Chelsea Transfers

[OhForAGreavsie 5,900]

1 hour ago, Superblue_1986 said:

I'd like to see us address the midfield this summer but when you have to start questioning who really is out there who can come in and be almost a guaranteed improvement on what we currently have, there has to be concern.

There are a number of positions we need to improve in not just this summer but likely a project over the next 2 or 3 years. 

What we cannot afford to do is fall into the same trap as last year where we went and spent a fortune on Lukaku who wasn't the elite player we wanted for that position but was the best available player for that position at that time. The sanctions not withstanding, had we not bought Lukaku last summer we may have had a really good chance at Haaland this summer having done some leg work into the transfer last summer.

If our first choices are available for defenders, wing backs, attackers this summer then that's what needs to be concentrated on and midfield will need to be addressed in a later window when maybe we have a chance of buying someone like Rice or Bellingham who would be top tier targets on our radar. We have to start being smarter with our transfer activity. When Liverpool couldn't get Van Dijk they waited for him. When City couldn't get Kane last summer they didn't panic buy and now have Haaland. The last thing we should be doing is buying for the sake of buying.

Other than the bit about Haaland, which we see differently, I like what you say here. Nothing more really needs to be said. You are self-evidently correct and I hope no one here disagrees.

Edited June 6, 2022 by OhForAGreavsie

[Vesper 29,152]

1 hour ago, King Kante said:

FDJ is a premium player. If we actually have a chance of signing him, then he has to be signed even if I don't think (as I've explained above) CM is a pressing issue. 

Only CM's I would be interested in are: 

Bellingham 

Rice

FDJ

However, the first two are impossible this Summer and FDJ is questionable. 

Rice is a classic DMF, not a CMF

Bellingham can play anywhere in the MF (even AMF), but seems best as a box to box atm

De Jong is similar, just not at all an AMF possibility

[Vesper 29,152]

5 hours ago, Vytis33 said:

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

£85-90m

£100m MAX

[Vesper 29,152]

7 hours ago, Blues Forever said:

So far only Tchouameni, Rice, and Sangare. There are other rumours about Bissouma and Phillips as well. 

Ibrahim Sangaré is deffo Bakayoko 2.0

will loose my mind if we drop £40m or so on him

[Vesper 29,152]

1 hour ago, King Kante said:

FDJ is a premium player. If we actually have a chance of signing him, then he has to be signed even if I don't think (as I've explained above) CM is a pressing issue. 

Only CM's I would be interested in are: 

Bellingham 

Rice

FDJ

However, the first two are impossible this Summer and FDJ is questionable. 

you are forgetting a BEAST

Gavi

and he is still not renewed

he is going to be an all-time Spanish great I wager, IF he stays healthy

I think he will end up better than Pedri (who is also a beast)

 

[Vesper 29,152]

1 hour ago, MoroccanBlue said:

I for one am not fickle enough to believe our season went to shit because we lost Chilwell and James

🙄

losing both at same time for a long time was a MASSIVE blow

our system is so wingback dependent

and great wingbacks/fullbacks are SO rare,

especially RB's

only 5 remotely WC RB¨s on the planet unless you shift Kimmich back to RB

then the ageing (probably this coming season is his last top one) but still WC (especially on defence)

the drop off after those 5 (or 6 if you count Kimmich, and TBH, Walker soon drops off that list, he turns 33 next May, so its really 4 if you are looking long term)

is insane

Carvajal (who turns 31 midseason) had a HUGE CL final (best outfield player on the pitch, and I detest him, so hardly stanning), rolled back the years, but he was in decline all season

 

 

[Vesper 29,152]

1 hour ago, milka said:

true professionalism 😂

 

 

fucking assclown

[MoroccanBlue 5,320]

21 minutes ago, Vesper said:

🙄

losing both at same time for a long time was a MASSIVE blow

our system is so wingback dependent

and great wingbacks/fullbacks are SO rare,

especially RB's

only 5 remotely WC RB¨s on the planet unless you shift Kimmich back to RB

then the ageing (probably this coming season is his last top one) but still WC (especially on defence)

the drop off after those 5 (or 6 if you count Kimmich, and TBH, Walker soon drops off that list, he turns 33 next May, so its really 4 if you are looking long term)

is insane

Carvajal (who turns 31 midseason) had a HUGE CL final (best outfield player on the pitch, and I detest him, so hardly stanning), rolled back the years, but he was in decline all season

 

 

That for me is the issue. James and Chilwell need to be 100% for the system to be effective and that is not sustainable unless our goal is to become a cup team. 

[Magic Lamps 11,677]

2 hours ago, milka said:

true professionalism 😂

 

 

That makes me even less hopeful that we will get rid of him.... Once Lukaku wants to something happen he is destined to fail -.-

[Magic Lamps 11,677]

2 final thoughts on the CM/DMF and WB pressing issues:

We do not necessarily need world class players as WB backups IF Chilly returns to his pre-injury level. But what we need is players who are perfectly to play the position the way TT wants them. Given that our plan is to keep Emerson as LWB backup to Chilly I doubt we have much of an ambition to secure someone like hakimi for big money fo rthis position. So our scouting department will have to dig really deep to find someone compatible.

