

I think the problem is the holder position. We only have Jorginho there who is declining and will probably leave next summer latest. TT sees RLC as back up for him but he is not really in the same mould nor is capable to play on the level required

Against low blocks, the problem is the set up. 

-  Ball swings out wide to to the wingback  (James/Alonso). What are the options?

- Havertz is double marked in the middle and the attacking wingers are marked out wide. 

- Jorginho is pragmatic in his position to prevent the counter, which leaves just one option through the middle (either Kovacic or Kante). Either can be easily taken out of the game with a body constantly on them. 

- With no options, the wingback (James/Alonso) recycles back to the CB to try the other side. 

- Rinse and repeat. 

 

Time and time again this scenario happens. Add the slow and tedious way we move the ball, its genuinely no wonder why we've dropped so many points at home and why our attackers continue to struggle. It's easy to defend against. The fact all rumors suggest Tuchel wants to continue this set up, peak Lionel Messi himself wouldn't thrive here. 

 

 

 

[Vytis33 1,178]

What's a fair transfer fee for Rice?  That 150M reported sounds bananas

[Jype 6,398]

13 minutes ago, Vytis33 said:

What's a fair transfer fee for Rice?  That 150M reported sounds bananas

I'd say around £70-80M would represent 'fair' value at the moment for his current level and for the prices we've seen other highly rated DMs move.

That said, with 2 years and an option for a third still left on his contract West Ham don't need to sell for a 'fair' price so they have every right to demand an over the odds payment to let him go. They know they'll still get the 70-80M for him even with a year left on his contract so if nobody's willing to pay more, they'll probably want to keep him for a couple more years.

Don't believe for a second the actual asking price is strictly 150M though. If anyone is willing to pay 100-120M for him now, they're gonna sell.

[King Kante 1,521]

2 hours ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Do you believe there is a risk going into the season with Kante, Jorginho, Gallagher, and Kovacic?

I do not think it will be disastrous, maybe not ideal, but not disastrous. At the moment, my concerns are more to do with CB, LWB, a New AM and getting shot of Lukaku. Only after that is sorted would I think about CM. However, even then I would probably place RWB cover for Reece above that as well. Only time I would really start to get all hot and bothered about CM is if we switch to a 433 or something but I cannot see that happening. 

[MoroccanBlue 5,320]

9 minutes ago, King Kante said:

I do not think it will be disastrous, maybe not ideal, but not disastrous. At the moment, my concerns are more to do with CB, LWB, a New AM and getting shot of Lukaku. Only after that is sorted would I think about CM. However, even then I would probably place RWB cover for Reece above that as well. Only time I would really start to get all hot and bothered about CM is if we switch to a 433 or something but I cannot see that happening. 

It was disastrous this season, why wouldn't it be next? Kovacic is injury prone, Kante is losing his athleticism + is injury prone, we've gone about as far as we can with Jorginho and the best of Gallagher isn't suited in a 2 man midfield. 

[Blues Forever 1,232]

 

[LAM09 6,824]

2 hours ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Do you believe there is a risk going into the season with Kante, Jorginho, Gallagher, and Kovacic?

We also have someone by the name of Ampadu that could play DM. We aren't exactly short on option, but whether they're up to the job is a different story.

[MoroccanBlue 5,320]

21 minutes ago, LAM09 said:

We also have someone by the name of Ampadu that could play DM. We aren't exactly short on option, but whether they're up to the job is a different story.

I would hope not. Massive limitations as a midfielder which is why he played CB at both Sheffield and Venezia, to which he contributed to both of their relegations. 

 

[ZAPHOD2319 4,538]

 

[LAM09 6,824]

1 hour ago, MoroccanBlue said:

I would hope not. Massive limitations as a midfielder which is why he played CB at both Sheffield and Venezia, to which he contributed to both of their relegations. 

 

RLC "helped" Fulham get relegated and still had a notable role within the squad last season. These players are either worthy of a chance or ought to be cut loose this summer.

[Artandur 939]

14 minutes ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

 

They're fed up that he is ruling out any future meetings 🙃

[Vesper 29,152]

9 hours ago, Blues Forever said:

Nkunku isn't natural winger, although he can play that position.

saved me the trouble

🤟🏾

[MoroccanBlue 5,320]

13 minutes ago, LAM09 said:

RLC "helped" Fulham get relegated and still had a notable role within the squad last season. These players are either worthy of a chance or ought to be cut loose this summer.

What notable role was that? Don't be as shit as Saul? 😂

I really hate to take over Mana's pessimistic mantle but you can quote me. We stick with the midfield we have we aren't finishing Top 4. 

[LAM09 6,824]

9 minutes ago, MoroccanBlue said:

What notable role was that? Don't be as shit as Saul? 😂

I really hate to take over Mana's pessimistic mantle but you can quote me. We stick with the midfield we have we aren't finishing Top 4. 

Playing in a FA Cup semi-final and starting a CL quarter-final. Those are two that come to mind.

I'm not disagreeing with you about your concerns about our midfield btw, as I have similar ones. It's the doom and gloom surrounding some of your posts regarding certain things.

Do you want us to spend £100m+ on Rice, as there ain't many notable improvements on the market for that position?

[Vesper 29,152]

5 hours ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Who are the DM's we are linked with? (ignoring that PSV bloke who is Bakayoko 2.0)

now that Tchou is 90-95% off to Real and we miss out on a free Boubacar Kamara transfer:

Rice (but his price will be insane)

then it gets shaky

 

Yves Bissouma (but he is not a natural DMF, and there is the sex crim question looming over him)

 

then the ones that there have been a FEW links to, but nothing substantial

 

Wilfred Ndidi (will be hugely expensive, and I am not convince he is worth it)

Kalvin Phillips (many others want him)

Rúben Neves (many others want him)

Danilo (21yo from Palmeiras)