Chelsea Transfers

[Strike 6,961]

 

Chelsea interested in Matthijs De Ligt and are monitoring what is happening with him. Contract till 2024 with 120m euros release clause. He's in talks to extend it with lower release clause or let the contract run into final year next summer.
 

[Magic Lamps 11,449]

54 minutes ago, Strike said:

 

Chelsea interested in Matthijs De Ligt and are monitoring what is happening with him. Contract till 2024 with 120m euros release clause. He's in talks to extend it with lower release clause or let the contract run into final year next summer.
 

I think those de ligt rumours are stillborn

one of those fabricated to grab the headlines. No way we will bist our wage structure and pay that kind of money to get an overrated defender, unproven in top leagues who does not even fit the needed profile perfectly. 

if we really want to continue with 3atb, the central defenders have to provide attacking impetus. So they should be technical and comfortable with the ball at their feet. Mdl is ok at that at best 

[MoroccanBlue 5,198]

Who are the DM's we are linked with? (ignoring that PSV bloke who is Bakayoko 2.0)

[Pizy 17,860]

3 minutes ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Who are the DM's we are linked with? (ignoring that PSV bloke who is Bakayoko 2.0)

None, really. Other than the ongoing links to Rice which will never stop as long as he’s at WH.

[MoroccanBlue 5,198]

4 minutes ago, Pizy said:

None, really. Other than the ongoing links to Rice which will never stop as long as he’s at WH.

The Athletic already claimed Boehly isn't going after Rice given the price. 

Other than Bissouma (who isn't even a DM) we have hardly been linked to any defensive midfielders which is worrying as I firmly believe our system is the reason we aren't getting the best out of our attackers. 

Dembele, Nkunku, Gnabry, etc will struggle here too as things stand. 

[Blues Forever 1,232]

11 minutes ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Who are the DM's we are linked with? (ignoring that PSV bloke who is Bakayoko 2.0)

So far only Tchouameni, Rice, and Sangare. There are other rumours about Bissouma and Phillips as well. 

[Pizy 17,860]

7 minutes ago, MoroccanBlue said:

The Athletic already claimed Boehly isn't going after Rice given the price. 

Other than Bissouma (who isn't even a DM) we have hardly been linked to any defensive midfielders which is worrying as I firmly believe our system is the reason we aren't getting the best out of our attackers. 

Dembele, Nkunku, Gnabry, etc will struggle here too as things stand. 

Tbh, if I were a betting man I’d say we don’t sign a DM. Tuchel seems to genuinely love both Kante and Jorginho. With Gallagher coming back he gives us another midfielder who covers lots of the pitch. 

With all the other areas of the team that need rebuilding I think we’ll run Kante and J5’s contracts down and rebuild the midfield next summer. Maybe one of the two gets an extension. But when we need 2 new CB’s, 2 new wingbacks for cover, and multiple new attackers it may not be feasible to also buy an expensive DM this summer as well. 
 

Maybe we just bide our time for Rice next summer.

[MoroccanBlue 5,198]

23 minutes ago, Pizy said:

Tbh, if I were a betting man I’d say we don’t sign a DM. Tuchel seems to genuinely love both Kante and Jorginho. With Gallagher coming back he gives us another midfielder who covers lots of the pitch. 

With all the other areas of the team that need rebuilding I think we’ll run Kante and J5’s contracts down and rebuild the midfield next summer. Maybe one of the two gets an extension. But when we need 2 new CB’s, 2 new wingbacks for cover, and multiple new attackers it may not be feasible to also buy an expensive DM this summer as well. 
 

Maybe we just bide our time for Rice next summer.

I'm still very skeptical on Gallagher in a midfield two. 

It was evident Gallagher thrived under Vieira as he was allowed complete freedom to press with Kouyate and Hughes covering the space he left. The two central midfielders in our system are very disciplined in their roles. Giving this discipline to Gallagher nullifies him completely and I ask what is the point of him then? Put him in attack and have yet another player who isn't prolific in the final third? Or do we play a 433 with no recognizable DM? (please don't say Gilmour or Ampadu)

I really don't see the logic in waiting another season for a DM when we have been crying out for one all of last season. If we are to yet again to endure a system (5 at the back) that doesn't get the best out of our attackers because we have an unbalanced midfield we may as well kiss our Top 4 hopes goodbye. We've gone as far as we can with Jorginho. Kovacic is injury prone. Kante is losing his athleticism + is injury prone. Gallagher doesn't fit the set up. 

[King Kante 1,297]

40 minutes ago, Pizy said:

Tbh, if I were a betting man I’d say we don’t sign a DM. Tuchel seems to genuinely love both Kante and Jorginho. With Gallagher coming back he gives us another midfielder who covers lots of the pitch. 

