Chelsea Transfers

[ZAPHOD2319 4,519]

This vote will only block a multi club ownership from sending a loaned player from one of their other teams to the PL but still leave it so owners of PL teams can loan players out to their teams outside the PL. 

It is almost like Boehly is writing the terms. That is how they have been conducting business. Chelsea owns the player, loans them out to develop, sells for profit and FFP help.

https://theathletic.com/5044619/2023/11/08/premier-league-vote-related-parties/?amp=1

 

[Vesper 29,022]

On 09/11/2023 at 16:13, DDA said:

Submitted a new offer for Moscarano ... young Brazillian midfielder from Corinthians. Over €25m.....

Another midfielder?

Gabriel Moscardo has monster potential

[Vesper 29,022]

Alphonso Davies to Real Madrid could be one to watch in 2024

https://thedailybriefing.io/i/138797933/alphonso-davies-to-real-madrid-could-be-one-to-watch-in

Let’s start today’s column with the situation of Alphonso Davies, because the Bayern Munich left-back was really close to extending his contract one year ago before the major changes at the club - Julian Nagelsmann left, Thomas Tuchel became manager, and then Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidzic left the board.

So now there is no agreement for Davies and Bayern to extend his contract, and the situation is getting complicated. With Davies’ contract set to expire in 2025, the feeling for Bayern is that it’s important to get this situation clarified by next summer.

In January, Davies is considered untouchable and not expected to move, but in summer 2024, Davies is a player in Real Madrid’s list. The interest has been there some months ago, and I can confirm that it’s still there. There is someone on the Madrid board who is a big fan of Davies, and there is a general feeling at the club that they need to do something in terms of full-backs in 2024.

Davies is one of the players they appreciate, but, as ever, this deal happening will depend on many things - what will happen with Davies at Bayern, what will happen with his price tag, and if other clubs will join the race. It’s important to mention, for instance, that for many months last year, Manchester City’s scouts were following Davies, and this is just one example.

So, keep an eye on Davies because he’s one of the names on Real Madrid’s list and he could be one of the big deals for 2024, let’s see what’s going to happen because it’s going to take some time for the situation to be clarified, while Bayern will also not sell players in January, but might sign players. Their priorities are a new centre-back and defensive midfielder, and for now Davies is going nowhere.

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Gabriel Moscardo to the Premier League?

https://thedailybriefing.io/i/138797933/gabriel-moscardo-to-the-premier-league

Also for January, keep an eye on Gabriel Moscardo. He’s a talented young midfielder playing for Corinthians, born in 2005, and there’s already been interest in him as Chelsea had a verbal proposal rejected at the end of August.

Now we’re hearing some transfer rumours about Barcelona, and while it’s true that they appreciate him, at the moment because of Financial Fair Play they are not in a position to pay for Moscardo, with a deal likely to cost something in the region of €25m plus add-ons.

For Barca at the moment it’s a complicated deal - they really appreciate the player but at the moment they are not prepared to invest that kind of money in January. I say January because at the moment the idea is for Moscardo to move in the January window, not in the summer.

Premier League clubs are interested in signing Moscardo in January, so keep an eye on the Premier League for this boy, because for Barca it’s a difficult deal, but for big English clubs it could be a very big opportunity.

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Chelsea

https://thedailybriefing.io/i/138798312/Chelsea

• Gabriel Moscardo: “I can confirm that there was interest from Chelsea few months ago, strong interest… but I want to help Corinthians get out of this situation. To tell you the truth, I have very little information, my father knows a few things.”

• Where could Moscardo be moving to in January? Fabrizio Romano provides some exclusive info here.

• Pep Guardiola on Cole Palmer’s choice to leave Man City for Chelsea: “I said to him, ‘Riyad Mahrez is leaving, you are going to get a chance here’. And he said, ‘No, I am not going to play here, I want to leave’. So I said, ‘OK, leave…’”

[Vesper 29,022]

Ivan Toney: What he’s been doing after ban, what future may hold for Brentford striker

https://theathletic.com/5037051/2023/11/08/toney-brentford-arsenal-transfer/

Frank Onyeka’s pass bounced up awkwardly around Ivan Toney’s waist. Most strikers in this scenario would have slowed down to control the ball but, without breaking his stride, Toney flicked it with the outside of his right boot over Como’s goalkeeper Pierre Bolchini and calmly slotted it into the empty goal.

After four months of training away from his team-mates, part of his punishment for 232 breaches of the Football Association’s rules around betting, nobody would have blamed Toney for looking rusty in his first appearance for Brentford since their 1-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield in May.

The 27-year-old’s goal in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Como last month demonstrated that being stuck on the sidelines has not diminished his quality and underlined why there is expected to be a battle for his signature over the next few months. Lots of teams are looking for a reliable goalscorer and Toney scored 20 times in the top flight last season — only Erling Haaland (38) and Harry Kane (30) had better records.

