Chelsea Transfers

[OhForAGreavsie 5,890]

10 hours ago, Clockwork said:

Conor for me is more in the Mount mould

I made this point last season to which someone replied that the idea was nonsense. Well not using that word but they definitely saw it differently. Guessing it wasn't you. 🙂

[Strike 7,217]

4 hours ago, King Kante said:

I think with Rice it is abundantly clear he is looking to come back here. Anyone that takes a couple of minutes to watch an interview with him outside of post match will realise a few things; 

1) He loves London and has no intention of leaving. 

2) Has a slightly unhealthy love of Chelsea, considering he is a WHU player. 

His mistake was signing that 5+1 deal in 2019. Who advised him that was a good deal shouldn't be near such an advisory role as it was always bonkers as he didn't get serious money (£60k a week for essentially 6 years) from it and as a young English player with potential he was always going to have options. 

As a result, I think it is clear he is just running down his contract. Next Summer he will get to two years left (1+1) and have turned down the best part of £10m from holding out. As a result, WHU will have to recognise that they'll have to either keep him until the end of his contract or take offers in the £50m-£60m category. I think they'll do the latter as that'll given them some money to play with. If they keep him for another season, then expect that fee to go down to £30m (this is also possible) but at that point he can probably expect a decent signing on fee. 

Either way, next Summer means he will start to enter the territory where he becomes more of a reasonable cost in regard to fee. Whether WHU hold put for another year is up for discussion but they're no longer at the point where they can demand £100m etc. 

The fees sound reasonable but if a club like United target him I can see it going back up to the 70m level. Either way hope the clubs steers clear

[Strike 7,217]

We have to work the smart market for another couple of years at least - supplement the core of James, Mount, Sterling, Fofana (fingers X) with quality players across the pitch - the likes of Caicedo if Bellingham/FdJ don't come. The summer was enough to let us know we are below the very top layer of clubs now and we are lucky that we've got Mount and James planting roots here for years

[Reddish-Blue 2,345]

19 hours ago, Tomo said:

Wouldn't want him as our next captain over Reece, the latters first words to Koulibaly was "ready to win trophies" while the former is celebrating equalizers against non league teams harder than Drogba in Munich and making excuses for that nations league mess. I know who i'd rather lead us.

He's also far from a sensible signing. Moyes' compact underdog system is known for aiding defensive minded players to look a lot better than they actually are. City and Madrid got duped into buying Lescott and Gravesen respectively because of it and look how much better Zouma looks now compared to how out of his depth he was with the more "complex" tactical responsibilities under TT, Lampard (before he dummed down the system post lockdown) and even Conte. Going from a team happy to cede possession to one that aims to dominate even against City is a gigantic change.

I hope i am wrong but this has all the hallmarks of a Lukaku level stylistic mismatch.

You must have something against Zouma, he was a solid defender on his day.    For a relatively low profile signing at the time (think it was around 12 million + add ons), he worked out perfectly for the club.

Comparing him to a potential Declan Rice transfer is quite harsh as Zouma didn't arrive with an inflated price tag and a massive ego to go with it, we brought here on potential. 

[Reddish-Blue 2,345]

5 hours ago, Strike said:

We have to work the smart market for another couple of years at least - supplement the core of James, Mount, Sterling, Fofana (fingers X) with quality players across the pitch - the likes of Caicedo if Bellingham/FdJ don't come. The summer was enough to let us know we are below the very top layer of clubs now and we are lucky that we've got Mount and James planting roots here for years

I hope we also supplement the key first team players with some of the youth coming through (who are hungry for their chance).  Gallagher, Broja, Colwill (if he lives up to the hype) would be quality squad players to have around the club moving around. 

I feel like we've always done better in the transfer market in finding players without the massive price tags.  Whenever we try to go big, it tends to go badly for us (Morata, Lukaku, Havertz, Pulisic etc)

[Strike 7,217]

 

Wants pay on par with Azpi and can't blame him for asking that. The club should move him along with Azpi in the summer. 

