Chelsea Transfers

[Vesper 30,218]

1 minute ago, Vesper said:

David Datro Fofana - Recalled from Union Berlin, loaned to Burnley

Chelsea were among the many spectators who fell for the Union Berlin illusion this season. They loaned striker David Datro Fofana to what they believed was an emerging Bundesliga contender playing in the Champions League, but watched on as the entire unit struggled to live up to last season's heights.

Keen to get Fofana playing at a higher level, Chelsea brought him back and sent him on loan to Burnley, where he came off the bench to set up a goal on his debut against Manchester City.

The youngster will have to work hard at Burnley, who are battling at the bottom of the Premier League, but at least he'll be playing and learning at a high level.

Grade - B

Chelsea loanee scores twice to earn Burnley late draw with Fulham

https://www.90min.com/posts/Chelsea-loanee-scores-twice-burnley-late-draw-fulham

• David Datro Fofana scores point-rescuing brace for Burnley in 2-2 draw with Fulham
• Striker joined on loan from Chelsea last month
• Fellow Blues loanee Armando Broja made Fulham debut

David Datro Fofana came off the bench to score twice and earn Burnley a 2-2 draw at home to Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday.

The 21-year-old recently joined the Clarets on loan from Chelsea for the remainder of the season and has already made a major impact with two goals as a second-half substitute against the Cottagers.

First-half goals from Rodrigo Muniz and Joao Palhinha saw the visitors race into an early lead and they appeared to be cruising to victory until Fofana's late contributions.

Lorenz Assignon's floated cross was misjudged by goalkeeper Bernd Leno, allowing Fofana to rise and head home, setting up a grandstand finish at Turf Moor with 20 minutes left to play.

With 91 minutes on the clock, Fofana bundled home a driven ball from Wilson Odobert to send the home fans crazy.

"You know I'm so happy to score two goals and also my first goals with Burnley, I'm so happy with that. I'm here to help the team, so yes, I will try my best to score again," Fofana told Burnley's club channels.

"When you score the last goal in the 91st minute, for me, it's crazy because it's the last, last, last time, so it was crazy. We did well, I'm so happy with that.

"Before I came on, the manager said to me the same thing, focus David - we need you, we want you to help the team. Why not also score. I said I will score, I will score because I was like focus on that, to help the team.

"It was amazing, it was so good. When I score I always celebrate with the fans, I like it, I like the vibes and everything."

Fofana's scoring exploits will have been well received at parent club Chelsea, who have sent out a number of their young stars on loan this season but to varying degrees of success. Before joining Burnley in January, Fofana scored two goals in 17 games at Union Berlin.

Ironically, Fulham have only just completed the loan signing of a Chelsea striker themselves, with Armando Broja making the jump across west London on deadline day. He came off the bench for his debut in Saturday's draw at Burnley shortly after Fofana had scored his first goal.

 

highlights

https://ok.ru/video/7030482733578

 

 

[Vesper 30,218]

The 10 most expensive deals of the 2024 January transfer window

• Janaury spending far lower than in previous years as clubs look to balance books
• Despite tightening of purse string, high-profile clubs still active in the market
• No player has cost more than £30m this winter

https://www.90min.com/posts/ten-most-expensive-deals-2024-january-transfer-window

10. Cyril Ngonge (Hellas Verona to Napoli)

 

 

Cyril Ngonge stayed in Serie A despite leaving Hellas Verona / KONTROLAB/GettyImages

Transfer fee: £15.5m

Cyril Ngonge spent the majority of his early career in the Netherlands before making the move to Hellas Verona, with the attacker impressing upon his arrival in Italy.

With 11 goals in 36 appearances for Verona, the Belgian made the move to Napoli in January, making his debut for the scudetto winners in a goalless draw with Lazio.

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9. Gabriel Moscardo (Corinthians to Paris Saint-Germain)

 

 

Gabriel Moscardo impressed at Corinthians / Ricardo Moreira/GettyImages

Transfer fee: £17.1m

A whole host of clubs were touted with moves for 18-year-old Gabriel Moscardo in January but the midfielder opted to make the switch to PSG from Corinthians.

The Brazilian will spend the second half of the season back at Corinthians and will want to impress Luis Enrique ahead of the summer.

