Vesper 31,104 Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea squad assessed: Youth, potential, but one or two glaring holes https://theathletic.com/4660339/2023/07/03/Chelsea-pochettino-squad-assessed/ Chelsea have officially entered the Mauricio Pochettino era. Pre-season training begins at Cobham this week, with players filtering back in groups to embark upon a gruelling fitness and conditioning regime that will lay the groundwork for a series of high-profile friendly matches in the United States. The dressing room dynamic they walk into will have a brand new feel too; between the massive recruitment drive of the first two transfer windows of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital’s ownership and the successful sales push of recent weeks, Pochettino inherits a very different squad to the one that proved unmanageable for Graham Potter after January. Only five of the players who started for Chelsea in the 2021 Champions League final remain on the books at Stamford Bridge and of those, Mason Mount will undergo a medical to finalise a £55million move to Manchester United on Monday and club captain Cesar Azpilicueta looks set to be allowed to leave to sign for Atletico Madrid after 11 years of service. What remains for Pochettino is a slimmer, considerably younger group with plenty of individual potential and collective chemistry to build, but also with one or two notable holes to fill. The Athletic runs through how Chelsea’s squad is shaping up this summer… GO DEEPER Premier League players who need a transfer before pre-season Goalkeepers Edouard Mendy’s departure to Saudi Pro League club Al Ahli brought to an end an untenable situation that had persisted for almost three years. Chelsea could not go forward with two goalkeepers paid like No 1s. Kepa Arrizabalaga regaining his position as first choice last season was a positive development from the club’s perspective, because he also remains impossible to sell for positive value on a gargantuan contract that still has two years left to run. Starting next season with Kepa in goal should be no disaster for Pochettino, either, in terms of playing style or quality — even if it is not ideal. Chelsea will assess their transfer options for a long-term succession plan or short-term competition, but acquiring a new goalkeeper is not currently regarded as an urgent priority with Marcus Bettinelli and Gabriel Slonina to call upon. Defenders Pochettino’s traditional preference for playing a back four placed an immediate burden on co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley to reduce the number of centre-backs at the club, and progress has been made on that front. GO DEEPER Analysed: The style of football Chelsea fans should expect from Mauricio Pochettino Kalidou Koulibaly is gone, and that is important for convincing the coveted Levi Colwill that there will be a genuine pathway to regular minutes next season — though the enduring presence of prized recent signings Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana mean it may still not be an entirely straightforward pitch for Pochettino to make once the former has recovered from injury. Thiago Silva remains, and Chelsea will hope he is happy to transition away from being an indispensable starter and fully embrace his off-field status as mentor to his younger defensive team-mates. Trevoh Chalobah is a strong option to provide cover at centre-back and right-back, though whether he is content with such a limited role remains to be seen. Chelsea are well stocked with the kind of gifted attacking full-backs that are crucial for playing Pochettino’s football. Reece James has had plenty of time to recover from an injury-plagued 2022-23 and, in January signing Malo Gusto, this squad finally has a player better equipped to replicate his attacking thrust and athletic dynamism than the veteran Azpilicueta was. On the left, Ben Chilwell has signed a new long-term contract and will clearly be first choice. Behind him the situation is more fluid. Marc Cucurella’s constituency at Chelsea has shrunk after a disappointing debut season with Thomas Tuchel (the coach who wanted him) and Potter (the coach who unlocked him at Brighton) both now in the rearview mirror. Lewis Hall has an opportunity to push on from a breakthrough 2022-23 campaign and establish himself in the eyes of Pochettino as the better alternative on the left of defence, despite the fact that the 18-year-old still regards himself primarily as a midfielder. The same goes for returning loanee Ian Maatsen, who is enticed by the prospect of another season on loan at Burnley if he cannot see an immediate first-team pathway at Chelsea. Malang Sarr and Baba Rahman are highly unlikely to be involved while new homes are sought for both of them. Ethan Ampadu is also a prime candidate to be sold despite offering some first-team utility as a centre-back or defensive