Toney’s eight-month suspension finishes on Wednesday, January 16 — right in the middle of a transfer window. Will he be lining up for Brentford against Nottingham Forest that weekend? Or does his future lie elsewhere?

The Athletic breaks down the situation.

What has Toney been up to during his suspension?

Following a year-long investigation, Toney admitted to breaking the FA’s gambling rules and on May 17 an independent regulatory commission handed him a £50,000 fine to go with his ban.

The striker watched Brentford beat Manchester City 1-0 on the final weekend of the 2022-23 season from the stands. In a speech on the pitch afterwards, head coach Thomas Frank pledged to support him and said “I know he will come back even stronger”.

Toney spent a lot of time in the summer on holiday with family and friends. He was encouraged by the club to mentally recharge and visited Ibiza, Mykonos, Dubai, Morocco and Nashville in the United States. He attended the British Grand Prix at Silverstone with Frank, director of football Phil Giles and team-mates Ethan Pinnock, Vitaly Janelt, Mads Roerslev and Rico Henry.

Toney picked up a hamstring injury against Liverpool and was allowed to visit the training ground to work with medical staff on his rehab. Otherwise, he worked with personal trainer Jim Burnside to build up and maintain his fitness at a studio in Bedfordshire.

Toney returned to first-team training on September 18 and Frank held two individual meetings with him that week to discuss how to get him in the best shape possible. The coaching staff came up with a detailed 16-week plan so he is ready for action as soon as the ban ends.

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Will Brentford try to keep him?

Toney has been directly involved in 89 goals in 124 appearances for Brentford since he joined them from Peterborough United in August 2020 for £5million. In an ideal world, he would stay and be a central figure in their plans to qualify for Europe.

His deal will only have 18 months left to run in January and the possibility of a contract extension has been raised. But Toney wants to play for a top club and his next contract will probably be the biggest of his career. Brentford have one of the lowest wage bills in the division and their highest-paid players earn around £50,000 to £60,000 a week. Toney could easily double that at another team.  The club will keep trying to convince him to stay long-term though, even if it’s unlikely to happen.

Brentford’s plan is to hold onto their star striker for the rest of the season. Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo will represent the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon respectively at the Africa Cup of Nations, which takes place between January and February. It will leave them short of options up front and selling Toney would only make the situation worse.

They would be able to reinvest the money from any sale straight back into the squad, but finding any replacement would be expensive in the notoriously tricky winter window. Brentford have not ruled out losing Toney in January, but it would have to be a huge offer to tempt them to consider it. So far, no clubs have made contact with them about a potential deal.

Frank was asked before Brentford’s 3-2 victory over West Ham United on Saturday if Toney wants to leave and how much he is worth.

“I hope not, I want him to stay,” he said. “Ivan is happy to stay. He is happy at the club. What happens in the future is impossible to guess about.

“I’m pretty sure I didn’t give an exact number. What I said was the No 6 positions have been sold for £100million plus this summer, which is rare. It’s normally goalscorers who get those numbers. To have a proven goalscorer in the Premier League that is above 20 goals is very valuable.

“It’s not for me to put a price tag on him, it’s down to the club. I’m happy with him, I hope he plays here forever and I’m the coach.”

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Who are the leading candidates to sign him?

Toney’s comments during his appearance on the Diary of a CEO podcast in September sent Arsenal fans into a frenzy. Toney admitted he grew up supporting Liverpool but said: “From young, I’ve liked watching Arsenal. How they play and how passionate the fans are.”

It’s a mutual attraction. Arsenal like Toney as he would provide Mikel Arteta with a different profile of striker than Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah. During his six-and-a-half years in the Premier League with Arsenal and Manchester City, Jesus has never scored more than 14 goals in a single season. Nketiah’s struggles in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United show he still has room for development.

The issue for Arsenal is finding a way to pull the deal off. They invested heavily in the summer and need to be wary of financial fair play (FFP) rules, which limit the amount of money clubs are allowed to spend over a three-year period. Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber arrived for a combined total of around £200m, while they signed David Raya on loan from Brentford. The expectation is Raya’s deal will be made permanent for a total package of £30m, which will add to the financial burden as soon as the club next spend. Arsenal raised around £70m from sales but that was largely due to Folarin Balogun’s €40m move to Monaco.

Arsenal would need to sell big in January to finance a move for Toney or hope the owners advance them another substantial loan. There is a good relationship between the senior figures at Arsenal and Brentford, but it’s unlikely they would be able to agree to a similar arrangement for Toney like they did with Raya. Arsenal might have to wait until next summer and hope he is still on the market.

A move to Brentford’s west London neighbours Chelsea is another option. They are considering Toney, but he turns 28 in March and it would go against their strategy under the Boehly-Clearlake consortium of targeting players 25 and under.

Chelsea’s struggles in the past couple of years might make them a less attractive option, too. They finished below Brentford last season and are currently nine points outside the top four places following Monday night’s dramatic 4-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur. If Mauricio Pochettino’s side don’t quickly improve, then they face the prospect of another year without European competition.

