Chelsea Transfers

[MoroccanBlue 5,198]

23 minutes ago, Vegetable said:

I strongly doubt Pulisic being replaced in any form - he got us a huge fanbase in US (and he is a genuinely likeable lad with great attitude, from wich dressing room surely benefits) and I can take that for a solid squad player and probably so does the Board.    

A squad player who literally averages half the season injured. 

[Vesper 27,310]

Karim Adeyemi

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/karim-adeyemi/profil/spieler/496094

 

 

 

Report: Chelsea Made 'First Contact' for Karim Adeyemi

https://www.si.com/soccer/Chelsea/transfer-news/report-Chelsea-made-first-contact-for-karim-adeyemi

 

 

[Vesper 27,310]

BORUSSIA DORTMUND PLOTTING LOAN MOVE FOR HAKIM ZIYECH

http://www.thehardtackle.com/news/2021/11/12/transfer-news-borussia-dortmund-plotting-loan-move-for-hakim-ziyech/

Chelsea playmaker Hakim Ziyech has reportedly emerged as a January target for Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund.

According to Bild, Borussia Dortmund are considering a move for Hakim Ziyech. The Chelsea attacker is highly favoured by Marco Rose. The BVB head coach is currently looking for someone who can provide additional creative support for star striker Erling Haaland during the second half of the campaign.

Ziyech himself is frustrated over his lack of game-time at Chelsea and is open to sealing an exit away from Stamford Bridge in January. He does have a contract at Chelsea until 2025, which means Dortmund might only be able to secure his services on a loan deal.

The Moroccan international has had a difficult time at Chelsea under the leadership of Thomas Tuchel. The German tactician has largely favoured Mason Mount, Kai Havertz and Callum Hudson-Odoi, with Ziyech falling behind the trio in the pecking order.

In fact, the former Ajax attacker has started only two games in the Premier League this season. He has been a more prominent presence in Chelsea’s UEFA Champions League campaign, but the overall game-time provided to him by Tuchel is far from satisfactory.

[whats happening 1,440]

fuck em. would not deal with them anymore.

[MoroccanBlue 5,198]

No one should leave in January and I'm pretty certain no one will. 

[NikkiCFC 7,582]

2 hours ago, whats happening said:

fuck em. would not deal with them anymore.

Why? 

[King Kante 1,297]

1 hour ago, MoroccanBlue said:

No one should leave in January and I'm pretty certain no one will. 

I reckon there is a decent chance Barkley goes to Newcastle. Not saying 100% but I reckon it could happen. 

[Vesper 27,310]

1 hour ago, MoroccanBlue said:

No one should leave in January and I'm pretty certain no one will. 

I think Ziyech is out

he wants out

Tuchel doesn't rate him

other teams want him

 

I warned and warned all the past year about our wingers

was not at all happy when we bought Ziyech

flat track bully with shit attitude

and I was against Pulisic, and he is now even more fragile but I at east think with him he does have the talent and drive, he just is Mr Glass

I have not been zeroing in on players for the lash from me much at all

save for those 2

oh

Saúl Ñíguez is pants in the EPL it looks like, but he is a loanee

 

[ZAPHOD2319 3,873]

With his age, we need to get what money is there right now. It is not like he will come around or we can sell him at the end of his contract. 

[MoroccanBlue 5,198]

1 hour ago, King Kante said:

I reckon there is a decent chance Barkley goes to Newcastle. Not saying 100% but I reckon it could happen. 

 

1 hour ago, Vesper said:

I think Ziyech is out

 

Matt Law made it pretty clear on the London is Blue podcast he expects no one that's played first team football to leave in January. The depth this club currently has is vital to ending the season with success. 

[Vesper 27,310]

18 minutes ago, MoroccanBlue said:

 

Matt Law made it pretty clear on the London is Blue podcast he expects no one that's played first team football to leave in January. The depth this club currently has is vital to ending the season with success. 

maybe we have a January buy plan

[Vegetable 787]

About Ziyech situation… we rarely buy players from the hypetrain or coca-cola ad, what causes a lot of disappointment on the internet, still it proves 100% correct approach as all our loud transfers are meh, including Hakim who did shine in once-in-lifetime Ajax season and once-in-two-lifetimes CL campaign, yet there was a lot of reservations about his suitability to PL. I wonder if there was a non-sport pressure of any kind or the analytics team slipped on those. Meanwhile Kovacic, who seemed like a guy to fill a hole proves solid and was a leader of the team for a while, and who-is-this-guy-Mendy is a machine, lol