For CM/DMF i do not think we need to have a traditional holder. Many teams with double pivot roll with 2 box to box midfielder but they will nee to have a good balance of offensive and defensive capabilities. I think Kovacic-Kante DP has always worked alright defensively but just lacks end product. someone like bellingham could easily play with kovacic or Kante there. Maybe even Gallagher.

[milka 3,358]

make it happen 

[ZAPHOD2319 4,538]

Shouldn’t this be an alarm to more people even when you set aside the injuries? I don’t look at La Liga as a shit league, but the top teams do play some poor bottom league teams and not getting to double figures…. ever…. should be alarming?

 

 

[Magic Lamps 11,677]

6 minutes ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

Shouldn’t this be an alarm to more people even when you set aside the injuries? I don’t look at La Liga as a shit league, but the top teams do play some poor bottom league teams and not getting to double figures…. ever…. should be alarming?

 

 

He is an actual winger not a free scoring wide forward. . dembele has produced 13 assists in 1400 mins of league football. he also had 14 assists in his one bundesliga season. He is a chance enforcer, not a scorer. For us the problem has been the final ball just as often as the finish. Dembele is a final ball specialist.

I do believe if TT can keep his ego in check, dembele can bring us forward with his incredible technique and pace. But we should not expect him to score a lot, that's true.

[Pizy 18,505]

11 minutes ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

Shouldn’t this be an alarm to more people even when you set aside the injuries? I don’t look at La Liga as a shit league, but the top teams do play some poor bottom league teams and not getting to double figures…. ever…. should be alarming?

 

 

This is why it’s imperative we sign not just him but another attacker who is more of a goal scorer as well. 

[King Kante 1,521]

5 hours ago, MoroccanBlue said:

I for one am not fickle enough to believe our season went to shit because we lost Chilwell and James for the majority of it. Issues were there from the get go. Our system is entirely depended on the wingbacks being 100%. That in itself shows you how unsustainable it is. 

Again, you can blame our attackers all you want but it doesn't dispute the fact all of them were prolific at other clubs. The football we play is far too pragmatic and slow for any attacker to shine here. By the time an attacker gets the ball, two defenders are on him. 

I really hate doing this but I am keeping receipts on the members who feel there isn't an issue going into next season with the same midfield. They are well in for a massive, massive disappointment. 

1) That is like saying that the Dippers wouldn't have an issue if they lost both Robinson for the season an TAA for significant portions. City are probably the only team in the league that can afford to handle such a loss and that it because they've spent a ton at FB/WB as Pep knows the value of them in modern football. 

2) You seem to be quite against the 3atb system which is a bit problematic for your arguments. First is that there is zero evidence TT is going to move away from this. Dislike it as much as you like, prioritising players that means a change in system is very unlikely to happen (which is why I previously said, CM isn't an issue compared to other areas unless we move to 433 or something similar.) 

3) Who are these players you are talking about? Ziyech who played in the Dutch league? Lukaku who stunk it up at Utd and had to go to Italy to stat pad? Havertz,  Pulisic and Werner in the Bundesliga who had acres of space to run into every week? Apples and oranges unfortunately. I mean, Lukaku was a known Donkey from the get go, not many players have come from the Dutch league and torn it up - only ones that come to mind are Jaws and RvN and the Bundesliga affect had also been seen with Sancho who was another previous flavour of the month.

4) Go for it buddy. You seem to be hoping TT is going to wake up tomorrow and suddenly shift us to a back 4, which will cause massive issues with our remaining CB's in Silva (best in a middle CB position) and Trev (who probably isn't good enough but is functional in a 3atb.)

As I said, we shift to a back 4 then CM becomes a big issue, however living in the real world where we aren’t shifting to a back 4 and have Gallagher coming back (who deserves a chance) the other areas - CB, WB and CF/AM - are of a much greater need for this coming window. CM does need addressing in the medium term but we need to go with the most pressing issues as of now, with you know, the system we actually play rather than the one you want us to. 

Edited June 7, 2022 by King Kante

[King Kante 1,521]

4 hours ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

If it goes that way then lets hope you are right but my own view, expressed during 2018/19, is that Ethan is not good enough at either of his positions.

Tbh, I don't think Ampadu comes back. However, if he does, then I think he can play a squad role in a similar fashion to RLC or Trev this year. Obviously not saying he is a player to rely on for the first XI. 

[Vesper 29,152]

3 hours ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

Shouldn’t this be an alarm to more people even when you set aside the injuries? I don’t look at La Liga as a shit league, but the top teams do play some poor bottom league teams and not getting to double figures…. ever…. should be alarming?

 

 

He had 14 goals for Barca in 2018/19, plus 8 assists, in only 2503 minutes

10 for Tuchel and Dortmund in 2016–17, plus 21 assists in 3387 minutes

He did only have two last season, but he also had 13 assists, and that was in only 1943 minutes

when he is healthy he can put together a string of games like this

 

 

 

[Blue Armour 4,328]

How long is it going to remain so quiet on the transfer front? 

It's been barely 2 weeks since the official takeover, so I guess there's that.

Plus, maybe the nations league plays a part. Maybe we'll hear something more solid after that tournament concludes for the quarter on Jun 14?

Edited June 7, 2022 by Blue Armour