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8. Lucas Beraldo (Sao Paulo to Paris Saint-Germain)

 

 

Lucas Beraldo is one of the youngster's PSG signed this winter / Eurasia Sport Images/GettyImages

Transfer fee: £17.4m

The second Brazilian to team up with the French champions this winter, Lucas Beraldo made the move from Brazilian giants Sao Paulo for £17.4m.

The centre-back will be mentored by compatriot Marquinhos and be expected to fill in for the injured Milan Skriniar.

The 20-year-old has already made four appearances for the capital side and won the Trophee des Champions against Toulouse in his first match.

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7. Adam Wharton (Blackburn Rovers to Crystal Palace)

 

 

Adam Wharton will bolster Crystal Palace's midfield / Gary Oakley/GettyImages

Transfer fee: £18.5m

Recruiting the 19-year-old took Crystal Palace's spending up to £30m this winter - more than any other Premier League club - but the midfielder could be an essential addition at Selhurst Park.

With the Eagles' long injury list, which includes the impressive Cheick Doucoure, the £18.5m spent on Adam Wharton makes perfect sense, especially given the youngster's potential.

Wharton had been linked with the likes of Liverpool, Newcastle United and Tottenham but will need to impress at Selhurst Park to reach that level.

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6. Arthur Vermeeren (Royal Antwerp to Atletico Madrid)

 

 

Arthur Vermeeren was straight into the action in Madrid / Angel Martinez/GettyImages

Transfer fee: £18.8m

Arthur Vermeeren had plenty of suitors heading into the January transfer window after dazzling in Antwerp, with the likes of Barcelona, Arsenal and Manchester United all eyeing the midfielder.

However, it was Atletico Madrid that pulled the trigger on the two-cap Belgium international, splashing just shy of £20m on Vermeeren to help bolster their ageing midfield.

The supremely talented 18-year-old made his Atleti debut during a 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano on 31 January.

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5. Renan Lodi (Marseille to Al Hilal)

 

 

Renan Lodi spent last season on loan at Nottingham Forest / Yasser Bakhsh/GettyImages

Transfer fee: £19.8m

Renan Lodi only made the move to Marseille in the summer, finally calling time on his Atletico Madrid career, but has already left the Stade Velodrome for Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal.

The left-back, who spent last season on loan at Nottingham Forest, will join up with fellow Brazilians Neymar and Malcom and could be on course for a title in his first season with Al Hilal as his new club currently seven points clear at the top of the Saudi Pro League.

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4. Eljif Elmas (Napoli to RB Leipzig)

 

 

Elmas swapped Naples for Leipzig in search of minutes# / Boris Streubel/GettyImages

Transfer fee: £20.8m

In a bid to start more matches, Eljif Elmas made the move from the Serie A champions to Marco Rose's RB Leipzig at the beginning of the January window for just over £20m.

The midfielder has made three appearances from the bench for the Bundesliga side so far, with the North Macedonia international hoping to impress Rose at the Red Bull Arena.

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3. Radu Dragusin (Genoa to Tottenham Hotspur)

 

 

The defender made two appearances for Spurs already / Catherine Ivill/GettyImages

Transfer fee: £25m

Ange Postecoglou was keen to capture Radu Dragusin's signature after the former Juventus academy graduate made a positive impression in Italy with Genoa.

The Romanian centre-back was also being courted by Bayern - who ended up signing Spurs' Eric Dier on loan - but decided on a £25m switch to the Premier League instead.

Dragusin made his Lilywhites debut against Manchester United in mid-January and also made a small cameo against Brentford at the end of the month.

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2. Sacha Boey (Galatasaray to Bayern Munich)

 

 

Sacha Boey has helped bolster Bayern's defence / Stefan Matzke - sampics/GettyImages

Transfer fee: £25.6m

Bayern Munich had been linked with a host of new names at right-back before landing Sacha Boey from Turkish giants Galatasaray, including the likes of Kieran Trippier of Newcastle United and Nordi Mukiele of PSG.

An attacking presence down the right flank, Boey impressed in the Champions League group stage this season against the Bavarian side, as well as in matches against Manchester United.

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1. Vitor Roque (Athletico Paranaense to Barcelona)

 

 

Vitor Roque opened his Barcelona account in January / Alex Caparros/GettyImages

Transfer fee: £26.1m

A deal that was agreed last summer, the initial price tag for Vitor Roque's move from his homeland of Brazil to Barcelona is just £26.1m. However, that fee could be doubled if all add-ons involved in the transfer are met.