Edited November 12, 2021 by Vegetable

[OhForAGreavsie 5,775]

15 hours ago, Vesper said:

Karim Adeyemi

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/karim-adeyemi/profil/spieler/496094

 

Report: Chelsea Made 'First Contact' for Karim Adeyemi

https://www.si.com/soccer/Chelsea/transfer-news/report-Chelsea-made-first-contact-for-karim-adeyemi

I stopped watching midway through the first highlight video. Felt there was nothing more to be learned there. The lad has an exceptional technical level. Quickness, quality and natural instinct for a pass. The bits of the game you can't learn, the bits you have to be born with, he was born with. Now it's a question of attitude and application which we won't learn about from a highlights vid. That said, it's hard to see how any football club owner could view the video I just have without thinking, "Where's my cheque book?"

Edited November 13, 2021 by OhForAGreavsie

[Magic Lamps 11,449]

8 hours ago, OhForAGreavsie said:

I stopped watching midway through the first highlight video. Felt there was nothing more to be learned there. The lad has an exceptional technical level. Quickness, quality and natural instinct for a pass. The bits of the game you can't learn, the bits you have to be born with, he was born with. Now it's a question of attitude and application which we won't learn about from a highlights vid. That said, it's hard to see how any football club owner could view the video I just have without thinking, "Where's my cheque book?"

Patson Daka looked the same yet the jury is still out on him. RBS and Austrian league is the best place to make a striker look classy. Adeyemi however has proven his value in the national team. But he basically has no competition. Flick sees him as the long time no 1 Germany striker but i can still see him struggle to adapt to PL. he has got time on his side tho. Probably will be a success but not here 

Edited November 13, 2021 by Magic Lamps

[OhForAGreavsie 5,775]

25 minutes ago, Magic Lamps said:

Patson Daka looked the same yet the jury is still out on him. RBS and Austrian league is the best place to make a striker look classy. Adeyemi however has proven his value in the national team. But he basically has no competition. Flick sees him as the long time no 1 Germany striker but i can still see him struggle to adapt to PL. he has got time on his side tho. Probably will be a success but not here 

Based on the videos

@Vesper posted, the lad looks more of a second striker than a leader of the line.

I don't agree that Daka ever looked as good as Adeyemi does here but I accept your overall point. What I think the kid has demonstrated is the talent to exploit opportunities when they arrive. The times when the defence denied those opportunities obviously didn't make the videos above and we can be sure that the tougher defences will ask more questions of him. His talent is so outstanding however that he is certain to get a chance at the highest level.

I would not be at all disappointed if the club spent the money required to bring him here and give him the chance to prove himself. I would however be annoyed if they choose not to throw their hat into the ring. You don't see footballers at this kid's talent level very often. It'ss off the charts. Clubs simply have to take a chance on him.

 

 

[Vesper 27,310]

lolol  🤡

Marca has jokes

 

TOP STORY: Chelsea plotting three-player moves in January

Chelsea are planning moves for Jules Kounde, Matthijs de Ligt and Lorenzo Insigne in January, according to Marca.

 

The Blues currently sit top of the Premier League and are looking to consolidate that position with three big signings in the winter market.

Kounde, 23, was of interest to Thomas Tuchel's side in the summer, however they couldn't meet the valuation of Sevilla to land the player. That may have changed with their defensive future unsure, due to the Blues having four centre-backs out of contract in the summer.

Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, Thiago Silva and Cesar Azpilicueta are defenders that are currently set to leave Stamford Bridge next year if they don't sign new deals.

De Ligt, 22, is another name linked. The Netherlands international is reportedly seeking a move away from Juventus and has asked agent Mino Raiola for possible destinations away from the Serie A side.

Napoli veteran Insigne is viewed as a potential signing with the 30-year-old winger's deal expiring come the end of the season.

Chelsea are said to have been monitoring the Italy international's situation, who is believed to have been offered a new deal by the club but with a pay cut involved.

Although he has spent his whole career at Napoli, the cut to his pay has come as a shock and he would be willing to move away from the club.

[Vesper 27,310]

 

and more bullshit

IF we ever bought this meh of a CB, I will snap, he is shit

 

Chelsea offer £34m for Real Madrid star following contract impasse

https://www.caughtoffside.com/2021/11/13/Chelsea-offer-34m-for-real-madrid-star-following-contract-impasse/

Thomas Tuchel has a clear idea of how he wants his Chelsea side to play and the very foundation of the German’s vision begins at the back with three centre-backs.