With all the other areas of the team that need rebuilding I think we’ll run Kante and J5’s contracts down and rebuild the midfield next summer. Maybe one of the two gets an extension. But when we need 2 new CB’s, 2 new wingbacks for cover, and multiple new attackers it may not be feasible to also buy an expensive DM this summer as well. 
 

Maybe we just bide our time for Rice next summer.

Yeah, I think we'll just wait out the Rice situation. The boy only wants to come here and he is insanely priced at the moment. We'll just do what Real/Bayern do and wait until he is either free or in his last year. He has also turned down significant wage increases as well. This tells me he has somewhere he wants to go as people need to remember that avoiding signing a new contract means that you're giving up £100k+ on your current wage x 104 weeks or more when holding out/running down. That is a big risk as you cannot account for injuries. 

[MoroccanBlue 5,198]

2 minutes ago, King Kante said:

Yeah, I think we'll just wait out the Rice situation. The boy only wants to come here and he is insanely priced at the moment. We'll just do what Real/Bayern do and wait until he is either free or in his last year. He has also turned down significant wage increases as well. This tells me he has somewhere he wants to go as people need to remember that avoiding signing a new contract means that you're giving up £100k+ on your current wage x 104 weeks or more when holding out/running down. That is a big risk as you cannot account for injuries. 

Do you believe there is a risk going into the season with Kante, Jorginho, Gallagher, and Kovacic?

[Magic Lamps 11,449]

I think the problem is the holder position. We only have Jorginho there who is declining and will probably leave next summer latest. TT sees RLC as back up for him but he is not really in the same mould nor is capable to play on the level required

[MoroccanBlue 5,198]

4 minutes ago, Magic Lamps said:

I think the problem is the holder position. We only have Jorginho there who is declining and will probably leave next summer latest. TT sees RLC as back up for him but he is not really in the same mould nor is capable to play on the level required

Against low blocks, the problem is the set up. 

-  Ball swings out wide to to the wingback  (James/Alonso). What are the options?

- Havertz is double marked in the middle and the attacking wingers are marked out wide. 

- Jorginho is pragmatic in his position to prevent the counter, which leaves just one option through the middle (either Kovacic or Kante). Either can be easily taken out of the game with a body constantly on them. 

- With no options, the wingback (James/Alonso) recycles back to the CB to try the other side. 

- Rinse and repeat. 

 

Time and time again this scenario happens. Add the slow and tedious way we move the ball, its genuinely no wonder why we've dropped so many points at home and why our attackers continue to struggle. It's easy to defend against. The fact all rumors suggest Tuchel wants to continue this set up, peak Lionel Messi himself wouldn't thrive here. 

 

 

 

[Vytis33 1,043]

What's a fair transfer fee for Rice?  That 150M reported sounds bananas

[Jype 6,398]

13 minutes ago, Vytis33 said:

What's a fair transfer fee for Rice?  That 150M reported sounds bananas

I'd say around £70-80M would represent 'fair' value at the moment for his current level and for the prices we've seen other highly rated DMs move.

That said, with 2 years and an option for a third still left on his contract West Ham don't need to sell for a 'fair' price so they have every right to demand an over the odds payment to let him go. They know they'll still get the 70-80M for him even with a year left on his contract so if nobody's willing to pay more, they'll probably want to keep him for a couple more years.

Don't believe for a second the actual asking price is strictly 150M though. If anyone is willing to pay 100-120M for him now, they're gonna sell.

[King Kante 1,297]

2 hours ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Do you believe there is a risk going into the season with Kante, Jorginho, Gallagher, and Kovacic?

I do not think it will be disastrous, maybe not ideal, but not disastrous. At the moment, my concerns are more to do with CB, LWB, a New AM and getting shot of Lukaku. Only after that is sorted would I think about CM. However, even then I would probably place RWB cover for Reece above that as well. Only time I would really start to get all hot and bothered about CM is if we switch to a 433 or something but I cannot see that happening. 

[MoroccanBlue 5,198]

9 minutes ago, King Kante said:

I do not think it will be disastrous, maybe not ideal, but not disastrous. At the moment, my concerns are more to do with CB, LWB, a New AM and getting shot of Lukaku. Only after that is sorted would I think about CM. However, even then I would probably place RWB cover for Reece above that as well. Only time I would really start to get all hot and bothered about CM is if we switch to a 433 or something but I cannot see that happening. 

It was disastrous this season, why wouldn't it be next? Kovacic is injury prone, Kante is losing his athleticism + is injury prone, we've gone about as far as we can with Jorginho and the best of Gallagher isn't suited in a 2 man midfield. 

[Blues Forever 1,232]

 

[LAM09 6,547]

2 hours ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Do you believe there is a risk going into the season with Kante, Jorginho, Gallagher, and Kovacic?

We also have someone by the name of Ampadu that could play DM. We aren't exactly short on option, but whether they're up to the job is a different story.