midfield option. GO DEEPER Chelsea's forgotten January signing analysed: What Malo Gusto will bring Midfielders In what would have seemed an outlandish notion only 12 months ago, Chelsea’s squad is now actually rather threadbare in the middle of the pitch. The departures of Jorginho, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and, most likely, Mount inside six months have further clarified the position of club-record signing Enzo Fernandez as the linchpin of Pochettino’s midfield. More specifically, as Frank Lampard identified towards the end of his ill-fated stint as caretaker manager, Chelsea are in dire need of a true No 6 who can protect the defence, initiate possession and enable Fernandez to utilise his progressive passing instincts a little further forward. Brighton star Moises Caicedo is the primary target, and Pochettino will be hoping he can be secured before he takes his new squad to the U.S. The loss of Mount — a player whose skill set appeared particularly well suited to Pochettino’s high-pressing style — will sting, but fellow Cobham academy graduate Conor Gallagher is equipped to provide some of the same qualities as he looks to build on a positive individual 2022-23 campaign. It would be a surprise at this stage to see Chelsea look to cash in on him given the thinning of first-team midfield options. Having finally acquired a UK work permit, Brazil Under-20 captain Andrey Santos provides an intriguing new option for the No 6 or No 8 positions who will be looking to make an early impression on Pochettino in pre-season. Carney Chukwuemeka should also get more exposure in the U.S. than he did under Tuchel and Lampard, though Cesare Casadei is regarded as being one year and one loan move away from contributing despite an outstanding Under-20 World Cup. GO DEEPER Cesare Casadei was the U20 World Cup's best player - so what next for him at Chelsea? There is no shortage of tantalising young midfield talent for Pochettino to work with and mould in these early weeks, but Chelsea need Caicedo or another more polished midfield partner for Fernandez if they want to be immediately competitive at the upper end of the Premier League. Attackers Chelsea’s worst scoring season of the 21st century has had rapid squad-building consequences, with Kai Havertz sold to London rivals Arsenal and the long-awaited arrival of Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig supplemented by the acquisition of Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal in a deal worth a little more than €35million (£30m; $38.1m). GO DEEPER Ruthless finishing, 'Neymar' dribbles and pace: Why Chelsea signed Jackson At the very least, Pochettino will go into pre-season with two talented, young No 9 options in the form of Jackson and Armando Broja — who is nearing a return from an ACL injury — and a rounded, versatile scoring forward in Nkunku. That lessens the pressure on Chelsea to secure a high-profile lead striker in this summer window, even if it cannot be ruled out. Around them, recent signings Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke will be expected to show their true quality in a more coherent pre-season. David Datro Fofana is much less refined at this stage and likely to go on loan — perhaps to Chelsea’s new partner club, Strasbourg — even if he does secure minutes during the U.S. tour. Overall there is plenty of speed, skill and direct running in Chelsea’s attacking options; Pochettino’s most important early task will be to build a level of combination chemistry that has been sorely lacking in the last two years. The list of attackers not in Pochettino’s pre-season squad may outnumber the list of those in it. Romelu Lukaku has given no sign of being prepared to report to Cobham as he pushes for a return to Inter Milan while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Christian Pulisic — the subject of bids from Lyon and Milan on Sunday — and Hakim Ziyech are all clearly outside the club and the new head coach’s plans. Callum Hudson-Odoi, now in the final year of his contract, is also weighing up options to leave Stamford Bridge. Chelsea are light on proven Premier League quality in the final third aside from Sterling, but it is almost impossible to be as bad in attack next season as they were in 2022-23 and if Nkunku is anything close to the player who lit up the Bundesliga in the last two seasons, Pochettino could have some real firepower at his disposal from day one. GO DEEPER Chelsea have signed a gem in Christopher Nkunku - now they must maximise his talents History suggests that Pochettino does his best work with relatively lean squads filled with younger, more malleable talent. Chelsea are much closer to fitting this profile than they were even when they confirmed his appointment at the end of May. The process of first-team trimming is far from over and some of the remaining cases will be more difficult to