Although the Blues frequently deploy Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger in a back-three, the former, as well as the latter, are out of contract at the end of the season.

Although there are rumours both Azpilicueta and Rudiger are in talks to extend their stays at Stamford Bridge, according to recent reports, the Blues would like to add Real Madrid’s Eder Militao to their ranks.

That’s according to a recent report from Spanish outlet El Nacional, who claims the Brazilian defender is wanting Real Madrid to improve his deal.

Although highly-rated among both president Florentino Perez and manager Carlo Ancelotti, an agreement between club and player has yet to be reached and that has prompted Chelsea to take action.

 

🤢👎🏾

 

 

[Vesper 27,310]

Introducing Aurelien Tchouameni, France and Monaco’s midfield gem tipped for greatness

https://theathletic.com/2937712/2021/11/12/introducing-aurelien-tchouameni-frances-latest-midfield-gem-tipped-for-greatness/

“A match from Aurelien Tchouameni is like a Christopher Nolan film: you have to watch again to fully appreciate it,” read the caption on social media.

Accompanying it was a video, posted by the Monaco midfielder’s representatives and set to the dramatic soundtrack music from Nolan’s sci-fi movie Interstellar, showing his best moments in last month’s 3-1 win over Montpellier.

It is the remit of any agency to highlight their clients’ achievements, of course, but the footage is impressive nonetheless. Clips of surging runs are interspersed with raking passes and sliding tackles as Tchouameni, already a France international at age 21, dominates opposing teams.

Performances of this ilk, an increasingly regular occurrence since he made his debut for Bordeaux as an 18-year-old, help explain why Europe’s leading lights are queuing up for him. If gossip columns are to be believed, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool, Barcelona and Real Madrid are all circling with intent.

Some of the rumours, quite evidently, have more credence than others. But one thing is for sure: Tchouameni will not be short of suitors when the time comes to move on.

On the evidence of the past couple of seasons, his accession to the top level of the global game is just a matter of time. 

---

“I’m not surprised that everybody is now talking about him,” says Gus Poyet, who gave Tchouameni that Bordeaux debut in a July 2018 Europa League qualifying-phase win over Latvian side Ventspils.

“Even then, he was a big lad — skinny but powerful. He was confident on the ball and intelligent. He became my No 8.

“He was studying at uni then. He was always interested in learning and improving. We once had a meeting with video and you could tell he was really paying attention.

“When you ask him to do something, he does it. I started working with him a little bit more than with other players and when I left (that September) I knew he would get better and better.”  

Tchouameni’s route to the professional game was mapped out from an early age.

He grew up watching his father Fernand’s ultimately forlorn attempts to make it as a professional, spending time at the local stadium every weekend. Until the age of 14 or 15, Tchouameni was a striker, but a switch to midfield saw him become a regular fixture for France’s youth teams, where he was often picked as captain. Leadership came naturally. Alongside Sevilla’s Jules Kounde and Saint-Etienne’s Zaydou Youssouf, he was also part of a talented Bordeaux crop that won national honours at under-19 level.

Confidence has never been in short supply either. Tchouameni is said to have told coaches and team-mates after his Bordeaux debut that it was “only the beginning”. 

Nobody would scoff now.

Tchouameni’s displays for Bordeaux quickly attracted attention. Before 2018 was over, Inter Milan had registered their interest, only for a deal to sign the 18-year-old to fall through. The Italian giants were just one of several suitors. “Big clubs came but I wasn’t intimidated,” he later told French football magazine Onze Mondial.

Instead of moving abroad, fellow Ligue 1 side Monaco were seen as his ideal next step. 

“It was a feeling at the time from what the scouts brought to me — these days it is more sophisticated,” Oleg Petrov, Monaco’s current vice-president and the man who brought Tchouameni to the principality in January of last year, tells The Athletic.

“We saw characteristics that we needed at Monaco. He was quick, powerful and quite smart technically. Our strategy has been to develop young players so they can make another step to great clubs at a certain point. There was a strong opinion that he was a very talented player. 

“When I met him, he was very good at English. He was smart, so it reinforced my opinion.”