[ulvhedin 507]

41 minutes ago, Reddish-Blue said:

I hope we also supplement the key first team players with some of the youth coming through (who are hungry for their chance).  Gallagher, Broja, Colwill (if he lives up to the hype) would be quality squad players to have around the club moving around. 

I feel like we've always done better in the transfer market in finding players without the massive price tags.  Whenever we try to go big, it tends to go badly for us (Morata, Lukaku, Havertz, Pulisic etc)

That's why Broja signed an extension till 2028, and Gallagher is already important rotation player.

Colwill so far is having disappointing loan spell because of Brighton very good start of the season.

Unfortunately no player from current youth teams looks like is ready to make a step to the 1st team, Lewis Hall is propably the closest one, hopefully Hutchinson and Casadei will progress nicely later in the season.

[Vesper 28,770]

6 hours ago, Strike said:

or take offers in the £50m-£60m category

if you think West Ham will take that for Rice this coming summer, I have a bridge to sell you

CHEAP!!!

'

[Vesper 28,770]

16 hours ago, Clockwork said:

Heard good things about Enzo Fernández, thoughts on him? Also huge fan of Bruno Guimarães. Those are some good options for midfield. 

https://www.si.com/soccer/liverpool/transfers/report-liverpool-could-spend-big-on-enzo-fernandez-in-january

 

[OhForAGreavsie 5,890]

41 minutes ago, ulvhedin said:

Unfortunately no player from current youth teams looks like is ready to make a step to the 1st team, Lewis Hall is propably the closest one, hopefully Hutchinson and Casadei will progress nicely later in the season.

Agree with this though Hutchinson is impressing and is possibly above Lewis now in my reckoning. Casadei will have to deal with another suspension after his second 'two yellows equals red' of the season last weekend.

[Tomo 21,733]

2 hours ago, Reddish-Blue said:

You must have something against Zouma, he was a solid defender on his day.    For a relatively low profile signing at the time (think it was around 12 million + add ons), he worked out perfectly for the club.

Comparing him to a potential Declan Rice transfer is quite harsh as Zouma didn't arrive with an inflated price tag and a massive ego to go with it, we brought here on potential. 

Solid enough defender but when he was tasked with ball playing and ball carrying responsibilities he was all at sea.

 

[MoroccanBlue 5,296]

So people are now pretending Zouma wasn't an absolute calamity when he was pressed. 

[ulvhedin 507]

19 hours ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

Agree with this though Hutchinson is impressing and is possibly above Lewis now in my reckoning. Casadei will have to deal with another suspension after his second 'two yellows equals red' of the season last weekend.

Ok, you are right, especially after last evening 😄 

[Vesper 28,770]

17 hours ago, MoroccanBlue said:

So people are now pretending Zouma wasn't an absolute calamity when he was pressed. 

His cat agrees

[Reddish-Blue 2,345]

19 hours ago, Tomo said:

Solid enough defender but when he was tasked with ball playing and ball carrying responsibilities he was all at sea.

 

I agree but forcing a player to do something they are not good at just points to poor man management by the manager in charge. 

It's like a manager asking a wide player/winger to "track back" or play out of position as a wingback because the manager is too lazy to adapt his tactics to the players at his disposal.  

[Reddish-Blue 2,345]

18 hours ago, MoroccanBlue said:

So people are now pretending Zouma wasn't an absolute calamity when he was pressed. 

So people are now pretending that Zouma didn't help the defense at all, especially when the opposition would break at pace against us on a counter and Zouma was often the only one trying to make a challenge as Cahill was absolutely cooked by any decent counter. 

[Blues Forever 1,232]

On 17/10/2022 at 19:47, Vesper said:

All time single season most goals (35) by a MFer in topflight, top 10 European league history is hardly 'master of none'. Plus 20 assists, and is already at 10 goals this season.

Have you even watched him play to any sort of extensive amount?

Nope, those numbers wasn't from midfield. While Nkunku is versatile like Havertz was at Leverkusen, he only look decent as either second striker or no. 10. If we are planning to use him as a winger, might as well sign someone like Kvaratskhelia instead.

Edited October 19, 2022 by Blues Forever

[ulvhedin 507]

What do you guys think about Zubimendi? Is he Chelsea-level player?