resolve than others, but Stewart and Winstanley have at least whittled down the squad to a level that should be practically manageable for Pochettino as he puts his new players through their paces at Cobham ahead of the U.S. trip. Caicedo is a vital signing to offset the exodus of proven midfield quality and restore the balance of Chelsea’s depleted options, and a swift agreement with Brighton would allow Pochettino to assimilate him into the heart of the team next to Fernandez well before the real matches begin. Beyond that, there are no positions which look in desperate need of an immediate upgrade. Pochettino has, at the very least, what he needs to start building an exciting new team. Hamilton 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesper 31,104 Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 20 billion euros ring-fenced for Saudi pro football from now thru the 2029/30 season. That is all backed by a 1.5 trillion euro fund. Insanity. Fernando and Vegetable 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Armour 4,721 Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 2 hours ago, OneMoSalah said: Cant afford another year with no regular source of goals though. Or we might as well kiss goodbye to any opportunity of finishing top 4/6. Although at this rate its going to be tough to do anyway because realistically we seem to be just intent on chasing wingers and right backs when we lack a CF, CMs and GK. The lack of CMs is a concern for me. When we were going to drain the swamp, I had hoped for a 'collective drain' rather than one focused solely on our midfield players. We don't even have RLC to call on for depth, and despite all his problems, he was still a utility player that could be deployed in different positions if we were short on options. I'm biting my lip and not ranting about it because there are still weeks to go before the close of the window. That being said, I think it's a must that we get one of the primary targets (Caicedo most likely) early in our preseason., if not before the first preseason game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Armour 4,721 Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 1 hour ago, Vesper said: JACKSON's FIRST DAY at the Bridge! 🔵 | Chelsea FC Speaks confidently. Hope his play is the same. Vesper 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesper 31,104 Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 (edited) 6 hours ago, Blue Armour said: The lack of CMs is a concern for me. When we were going to drain the swamp, I had hoped for a 'collective drain' rather than one focused solely on our midfield players. We don't even have RLC to call on for depth, and despite all his problems, he was still a utility player that could be deployed in different positions if we were short on options. I'm biting my lip and not ranting about it because there are still weeks to go before the close of the window. That being said, I think it's a must that we get one of the primary targets (Caicedo most likely) early in our preseason., if not before the first preseason game. well, watch this list, I posted it before, it is quite expansive bold are my main options CMFs by valuation Frenkie de Jong (pipe dream) Nicolò Barella Alexis Mac Allister Mikel Merino Sergej Milinković-Savić Matheus Nunes Vitinha Rodrigo de Paul Nicolò Fagioli Marcos Llorente Gabri Veiga (PSG will likely get him, grrrrrr) Manu Koné Ryan Gravenberch Orkun Kökcü Carlos Soler Seko Fofana Eljif Elmas Youssouf Fofana Maxence Caqueret Fabio Miretti Luka Sucic youth João Neves Hugo Larsson next summer (as he is only 17yo now) Warren Zaïre-Emery DMFs by valuation Aurélien Tchouaméni (extremely unlikely) Moisés Caicedo Manuel Ugarte Sandro Tonali Amadou Onana Martín Zubimendi Roméo Lavia Khéphren Thuram Teun Koopmeiners Sofyan Amrabat Manuel Locatelli Danilo Guido Rodríguez (probably too old now) Florentino Alan Varela youth Arthur Vermeeren Lesley Ugochukwu Edited July 5, 2023 by Vesper Blue Armour 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Armour 4,721 Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 1 minute ago, Vesper said: well, watch this list, I posted it before, it is quite expansive bold are my main options CMFs by valuation Frenkie de Jong (pipe dream) Nicolò Barella Alexis Mac Allister Mikel Merino Sergej Milinković-Savić Matheus Nunes Vitinha Rodrigo de Paul Nicolò Fagioli Marcos Llorente Gabri Veiga (PSG will likely get him, grrrrrr) Manu Koné Ryan Gravenberch Orkun Kökcü Carlos Soler Seko Fofana Eljif Elmas Youssouf Fofana Maxence Caqueret Fabio Miretti Luka Sucic youth João Neves Hugo Larsson next summer (as he is only 17yo now) Warren Zaïre-Emery DMFs by valuation Aurélien Tchouaméni (extremely unlikely) Moisés Caicedo Manuel Ugarte Sandro Tonali Amadou Onana Martín Zubimendi Roméo Lavia Khéphren Thuram Teun Koopmeiners Sofyan Amrabat Manuel Locatelli Danilo Guido Rodríguez (probably too old now) Samuele Ricci Florentino youth Arthur Vermeeren Alan Varela Lesley Ugochukwu If we get Caicedo, along with one of Lavia or Kone, that would be decent to go with next season. With less games next season, that might be enough. Ideally we should be going after at least 3 more. An AMF like Veiga would have been a treat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesper 31,104 Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 (edited) 11 minutes ago, Blue Armour said: An AMF like Veiga would have been a treat. He is more of a CMF, has played there pretty much exclusively since November he scored 9 of his 11 goals as a CMF, and 3 of his 4 assists came from CMF all of his goals and assists were in La Liga Edited July 5, 2023 by Vesper Blue Armour 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YorkshireBlue 3,345 Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 @Vesper could you not sleep last night 🤣🤣 Vesper and Vegetable 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankLampard007 18 Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 31 minutes ago, YorkshireBlue said: @Vesper could you not sleep last night 🤣🤣 Haha i thought the same after reading all his entries. 😃 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesper 31,104 Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 30 minutes ago, FrankLampard007 said: Haha i thought the same after reading all his entries. 😃 her Hamilton 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesper 31,104 Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 1 hour ago, YorkshireBlue said: @Vesper could you not sleep last night 🤣🤣 yep, woke up and couldn't sleep, lol YorkshireBlue 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesper 31,104 Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 Who could be leaving Chelsea next? https://caughtoffside.substack.com/i/133134440/who-could-be-leaving-Chelsea-next We’ve seen so many players leave Chelsea this summer, and I have further updates on some big names who could follow the likes of Mason Mount, N’Golo Kante, Kai Havertz and Kalidou Koulibaly out of Stamford Bridge. I’ll start by saying that Christian Pulisic is really, really tempted by Serie A. AC Milan asked about Pulisic one year ago when they spoke to Chelsea about Rafael Leao, but then the Portuguese forward was, and remains, untouchable. Still, talks are ongoing - Pulisic is in the club’s plan and he’s pushing to join Milan, but Chelsea want €25/30m so I expect Milan to bid again soon. Conor Gallagher has been on Newcastle’s list since May. Of course, after signing Sandro Tonali they are now discussing internally about how to spend money in the next weeks, but Gallagher has always been appreciated by West Ham and Newcastle, these two clubs. Ben Jacobs has reported on Chelsea’s stance on Gallagher here. At the moment, the situation is quiet around Hakim Ziyech after his move to Al Nassr fell through. For sure all parties will try to find the best solution together in the next days. As he’s hinted on social media, Ziyech believes that many stories in the recent days were not correct, I’m sure he will clarify his position soon. As many of you will have seen, Mount also finally said his goodbyes to Chelsea fans in a video message last night, and he’s now set to be officially unveiled as a Manchester United player today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesper 31,104 Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 Real Madrid launch bid for Arda Guler https://caughtoffside.substack.com/i/133134440/real-madrid-launch-bid-for-arda-guler Last night, Real Madrid submitted an improved proposal for Arda Guler. They are offering a guaranteed €20m to Fenerbahce, which is more than his release clause, and also a 20% sell-on clause. There would also be add-ons, so it’s a big package, and an agreement is really close, even if not 100% completed yet. Real Madrid now believe Arda Guler will be their player, they think the deal is going to be done. It’s a crazy story because many clubs wanted him, but Real Madrid are now in a strong position to make it happen. They feel he wants to go there, and it’s just about final details now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesper 31,104 Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 Declan Rice - here we go! https://caughtoffside.substack.com/i/133134440/declan-rice-here-we-go It’s an historic day in English football because Arsenal have finally got their man - Declan Rice to Arsenal, here we go! The agreement is done between Arsenal and West Ham, things were finalised late last night and now it’s complete - the fee, the payment terms, everything. Rice will now undergo medical tests with Arsenal this week, probably on Friday, that’s the plan for all parties right now, and then an official statement. Rice will be an Arsenal player, the most expensive English