It did not immediately click for Tchouameni at Monaco but he had two keen advocates in Petrov and their English sporting director Paul Mitchell, who arrived from the Red Bull stable of clubs last summer. Although Mitchell had inherited 77 professional players and was looking to make large-scale cuts, Tchouameni survived the cull. 

The internal assessments set up by former Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur player-recruitment expert Mitchell combined subjective scouting reports with the objectivity of data and highlighted the midfielder as an ideal fit for Monaco’s new era. 

Everything has built towards 2021, the year it has all clicked for Tchouameni. He shone alongside midfield partner Youssouf Fofana as Monaco finished third last season, pipping now-Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga and Lyon’s Maxence Caqueret among others to Ligue 1’s young player of the season award and making the division’s team of the year. 

After every game, he sits with dad Fernand, a formative influence, for a debrief — in other words, what went well and what didn’t.

The pair don’t always agree. After one game, Tchouameni senior described his son as a “banal midfielder”, spurring the youngster on to prove him wrong. It is the influence of his parents that keeps him grounded.

In his spare time, he watches clips of Paul Pogba and Kevin De Bruyne to pick up technical tips and takes a similar approach with N’Golo Kante’s movement and positioning. Every summer he goes away to Los Angeles, USA, with his agent to train ahead of the new season.

 

Tchouameni lifts the Nations League trophy with France last month (Photo: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Those efforts away from the training pitch have been supplemented by a rigorous development programme at Monaco, where all aspects of performance are considered. Now, he shares a national team dressing room with two of his three midfield inspirations, having come off the bench to help defeat the third in last month’s Nations League semi-finals.

“The last 16 months have been about preparing him for top-level football,” says Mitchell. “Educating him on nutrition, on his performance through video analysis, on sleep and recovery.

“Aurelien is highly intelligent, very academic. He’s really embraced the changes we’ve made here and turned himself from one idea (as a player) into a France international. (Recognition) was long overdue.” 

---

Curiously for someone who is now a full international, there is still some debate as to which midfield role suits Tchouameni best. 

Everyone has their opinion. He is many different things to many different people, the logical product of a rounded skill set.

Yet some elements stick out immediately for those who have watched him closely.

“He has incredible ability to recover balls — you don’t know how he does it,” grins Poyet, his old boss at Bordeaux. Indeed, no player has made more interceptions per 1,000 opposition touches in Ligue 1 this season, prompting team-mates to nickname him “TchouaNgolo” due to the similarities with Kante, his France team-mate.

Monaco see him as a “dominant No 6”, as Mitchell puts it — “He’s well-rounded for such a young man but he’s at his best controlling games through the middle with his physicality.”

But Poyet offers a different take. He has seen first-hand how dangerous his former charge can be in the final third. 

“I like him a little bit more forward, arriving in the box, because I think he’s got goals in him too,” says the Uruguayan, a goalscoring midfielder in his playing days for Chelsea, Tottenham and Argentina’s River Plate. “I know he feels very confident in front of the defence. He feels that position belongs to him. But he can easily do a box-to-box role and score six or seven goals a season.”

Where Mitchell and Poyet agree is over his ability and potential.

“Young King”, as he is known to team-mates — a reference to one of his heroes, basketball star LeBron James — appears destined to reach the very top. He has always looked up to figures, from all walks of life, who rose from humble beginnings to the top of their field. Rappers such as Jay Z and Kanye West. Why? Because he is looking to complete a similar journey.

In that case, it is so far, so good. Tchouameni’s rate of progress, particularly stark over the past 12 months, means Monaco are realistic when it comes to what happens next. They know transfer interest is mounting and are aware that offers could soon come.

“The clubs mentioned are full of smart people,” Mitchell says. “If I was at a big club and saw a profile like Aurelien, I’d want his services. I believe he can play in the best leagues in the world and dominate the biggest games in the world.

“The longer you leave it, the harder it is to ascertain (a player like that) because there’s more (clubs) in the race.

“We enjoy working with him but we know the market too. We are aware one day an offer could come and know where we are in the market. We’d have to look at it seriously.

“But we’re also ambitious, and it’d have to be right for us as we’re building to bring the club to the top level.” 

Petrov strikes a similar tone. Matching the ambition of players with elite potential, such as Tchouameni, is difficult, even for a side with Champions League ambitions such as Monaco.

“We don’t promote any transfer but at a certain point it might be difficult to cap the growth,” Petrov admits.

“With all the effort he puts in and his talent, at a certain moment he may be required by a big, big club.”