The 18-year-old striker joined up with the Catalan side in January and opened his Barcelona account during a 1-0 win over Osasuna at the end of the month.

Another wonderkid with huge potential swapping South America for La Liga, pressure will be on Roque to succeed in Catalonia.

[Vesper 30,218]

Tottenham will return for 23-year-old Chelsea mainstay, £50 million gets deal done

https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2024/02/04/tottenham-hotspur-will-return-for-conor-gallagher-in-summer/

Tottenham Hotspur are not giving up on Conor Gallagher despite failing to land the £50 million-rated Chelsea midfielder in January.

According to Football Insider, Tottenham will return in the summer for Conor Gallagher, as they intend to sign the Chelsea midfielder at all costs. The price tag will remain at 50 million despite the 23-year-old entering the final year of his deal.

Tottenham to return for Conor Gallagher?

Tottenham had one of the most successful January windows among other Premier League rivals. FFP had curtailed the spending of others, with Spurs able to take advantage of the market and bring in critical reinforcements like Radu Dragusin and Timo Werner.

They had every intention of signing a midfielder, with a last-ditch attempt reportedly planned for Conor Gallagher. Spurs had an interest in the 23-year-old even back in the summer, but there has been indecisiveness from Chelsea and the midfielder.

Now, Tottenham are ready to reignite their chase of the 23-year-old target in the summer and plans on an approach to convince Chelsea regarding a sale. The Blues had wanted £50 million for the midfielder, and that price point might remain intact when the summer window opens.

Gallagher will have 12 months left on his deal then, as Tottenham could open talks with Chelsea to find a solution. Spurs could then sell Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who will also enter the final year of his deal in the summer, as Ange Postecoglou dreams of signing Gallagher at all costs.

Conor Gallagher’s Uncertain Future at Chelsea

Gallagher could become a high-profile option for many other Premier League clubs, too, if Chelsea decides to part ways with their homegrown star. The Blues are considering letting some of their other academy graduates, like Trevoh Chalobah and Armando Broja, permanently in the summer, with Gallagher their most prized asset of them all.

Gallagher has not signed a new deal, and with the uncertainties surrounding the club’s plans with him, he might choose to leave. Tottenham are ready, but he was uninterested in a move during January, as that stance could change in the close season.

As things stand, Tottenham may feel like they have the upper hand in the race for Gallagher, but other clubs might jump in.

[Vesper 30,218]

Alphonso Davies set for spell on the sidelines

https://fcbayern.com/en/news/2024/02/alphonso-davies-set-for-spell-on-the-sidelines-with-knee-ligament-strain

Alphonso Davies suffered a ligament strain in his left knee during Bayern’s 3-1 Bundesliga win at home to Borussia Mönchengladbach. This was the result of an examination conducted by the club’s medical department following the match. The left-back will therefore face a spell on the sidelines.

[Vesper 30,218]

EXCLUSIVE

Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise is set to miss at least TWO MONTHS after suffering his latest hamstring injury in dire defeat to Brighton on Saturday

• Michael Olise has endured an injury-ravaged season so far for Crystal Palace 
• Olise was forced off just minutes after coming on against Brighton on Saturday

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-13048717/Michael-Olise-hamstring-injury-Brighton-Crystal-Palace-Roy-Hodgson.html

[Vesper 30,218]

Paul Winstanley, Laurence Stewart and Joe Shields have been a fucking disasterclass trio. Full stop.

[Vesper 30,218]

Manchester City agree deal to sign Sávio from parent club Girona in the summer.

Documents to be signed in the next days.

Despite bids from German and English clubs, Sávio will join #MCFC.

He’s now 100% focused on Girona to end the season in the best way.

 

[lluubbeenn 174]

We can sell a lot of players in the summer. I don't know who is actually going to attract interest to seal a deal. 

We should buy only top players. As it stands (IMO) we should go for:

- CB - Araujo/Bremer/Guehi

-LB - Davies/ keep Maatsen or no one

-Winger - Mbappe(LOL)/Leao/Nico Williams

-ST- Osimhen/Watkins/Toney

And build a working relationship between coaches and medical team. 

[Vesper 30,218]

https://thedailybriefing.io/i/141399921/summer-target-for-real-madrid-target-has-eye-watering-price-tag

Leny Yoro is one of the most interesting central defenders in Europe, and has a skillset that has attracted a lot of interest from outside of Lille. Real Madrid have been to watch him on a number of occasions, Atletico Madrid like him too. Paris Saint-Germain, as has been reported, are also looking at him.