player in the history of the game, and the most expensive signing in the Gunners’ history - £105m. This is a very important moment, and I want to share some more behind-the-scenes details of this story. Mikel Arteta and Edu, they never lost their patience at the key points in this story. When Manchester City entered the race, Arsenal didn’t panic, they decided to wait and then send in their best proposal - the strategy was very clear. They decided back in January that Rice would be their top target, and now they’ve got their man after long and complicated negotiations. I’ve also been saying in the last couple of weeks that if Rice becomes an Arsenal player, it’s going to be thanks to Arteta - behind the scenes, he’s been pushing, and explaining to Rice just how crucial he’s going to be to the project, on and off the pitch. Rice was really attracted to the plan. Arteta also pushed internally with the directors and owners to give him this signing. This also means Arsenal can now give the green light to Granit Xhaka to join Bayer Leverkusen as they were waiting to finalise the Rice deal. And after that, an agreement with Ajax for Jurrien Timber is very close, and now that Rice is done, the focus will be to complete the signing of Timber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YorkshireBlue 3,345 Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 33 minutes ago, Vesper said: yep, woke up and couldn't sleep, lol Well I woke up an hour before my alarm, so atleast you kept me entertained this morning 🤣 Vesper 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankLampard007 18 Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 26 minutes ago, Vesper said: her I am sorry for that. Cheers Vesper 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reddish-Blue 2,674 Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 39 minutes ago, Vesper said: Who could be leaving Chelsea next? https://caughtoffside.substack.com/i/133134440/who-could-be-leaving-Chelsea-next We’ve seen so many players leave Chelsea this summer, and I have further updates on some big names who could follow the likes of Mason Mount, N’Golo Kante, Kai Havertz and Kalidou Koulibaly out of Stamford Bridge. I’ll start by saying that Christian Pulisic is really, really tempted by Serie A. AC Milan asked about Pulisic one year ago when they spoke to Chelsea about Rafael Leao, but then the Portuguese forward was, and remains, untouchable. Still, talks are ongoing - Pulisic is in the club’s plan and he’s pushing to join Milan, but Chelsea want €25/30m so I expect Milan to bid again soon. Conor Gallagher has been on Newcastle’s list since May. Of course, after signing Sandro Tonali they are now discussing internally about how to spend money in the next weeks, but Gallagher has always been appreciated by West Ham and Newcastle, these two clubs. Ben Jacobs has reported on Chelsea’s stance on Gallagher here. At the moment, the situation is quiet around Hakim Ziyech after his move to Al Nassr fell through. For sure all parties will try to find the best solution together in the next days. As he’s hinted on social media, Ziyech believes that many stories in the recent days were not correct, I’m sure he will clarify his position soon. As many of you will have seen, Mount also finally said his goodbyes to Chelsea fans in a video message last night, and he’s now set to be officially unveiled as a Manchester United player today. I just don't see Gallagher leaving, feel like he would suit Pochettino's pressing tactics and we could use the depth heading into new season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesper 31,104 Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 All MFers (all types) valued £40m (€46.7m) and up on TM (it's less than you think, only 28 on the planet atm) blue is a player we were/are linked to or had at one point or have now red is never linked (as far as I know) strike-thrus are no chance Jude Bellingham Jamal Musiala Pedri Federico Valverde Gavi Declan Rice Rodri Martin Ødegaard Eduardo Camavinga Florian Wirtz Aurélien Tchouaméni (pipe dream) Enzo Fernández Bernardo Silva Moisés Caicedo Frenkie de Jong (pipe dream) Nicolò Barella Bruno Fernandes Joshua Kimmich Bruno Guimarães Kevin De Bruyne Alexis Mac Allister Mason Mount James Maddison Manuel Ugarte Dominik Szoboszlai Sandro Tonali Mikel Merino Sergej Milinković-Savić Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special Juan 28,764 Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 Andrey Santos is going on loan to Porto apprently Vesper and Fernando 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special Juan 28,764 Posted July 5, 2023 Share Posted July 5, 2023 So, that's Rice all but done to Arsenal, Manu sealed the Mount deal....We need to start fucking moving Vesper 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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