In the past, Chelsea could compensate for this with the size of salary on offer, but they are more conscious of keeping their wage bill in check. For example, Mykhailo Mudryk and Enzo Fernandez are on much smaller salaries than Chelsea players in the past would receive. It means their rivals could be in a position to offer Toney a better financial package.

Toney is not the only striker on Chelsea’s radar, with them looking at Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, too. The Nigeria international turns 25 next month so fits the age profile, but he could cost a lot more in transfer fees and wages.

There is also admiration for Toney at Manchester United but their ownership and FFP situations complicate recruitment plans. Tottenham also appreciate his ability but it is doubtful they would be able to fund a deal in January, a window in which they will need to be creative if they are to do any significant business.

Toney seeing out the remainder of his contract and leaving in the summer of 2025 should not be ruled out. It would give him more freedom over which team to join as they would not have to pay a transfer fee, although Brentford will want to avoid that outcome.

Whatever decision Toney makes will have a significant impact on his career. He made his debut for England against Ukraine in March and will be desperate to hit the ground running when he returns to have the best chance of getting into Gareth Southgate’s squad for the 2024 European Championship. Staying at Brentford where he discovered the best form of his career might be the smartest choice for now ahead of seeking a new challenge next summer.

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[TheHulk 1,891]

6 hours ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

 

 

 

 

 

I'd rather buy Wirtz.

[Vesper 29,022]

56 minutes ago, TheHulk said:

I'd rather buy Wirtz.

we need a truly WC CF

[chef 38]

 

[TheHulk 1,891]

9 hours ago, Vesper said:

we need a truly WC CF

We do but not sure this guy is that.

[Vesper 29,022]

7 hours ago, TheHulk said:

We do but not sure this guy is that.

Osimhen?

I deffo rate him there

not counting Mbappe (who I list as a winger)

I rate the following as WC CFs

obviously many are not Chels targets

Erling Haaland  
Harry Kane (I think at this exact point in time, he is better than Håland, as he is vastly less one dimensional. Over a 4000 minute season, he is tracking to 60+ goals and 20+ assists)
Victor Osimhen 
Lautaro Martínez  
Julián Álvarez 
Randal Kolo Muani  
Dušan Vlahović  
Jonathan David    
Ollie Watkins   
Heung-min Son
Ivan Toney  

and the 5 golden oldies:

Robert Lewandowski 
Antoine Griezmann (having a monster season as a CF)
Karim Benzema   
Cristiano Ronaldo 
Olivier Giroud

Edited November 14, 2023 by Vesper

[Thor 2,435]

Call me crazy but is Victor Osimhen really that good? 

People always say we overspend on potential here, and we need certified ballers, etc. He has had one, just one, outstanding season. The others seasons are in line with your above average type striker.

The Italian league is... not the best for judging to say the least. Tammy in his first season went over there and put up 17 goals - and we didn't rate him one bit here. Victor had tallies of 10 and 14 before his great season last season, and now looks more in line to be back to 14-20 goals for the season.

Lautaro Martinez is a far more proven player/striker with more consistent goal tallies, yet no one wants a bar of him. 

I just don't think he is the sure fire star some people make him out to be. Different profile striker that may help us with lower blocks? Sure. But not entirely sold on "better" than what we already have so much. 

[ZAPHOD2319 4,519]

Could we take a break from Tony Bloom please.
 

 

 

[Thor 2,435]

2 hours ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

Could we take a break from Tony Bloom please.
 

 

 

Please no. Had one 3 goal haul and we have to pretend he is the next second coming. 

[TheHulk 1,891]

4 hours ago, Thor said:

Call me crazy but is Victor Osimhen really that good? 

People always say we overspend on potential here, and we need certified ballers, etc. He has had one, just one, outstanding season. The others seasons are in line with your above average type striker.

The Italian league is... not the best for judging to say the least. Tammy in his first season went over there and put up 17 goals - and we didn't rate him one bit here. Victor had tallies of 10 and 14 before his great season last season, and now looks more in line to be back to 14-20 goals for the season.

Lautaro Martinez is a far more proven player/striker with more consistent goal tallies, yet no one wants a bar of him. 

I just don't think he is the sure fire star some people make him out to be. Different profile striker that may help us with lower blocks? Sure. But not entirely sold on "better" than what we already have so much. 

Exactly my thoughts, this guy looks like a more polished Lukaku. I'd 100% take Wirtz or this Antonio Nusa over him, least they have room for huge improvement. Oshimhen is almost 25 and hasn't done fuck all.

Edited November 15, 2023 by TheHulk

[Strike 7,254]

1 hour ago, TheHulk said:

Exactly my thoughts, this guy looks like a more polished Lukaku. I'd 100% take Wirtz or this Antonio Nusa over him, least they have room for huge improvement. Oshimhen is almost 25 and hasn't done fuck all.

Difficult to get Wirtz in January.

I hope we can wait it out in January but unless Broja/Jackson improve and become semi-reliable, we'd need a striker to get through this season and try and get into the top 4/5

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