His future will depend on the price though, which is where things might take shape. Yoro is out of contract in 2025, and Lille will not want to lose him for free. But he is also on a number of shortlists for top clubs. So that competition combined with the length of his contract will be two crucial factors, but Lille's current demands are more than €60m for the 18-year-old.

[Special Juan 28,141]

7 hours ago, Vesper said:

Manchester City agree deal to sign Sávio from parent club Girona in the summer.

Documents to be signed in the next days.

Despite bids from German and English clubs, Sávio will join #MCFC.

He’s now 100% focused on Girona to end the season in the best way.

 

He's quality him

[lucio 5,418]

City and psg signing players with shed loads of technical ability whereas we pin our hopes on cart horses with no first touch 

[NikkiCFC 8,334]

 

[TheHulk 2,478]

5 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

 

While this club is led by complete clowns I'm happy he wasn't allowed to leave. This guy thinks he can get a fat paycheck for the remaining of his contract and after play football like nothing happened. Let him rot in the reserves.

Edited February 6, 2024 by TheHulk

[NikkiCFC 8,334]

48 minutes ago, TheHulk said:

While this club is led by complete clowns I'm happy he wasn't allowed to leave. This guy thinks he can get a fat paycheck for the remaining of his contract and after play football like nothing happened. Let him rot in the reserves.

Did you read the whole tweet? It says he accepted tiny salary just to play there but we blocked in the end.

[ZAPHOD2319 4,819]

The threads are unraveling 

 

[Blue Armour 4,448]

2 minutes ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

The threads are unraveling 

 

Not sure if true, but always bound to happen.

All this talk about a building a team for the future is pointless, especially if your high potential players don't want to stick around that long to wait for trophies. 

And while people keep slamming James for his injuries (not sure why anyone would, but that's just the sign of our times), he's not going to stick around long, to go season after season fighting for low tier cups and nothing more.

[ZAPHOD2319 4,819]

Even if it is true. I doubt he would just take a caretaker role until the end of the season and The Chosen One is not a long term option.

 

 

[Reddish-Blue 2,509]

4 hours ago, Blue Armour said:

Not sure if true, but always bound to happen.

All this talk about a building a team for the future is pointless, especially if your high potential players don't want to stick around that long to wait for trophies. 

And while people keep slamming James for his injuries (not sure why anyone would, but that's just the sign of our times), he's not going to stick around long, to go season after season fighting for low tier cups and nothing more.

The fact is, he hasn't even lived up to his price tag and the rumors have started that he's looking around...that just tells you that he was never invested in the club and he just came here for the free paycheck. 

That's where the real problem lies with "rebuilding" a club under different owners as this isn't FIFA or Football Manager where you go out and sign 5 high potential Under-23 year old players and hope they become 85+ rated in 3 seasons time. 

As for Reece, if he was to move, he'd need to get serious about his fitness regime as top clubs won't sign him with that nasty injury record. 

[TheHulk 2,478]

5 hours ago, NikkiCFC said:

Did you read the whole tweet? It says he accepted tiny salary just to play there but we blocked in the end.

He accepted a tiny salary after getting a massive paycheck to cut his contract with us, so yes he is earning more and playing as well, let him rot in the reserves. If he wants to go he can always break the contract and not get any money if he wants so much to play. Sick and tired of these players taking us to the cleaners.

Edited February 6, 2024 by TheHulk

[Vegetable 830]

6 hours ago, Blue Armour said:

All this talk about a building a team for the future is pointless, especially if your high potential players don't want to stick around that long to wait for trophies. 

 

Thing is, high potential players must step up and become actually good players to even think about the trophies. 

Overpaying comically for players doesn't instantly make them superstars.

1 hour ago, TheHulk said:

He accepted a tiny salary after getting a massive paycheck to cut his contract with us, so yes he is earning more and playing as well, let him rot in the reserves. If he wants to go he can always break the contract and not get any money if he wants so much to play. Sick and tired of these players taking us to the cleaners.

Why blame the guy for club's stupidity though? He was free agent, we lured him with massive paycheck because someone at Chelsea had red this board or FM20 wonderkids list. Club took a gamble, club lost. He didn't turn out crap out of pure pettiness. 

This kind of deal would make sense if he was shifted quickly, meanwhile he is here for fourth year on massive paycheck.

Edited February 6, 2024 by Vegetable